The youngest daughter of a widowed clergyman, Emma Watson has been brought up by a wealthy aunt, where she is given a genteel education and the expectation of independent means. However, when her aunt suddenly makes a reckless second marriage, Emma is obliged to return to her father’s house and be reunited with her estranged siblings. Initially delighted with her new life, Emma soon realises that her family harbours many ill feelings, not least those springing from her sisters’ hopes – and disappointments – in snaring husbands. When she begins to attract attention from the nearby titled family and their associated friends, the result can only be further sibling rivalry and unrest. A portrait of family life, The Watsons is Jane Austen at her storytelling best. Taking marriage as its central concern, it captures in miniature the well-known, and well-loved, themes of her more famous novels.
