The Sins of Their Fathers

A Pride & Prejudice Variation (Pride and Prejudice "What if?" Variations)

De: Tiffany Thomas

Narrado por: Harry Frost

How would Pride & Prejudice be different if William Collins came to live with the Bennets at Longbourn as a young child? Will Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy still find their happily ever after?

Young William Collins spent his childhood under the oppression of an abusive father and an ill mother. When he becomes an orphan after a scarring tragedy, Collins is sent to live with his estranged cousins, the Bennet family, at Longbourn.

At the same time, Fitzwilliam Darcy passes through his own crisis. The unique relationship between the Darcy and Wickham families is revealed late one night when Fitzwilliam discovers his father’s unsettling secret—one that affects George Wickham to the core.

Elizabeth grows up loving Collins as a brother, but when he befriends Darcy and Wickham, Elizabeth wonders about her cousin’s choice in friends, and Darcy’s overbearing pride. What she doesn’t know are the heartaches of Darcy’s past that shape his intentions now.

As the beloved characters of Pride & Prejudice grapple with their disturbing childhoods, how will the choices of their parents be carried on to the next generation? Can they find happiness, or are they doomed to a lifetime of misery because of the sins of their fathers?"The Sins of Their Fathers: A Pride & Prejudice Variation" by Tiffany Thomas is a full-length historical romance novel of 85,000 words.

**Trigger warning: this book contains child abuse in different forms, though it is not explicit**

©2022 Tiffany Thomas (P)2025 Tiffany Thomas

Standing firm with friends

4 1/2 stars rounded up to five for the story and 5+ stars for the narration of the audiobook.

I read this book several years ago when it came out and then revisited it when the audiobook was released. The audiobook really does make the story even better and it is one I will listen to again.

This may be a very hard P&P variation for some people to read. This deals with physical abuse for one child, SA abuse for another one and the questionable parentage of another. With all of that, you have the story of friendships, healing, forgiveness, and more. For those looking for a good Mr. Collins or a good/redeemed Wickham and a nice Caroline, this is your story.

Serious theme

This is a very good variation that takes a darker path than most, with a weighty theme at its core. Some listeners may find the tone a little heavy, but the story does have depth and strong character development—how the familiar characters we know deal with and overcome the sins of their fathers. The story starts many years earlier than canon begins when a responsible Mr. Bennet takes in his abused orphan cousin William Collins. It also show the younger years of Darcy and Wickham, and later, Bingley and his sisters. In this variation, it is Wickham who befriends Bingley first. The audiobook is lifted even further with Harry Frost’s narration—as always, he brings warmth, nuance, and life to every character, making this listen even more worthwhile.

There are trigger warnings.