Book DescriptionDear Mr. Knightleyby Katherine Reay (Goodreads Author) 3.95   Rating Details   6,360 Ratings   1,238 ReviewsDear Mr. Knightley is a contemporary epistolary novel with a delightful dash of Jane Austen.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 herĂ‚ÂĄa 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 ownĂ‚ÂĄsecrets that, for better or for worse, make it impossible for Sam to hide behind either her characters or her letters. (less)Paperback, 317 pagesPublished November 12th 2013 by Thomas Nelson (first published November 5th 2013)Publication Date: November 5, 2013?Katherine Reay's Dear Mr. Knightley kept me up until 2:00 a.m.; I simply couldn't put it down." Ă‚ÂĄEloisa James, New York Times best-selling author of Once Upon a TowerSamantha Moore has always hidden behind the words of othersĂ‚ÂĄnamely, her favorite characters in literature. Now, she will learn to write her own storyĂ‚ÂĄby giving that story to a complete stranger.Sam is, to say the least, bookish. An English major of the highest order, her diet has always been Austen, Dickens, and Shakespeare. The problem is, both her prose and conversation tend to be more Elizabeth Bennet than Samantha Moore.But life for the twenty-three-year-old orphan is about to get stranger than fiction. An anonymous, Dickensian benefactor (calling himself Mr. Knightley) offers to put Sam through Northwestern University?s prestigious Medill School of Journalism. There is only one catch: Sam must write frequent letters to the mysterious donor, detailing her progress.As Sam?s dark memory mingles with that of eligible novelist Alex Powell, her letters to Mr. Knightley become increasingly confessional. While Alex draws Sam into a world of warmth and literature that feels like it?s straight out of a book, old secrets are drawn to light. And as Sam learns to love and trust Alex and herself, she learns once again how quickly trust can be broken.Reminding us all that our own true character is not meant to be hidden, Reay?s debut novel follows one young woman?s journey as she sheds her protective persona and embraces the person she was meant to become.

Since reading Eligible I'm interested in these Austen adjacent novels. I found this one in a daily book email and reviews were very good.

I liked the style of a story told through letters and the basic plot was ok but several things -- almost everything in the last chapters of the book -- annoyed me so much that it diminished everything for me. ( )

If I had known this was a Christian romance novel, I probably would not have checked it out. Christian romance is really not my thing. The big Christian elements in this novel don't pop up until around halfway through the book. They are:

1. waiting until marriage to have sex
2. God helps those who help themselves
3. the forgiveness of certain trespasses

All three of these themes were explored in ways that made me cringe. The protagonist is rewarded for her abstinence (and it's pointed out that others are punished in various ways for having sex before marriage). Similarly, she is rewarded for hard work with tremendously (read: unbelievably) good luck bestowed on her by a nice Christian couple (where were the nice Christian couples when she was a child in the foster system suffering abuse?). And in the end, she forgives someone for something I found 100% unforgivable and super creepy.

Even putting the uncomfortable moralizing of this novel aside, I never bought the premise. Sam is writing letters to an anonymous benefactor about her life. Sure, ok, I'm with you so far. Then she starts including super intimate details about her personal life. About how her boyfriend kisses her and her lack of sexual experience. These are really not the things a graduate student should share to secure her grant funding. Again, super creepy.

I read this because my library system has a program called 10 to Try where you read books in certain categories. This was meant to fulfill the epistolary novel category. I should have re-read [b:The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society|39832183|The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society|Mary Ann Shaffer|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529026760l/39832183._SY75_.jpg|2754161]. ( )

Not sure how religion took over in the end. ( )

A contemporary retelling of Daddy-Long-Legs. Samantha Moore is offered a grant to get a masters in journalism on the condition that she keep writing to her anonymous benefactor.

This was unexpectedly compelling and I finished the audiobook in a couple of days.I like stories about universities and making friends. I like literary quotations. I like the way epistolary letters require some reading between the lines -- Sam’s letters give the sense that she’s being fully open, but she’s still writing for a specific audience, and it’s plausible that there are details she omits, or wording she might use in real life (or in her head) but wouldn’t write to the man paying her tuition.

And I liked how, when certain things come to light, those are acknowledged as problematic and Sam is supported.

I just thought Sam should have been allowed to be angry about a few more things. I was irate on her behalf. It’s dawned on me that I’ve reacted to Sam like she’s a real person. My criticism, both the noteworthy ones and the smaller quibbles, are mainly about times when I think others are being unfair or they have misunderstood Sam or they should support her differently. I haven’t really thought about the book as a story.

One of my criticisms was about the way Sam is pushed into studying journalism. Yes, she does have a choice, but it felt coercive and I was annoyed that that aspect wasn't addressed further. (I remain unconvinced that journalism is inherently a better use of Sam’s talents or a more reliable path to employment)

There are various characters’ who see Sam’s tendency to quote as a sign she’s not being genuine or living in the real world, and while it’s believable that people might think so, I was annoyed that the book narrative seemed to agree with them. I understand having quotes just pop into one’s head. It’s just the way some people’s brains work! Admittedly I don’t quote at people the way Sam sometimes does, but neither have I had Sam's upbringing -- I think she has very understandable reasons for using the words which pop into her head as a shield or a coping mechanism.

I found my first copy of Pride and Prejudice on the 'L' when I was nine. I loved Austen's world. It was safe and I could breathe. By the time I looked up, the book was disintegrating from wear and I had barely registered two foster placement switches. My “inability to relate” caused a few headaches at the Department of Children and Family Services. And that’s never changed. ( )