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Belle

the Slave Daughter and the Lord Chief Justice
m2
Jul 16, 2014m2 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Wonderful examination of abolition's status in England before William Wilberforce, through the lens of the fascinating story of Lord Chief Justice Mansfield and his neice and adopted daughter, Dido Elizabeth Belle. The book was put together to supply the true story behind the recent movie, Belle (2014), staring Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Especially fascinating is the author's appendix, Jane Austen's Mansfield Connection in which she examines the connection between Jane Austin and the Lord Chief Justice and how that may have influenced her novel, Mansfield Park. And there is a strong possibility that Austin's unfinished novel, Sanditon, is suggested by Dido Elizabeth Belle's life.