Emma Watson has been brought up by her aunt in a wealthy
and refined household, an educated lifestyle far removed
from her widowed father and five siblings. So when her aunt
enters into an imprudent second marriage, nineteen-year-old
Emma is sent back home and must join her sisters in their
pursuit of a husband . . .
Aiken takes on the fate of Austen's characters with
confidence and skill, flawlessly entwining themes of loss and
love together in this stunning regency pastiche.
'Joan Aiken's invention seemed inexhaustible, her high spirits
a blessing, her sheer storytelling zest a phenomenon. She
was a literary treasure, and her books will continue to delight
for many years to come' - Philip Pullman

Joan Aiken was born in Rye, Sussex, in 1924, daughter of the American poet Conrad Aiken, and started writing herself at the age of five. From the 1960s she wrote full-time and published over a hundred books.

Best known for her children’s books such as The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and Midnight is a Place, she also wrote extensively for adults and published many contemporary and historical novels, including sequels to novels by Jane Austen. In 1968 she won the Guardian Children’s book prize for Whispering Mountain, followed by an Edgar Allan Poe award for Night Fall in 1972, and she was awarded an MBE for her services to children’s literature in 1999.

Joan Aiken died in 2004.