1932: Pride and Prejudice Revisited – Release Day

Good Afternoon everyone,

I’m really happy to receive Karen M. Cox here today to celebrate the re-release of her book 1932: Pride and Prejudice Revisited!

Son of a Preacher Man is an unforgettable book that I’ll always cherish, and in it, Karen M. Cox also took Pride and Prejudice into a completely different era, so my expectations concerning 1932 are very high! I never got a chance to read it when it was released, so this re-release which not only has been revised, but also contain additional scenes, is definitely putting it high on my To Be Read list.

I am certain the Karen M. Cox will be able to play with words and sentences to make us feel transported right into the Big Depression, and her knowledge of the Southern states will certainly be visible in her prose. As for her Darcy…Something tells me he will be irresistible!

Today it is release day for 1932: Pride and Prejudice Revisited so if you’ve never heard about it, do yourself a favour, and check it out 🙂

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During the upheaval of the Great Depression, Elizabeth Bennet’s life is torn asunder. Her family’s relocation from the bustle of the big city to a quiet family farm has changed her future, and now, she must build a new life in rural Meryton, Kentucky.
William Darcy suffered family turmoil of his own, but he has settled into a peaceful life at Pemberley, the largest farm in the county. Single, rich, and seemingly content, he remains aloof—immune to any woman’s charms.
Until Elizabeth Bennet moves to town.
As Darcy begins to yearn for something he knows is missing, Elizabeth’s circumstances become more dire. Can the two put aside their pride and prejudices long enough to find their way to each other?

1932, Karen M Cox’s award-winning debut novel, is a matchless variation on Jane Austen’s classic tale.

 

 

You can find 1932 at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

And on Kindle Unlimited

 

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It’s release day for 1932: Pride and Prejudice Revisited, and I’m grateful to be celebrating here at From Pemberley to Milton.

This year is the tenth anniversary of the original publication of 1932, my debut novel. I’ve marked the milestone with a new, second edition—added several scenes, donned a new cover, wrote some book group questions, and hammered out a good edit to tighten the prose and point of view—all while keeping the story and characters that I loved.

I’ve also enjoyed going back over some of the relics of the Great Depression as I’ve prepared for this book launch. I’m careful to stay mindful of the struggles people experienced in that era and remember there was real suffering. I don’t want to romanticize their struggles or gloss over them. But when I was a girl and heard the stories my grandmothers would tell about those years, their take-home message was always the same. “Yes, we struggled. Yes, it was difficult, but there was happiness, too. We always could find joy if we looked for it.” Part of that joy stemmed from the same things we enjoy now—music, books, movies, and other little pieces of our culture that make us smile.

One little piece of 1930s popular culture that I learned about was the phenomenon of Depression glass. It’s a bit kitschy, but the items ARE rather striking and collectible in a retro, vintage kind of way.

Basically, Depression glass was run-of-the-mill, commonplace glassware manufactured from the 1930s until after World War II. Companies were looking for incentives for people to buy their products, like flour or soap—or patronize their businesses, like movie theaters. So, they would offer a piece of pretty glassware along with a purchase. In the 20s, the making of glassware became more automated and glassware could be manufactured for less cost and mass-produced in larger quantities. Depression glass was made mostly in the central and mid-west United States and was distributed in the U.S. and Canada. It came in many patterns and various colors, such as red, pink, green, amber, and cobalt blue.

I first learned about Depression glass when I was twelve years old, and my family bought an old house that was built in the 1920s. The woman who lived there had passed away several years prior. She had a daughter who had left many of her mother’s things in the house. I remember going in there was like entering a time warp—there was old furniture in the rooms, newspapers and magazines in the attic, vintage appliances in the kitchen, perfume bottles with layers of dust on them—and cabinets containing this pretty green and pink glassware. After a bit of research, my mom found out it was most likely Depression glass.

Depression glass has flaws, and the quality is fairly low. After all, it was made as a cheap giveaway prize from businesses competing for a person’s rare spare dollar. The glass looks delicate and fragile, but really, it isn’t—I mean, it is glass, and if you drop it, it breaks, but it’s sturdier than it looks. That was what fascinated me about it. Depression glass seems frivolous, like it might shatter if you looked at it cross-eyed. However, people did actually use it as everyday dishware. And because that generation didn’t throw anything away (which, if you lived through the Great Depression, you would understand perfectly), many people hung onto it.

Which is a very good thing for those who enjoy collecting it today.

If you Pinterest, head over to see some pictures of Depression Glass in general, and some pictures of my family’s collection in particular. https://www.pinterest.com/karenmc1932/1932turns10-depression-glass/

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Source material from: http://www.depression-glass.com/  and http://www.justglass.com/documents/articles/reyne/dg.html

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To celebrate the 10th anniversary edition of 1932, Karen is giving away a signed copy of the book and some Jane Austen swag: fun notecards from The Quill Ink, What Would Jane Do? book of quotes, and Austen coffee mug (if US winner) or an ebook copy of the book and 25$ Amazon Gift Card (if International Winner – cause #shipping 🙂
To enter the giveaway, click this link.

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Today is release day for 1932, but the tour has already started and you can still go back and look for more information on this book 🙂

Here is the schedule:

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