A Bennet Wardrobe Christmas Miracle

A Pride and Prejudice Variation (The Bennet Wardrobe Series)

De: Don Jacobson

Narrado por: Benjamin Fife

The greatest gift of all is time

The miracle is the link forged between Christmases past and present. Thomas Bennet

The Darcys know the changes age brings. Now, as birthday candles for Darcy multiply, how will time affect Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam’s love?

Time is painfully short for Fanny Bennet as she faces the loss of an ailing husband she dearly loves. Another hour or day with Thomas Bennet would be a treasure.

Thomas Bennet left Longbourn one last time to find a long-lost daughter. Now wearing a countess’s tiara, Kate Fitzwilliam has needed her family for decades, especially during the festive season.

The remarkable Bennet Wardrobe has its say in a most unusual Christmas dinner, mending hearts and giving that wondrous gift to the Bennets of Longbourn—Time.

This is a holiday quick listen of about 45,000 words.

©2024 Donald Whitfield Jacobson (P)2024 Donald Whitfield Jacobson

All Time Lines Lead Home for Christmas

Because my listening experience came close on the heels of my reading experience, I will reprise my original thoughts on the book and add in my narration comments.

When a lonesome time traveler has a strong longing to see family one last time, a sentient magical wardrobe time portal makes her holiday wish come true. Don Jacobson’s Bennet Wardrobe series completed with the emotionally impacting, triumphant eighth installment, but I was thrilled for a revisit to the series in the form of this tender holiday novella that takes place chronologically before several of the events in the regular series.

Because this is a story tucked within the other timelines of the series, it’s not a standalone and works best in release order behind book eight, The Grail: Saving Elizabeth Darcy.

In December 1919, the Countess gets a startling visitor through the magical wardrobe from the past- her youngest sister’s son tumbles into her life and makes her yearn to be spending Christmas with all her sisters and parents. The wardrobe finds a way to make it happen bringing Mr. and Mrs. Bennet from one timeline and the four Bennet sisters and their husbands from yet another.
The Wardrobe knew Kitty needed this one last fortifying visit to do what she still had to do in her time line. It gives her parents a chance to see her and make things right after she accidentally tumbled through time. It gives the Darcys who have been suffering an odd coldness in their marriage a renewing chance. But, most of all, family gets to be together for a little bit during the holidays enjoying this Christmas miracle.

Benjamin Fife is a familiar narrator and, no surprise, his talent for character voices and intuition for tone and pacing carried this heart-felt novella to greater heights. The tender feelings of bittersweet goodbye hit so much the stronger and I loved how the audio edition brought out moments throughout the story in a different way..

Rather than the big tensions and excitement that come with the earlier novels in the series, this was a gentler, thoughtful, and heartwarming piece. It was a long goodbye as some of the family saw each other for the last time. Yes, I teared up. A sweet gift to fans of the series.

A Christmas gift to the Wardrobe series fans, but…

This story can be enjoyed by anyone even if you haven’t already read the Bennet Wardrobe series, IF YOU ARE able to suspend your disbelief and let clues and the established world building come along as they are needed.

For the readers who have been devoted to this series all along this is a wonderful gift, not just for the Christmas season but anytime you can carve out a few hours to listen. And shed a few tears, and a laugh or two. From beginning to end it is a delightful, deep, heartfelt closure to the series that wasn’t necessarily needed unt it was offered. And now I cannot imagine the series without this finale. Part of me wanted more more more! More of the other sisters. But for some of us it was Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s story that wasn’t as finished as we wanted it to be.

Thank you Mr Jacobson for this story. And thank you Mr Fife for the great narration. Highly recommended. I know I will be relistening to this many times. But now I’m utterly compelled to start over and reread the entire series.