"LIES JANE AUSTEN TOLD ME," by Julie Rowse, EAB Publishing, $12, 212 pages (nf)
Author Julie L. Rowse shares her relationships in the context of Jane Austen’s novels and a few romantic comedies from the 1980s and early 1990s in her memoir, “Lies Jane Austen Told Me.”
This isn’t a conventional guy-meets-girl, happily-ever-after story, and it’s those stories that Rowse works to debunk, thanks, in part, to her painful dating experiences.
Rowse, who is in her 40s and is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, shares her frustration with being single and not having any of her dating relationships result in marriage.
One man, whom she calls Wickham, she met in high school, and they continued on a rocky, on-again off-again, 12-year path that included him dating her sister, and after they ultimately broke up, he invited her to his wedding to someone else.
Another relationship was with a man she calls John. He could be nice and charming and then physically and emotionally abusive.
There was “Knightly,” whom she met 10 days after returning from serving a mission. Months after they had parted ways, he asked her to go with him to the mall to — as it turned out — pick up an engagement ring for another girl.
She also shares her attempts at online dating, which are understandably frustrating.
Rowse, who has a master’s degree and is a high school English teacher, includes a few journal entries from varying years, and she points out her decisions with the benefit of hindsight.
The way she’s written the individual dating war stories makes it feel very conversational, almost like she’s sitting there sharing her experiences. It’s easy to empathize with her as she’s working on her version of happily ever after. Her goals and dreams of a husband and children haven’t quite worked out so far.
Some of the comparisons to movies and fiction can fall flat if the reader isn’t familiar with them, even though there is a guide in the first few pages of the book to the movies and characters.
While writing about her past relationships was likely quite therapeutic and probably more than a bit painful, it’s difficult to know why she decided to publish them in a book.
There is an occasional swear word, there is some generally described violence, and the described relationships don’t go beyond kissing and some cuddling.
If you go ...
What: Julie Rowse book signing
When: Friday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m.
Where: Provo City Library, 550 N. University Ave., Provo
Web: provolibrary.com
Also ...
When: Saturday, Oct. 17, 2-4 p.m.
Where: The King's English Bookshop, 1511 S. 1500 East, Salt Lake City
Web: kingsenglish.com
Note: Places in the signing line are reserved for those who purchase a copy of the featured book from The King's English.
Email: rappleye@deseretnews.com Twitter: CTRappleye