KATHERINE REAY
Synopsis:
Samantha Moore survived years of darkness in the foster care system by hiding behind her favorite characters in literature, even adopting their very words. Her fictional friends give her an identity, albeit a borrowed one. But most importantly, they protect her from revealing her true self and encountering more pain.
After college, Samantha receives an extraordinary opportunity. The anonymous “Mr. Knightley” offers her a full scholarship to earn her graduate degree at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. The sole condition is that Sam write to Mr. Knightley regularly to keep him apprised of her progress.
As Sam’s true identity begins to reveal itself through her letters, her heart begins to soften to those around her—a damaged teenager and fellow inhabitant of Grace House, her classmates at Medill, and, most powerfully, successful novelist Alex Powell. But just as Sam finally begins to trust, she learns that Alex has secrets of his own—secrets that, for better or for worse, make it impossible for Sam to hide behind either her characters or her letters.
Content:
Language: Not present
Violence: This is an epistolary novel, so there is no explicit violence. However, there is some discussion of physical abuse (to children especially, involving being tied up and hit), beatings, and one moment where a character's father attempts to sell her to what is presumed to be something like a brothel (not dwelled on at all). There are some examples of abusive relationships and unsafe living conditions/neighborhoods. One character ends up the hospital because of abuse and someone else is in the hospital because they get hit by a car.
Sex: a few undescriptive kisses and several allusions to sex, but nothing explicitly stated. There are several conversations about relationships throughout the novel.
LGBTQ: Not present
My Review:
I enjoyed this one a lot more than I thought I would. There are references to plenty of Jane Austen books and other classics, which was fun. At some points in the novel, the main character did annoy me a little bit, but I could also understand her fears and concerns. The ending was fast, but other than that, I thought the pacing was well done. I wouldn't limit my recommendations to Jane Austen-lovers—there was actually much less of the Austen aspect than I had expected. I would also like to note that there are some discussions of religion in the book as well.
It is also important to note that this is NOT a Jane Austen novel retelling. In other reviews, I have heard that this is a retelling of a classic called Daddy Long Legs (Jean Webster). After reading the synopsis for the book and learning that the author's inspiration for Dear Mr. Knightley was Daddy Long Legs, it does seem like a retelling, though maybe not a strict one.