Kate Watson is a young adult writer, wife, mother of two and the tenth of thirteen children. Originally from Canada, she attended college in the States and holds a BA in Philosophy from Brigham Young University. Seeking Mansfield is her first novel, with a companion novel to follow in 2018. She is also a contributor to Eric Smith's WELCOME HOME adoption anthology (JFP 2017).
Seeking Mansfield
by Kate Watson, Kirby Heyborne (Read by), Elizabeth Evans (Read by)
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- ISBN-13: 9781543666090
- Publisher: Brilliance Audio
- Publication date: 11/14/2017
- Product dimensions: 5.25(w) x 6.75(h) x 0.50(d)
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Sixteen-year-old Finley Price has perfected two things: how to direct a world-class production and how to fly way, way under the radar. The only person who ever seems to notice Finley is her best friend and godparents‘ son, Oliver Bertram. Since Finley moved in with her godparents after the death of her father, she and Oliver have grown close. If Finley could just take Oliver‘s constant encouragement to heart and step out of the shadows, she‘d finally chase her dream of joining the prestigious Mansfield Theater. But when teen movie stars Emma and Harlan Crawford move across the street from the Bertrams, they shake up Finley and Oliver‘s stable friendship.
As Emma and Oliver grow closer, Finley realizes that Harlan‘s attention is shifting to her. She discovers she might have feelings for him, too. Or is she interested in Harlan only because Oliver is taken? Finley doesn‘t want to be won, and she doesn‘t want to see Oliver with anyone else. To claim Oliver‘s heart - and keep her own - she‘ll have to find the courage to do what she fears most: step into the spotlight.
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Publishers Weekly
05/15/2017Sixteen-year-old Finley Price dreams of being accepted into the prestigious Mansfield Theater program; Oliver Bertram dreams of being Finley’s boyfriend. But the two are old friends, and Oliver worries about losing Finley’s trust if he makes a move. To make matters more complicated, Finley has been living with the Bertrams for two years, ever since her abusive mother went to jail. When teen movie stars Emma and Harlan Crawford move across the street, Finley and Oliver find themselves conflicted over their new crushes. Based on Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park and set in present-day Chicago, Watson’s debut novel begins slowly as she introduces a clutter of characters with intersecting lives, families, and stories. Readers get to know Finley and Oliver better through third-person narration, which alternates between them. Although it’s satisfying to see them wind up together, the plot can get repetitive—Oliver’s older brother winds up in the hospital, Finley’s mother tries to make amends after being diagnosed with cancer—and several characters’ struggles revolve around finding the courage to pursue their desires, professionally or personally. Ages 12–up. Agency: Red Sofa Literary. (May)
VOYA, April 2017 (Vol. 40, No. 1) - Kristy Rademacher
In this modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, Finley Price lives in Chicago with her godparents, the Bertrams, ever since her father died. Her mother is in prison. The Bertrams’s son, Oliver, is her best friend, yet Finley’s life with the Bertrams is tense; her aunt shames and verbally abuses her every chance she gets, while young Juliette Bertram treats Finley like hired help. When the Crawfords—beautiful, famous, and seemingly vapid Hollywood stars—move in next door, they quickly insert themselves into Finley and Oliver’s lives. Everyone is pressuring Finley to be more self-assured, as long as she does it in the way they prefer. When the eldest Bertram sibling gets seriously injured, Finley reevaluates her life and discovers how to stand up for what she truly wants. While the plot remains quite predictable, the characters are interesting and the romantic tension between Oliver and Finley is fun. The dialogue waffles between “teen speak” and old-fashioned, proper phrasing. This can be jolting, making teen characters sound far older and more mature than their years. Finley has survived her mother’s violence and appears to suffer from PTSD, but the topic is not fully explored. This is not a novel for fans of Jane Austen’s classic. The retelling is clichéd and simplistic, but if readers are looking for a light, romantic read with a heaping dose of melodrama, Seeking Mansfield will be perfect. Reviewer: Kristy Rademacher; Ages 12 to 18.Children's Literature - Jill Walton
Sixteen-year-old Finley Price is a victim, a survivor, a Cinderella, and a talented theatre arts director in her own right. Her own family has collapsed, with her father dead and her mother in prison. She is grateful to her godparents for taking her in; she and their son, Oliver, are best friends. Finley’s way of coping is to be invisible, but not even Finley’s hidden background protects her when two other talented show business teenagers move into the neighborhood. One is gorgeous and the other handsome, and they know their business. Finley thinks she knows all about these kinds of characters. She does and she does not. This novel is a fascinating glimpse into how the world of entertainment works and how some people live their lives before an audience on and off the stage. Finley falls in love, faces her past, and recognizes that only she can make herself whole. This is an excellent young adult novel with well-developed characters the reader will want to meet again. Reviewer: Jill Walton; Ages 12 up.School Library Journal
04/01/2017Gr 8 Up—In this modern retelling of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, Finley Price joins the Bertrams' household following the death of her father and the alcoholic and abusive downward spiral of her mother. She has just begun to adjust when famous siblings Harlan and Emma Crawford move in next door. The daughter of a well-known actor, Finley is no stranger to the world of theater and film, but her history and timid nature prevent her from applying to a prestigious theater program, even with her best friend's encouragement and her further immersion into the world of theater with the Crawfords. The narrative begins with stiff language, perhaps too reminiscent of that of the original Austen work, but eventually settles into a more comfortable style. Similarly, characters' personalities start off caricaturelike before the author grasps deeper layers of each one, fleshing out subtleties and contradictions with finesse. With a classic plot to build on, this title successfully illustrates gray areas of human nature and communicates them in a way readers will see reflected in their own lives. This novel will satisfy fans of the source material and Austen neophytes alike. The book's complex themes will be enjoyed by fans of Estelle Laure's This Raging Light and Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl. VERDICT This debut ultimately weaves an impressive mosaic and is an excellent selection for fans of young adult literature that is heavily thematic or romantic or that revisits the classics.—Abby Hargreaves, Alexandria Public Library, VA
Kirkus Reviews
2017-03-06In a modern spin on Mansfield Park, Watson's debut blends Austen with a dash of Shakespeare, all in contemporary Chicago.Sixteen-year-old Finley Price, "half-Brazilian, half-Irish," has found a sanctuary with her wealthy white godparents and their son, the Bertrams, after escaping her abusive mother. She is hyperaware of her perceived debt to the Bertrams and is determined to avoid being an imposition and to give back as much as she possibly can. Ever protective Oliver Bertram, however, is consistently encouraging her to be bold and embrace life. When white sibling Hollywood teen stars Emma and Harlan Crawford move in with their aunt and uncle next door the homeostasis of the Bertram home is disrupted. Finley must learn to speak up for herself to heal past wounds and move forward to achieve her dreams. The third-person narration shifts focus between Oliver and Finley, giving insight into the motives of each, including their unspoken affection for each other, which simmers throughout the novel. Austen's Regency plot fits well among contemporary teens trying to define their own values and ambitions away from family obligations, expectations, and psychological baggage. Watson avoids the satire of the original, though, as this Finley and indeed all the characters seem to be entirely in earnest. A commendable adaptation of a 200-year-old tale made fresh for a 21st-century audience. (Fiction. 14-18)