THE PASSIONS OF DR. DARCY

Volume 8 of the Darcy Saga—a Pride and Prejudice spinoff series—devotes itself to the exploits both professional and, especially, romantic of Dr. George Darcy, a gifted medic working in colonial India.

Making token gestures toward the family and country estate of Jane Austen’s indelible hero, Lathan’s novel pursues a tangential branch of the line, the life history of Uncle George, who, heartbroken at the death of his twin brother, quit England in 1789 to work for the East India Company. Arriving in Bombay, he meets a villainous boss, a friendly colleague and an important Indian mentor, Dr. Ullas. More importantly, there are encounters with significant women. Although apparently unlucky in love, George has his fair share of passionate—and sexually explicit—encounters. But after the early death of Ullas, it’s with his widow, Jharna, that George finds a measure of long-term, if unmarried, happiness. Traveling the subcontinent over almost three decades, he learns much about healing and Indian society, but returns occasionally to England and eventually, after tragedies, retires there, only to find love one last time.

Forget Jane Austen. This romance/historical chronicle offers immense length and devoted application in lieu of plot or wit. For fans of Volumes 1 to 7.