The Admiral's Penniless Bride by Carla Kelly

I also held my breath awaiting the depiction of the Jewish neighbor, but I was relieved to see a friendly old man with a yarmulke, a beard, and no offensively caricatured features. Some of the costumes are ahistorical (Sophia’s dress and hat when they go visiting neighbors are downright Edwardian) but others are quite charming, and they’re all pretty. The artist also has the range to draw Sir Charles’s beautiful ocean view and the woodwork-ceiling of the living room of a neighboring marquis. Sir Charles has bought a mansion that was decorated appallingly by a lascivious old nobleman, and the artist’s interpretations of that are laugh-out-loud hilarious.

The artist does a wonderful job creating dense pages which express lots of story, such as the page when Sophia goes from place to place seeking employment and finding nothing. What else works for me about this adaptation? I love the layouts. I concede that the book ending was probably historically more accurate, but it always depressed me. I cannot say this without being spoilery, but be aware: the ending of this graphic novel adaptation is not the same as the ending from the book. She creates an idyllic life for the two of them on land – until the secret behind her husband’s death comes to light.

The heroine, Sophia – Sally – Daviess, marries Admiral Sir Charles Bright in a whirlwind after he finds her down to her last penny at a tea shop. The story is perhaps one of Kelly’s less beloved ones. When Carla Kelly announced that her book The Admiral’s Penniless Bride had been selected for adaptation, I knew I’d found my test case. In order to give Harlequin Manga a fair shake, I looked for a book where I had read and enjoyed the original.

The Admiral's Penniless Bride by Carla Kelly