Dearest readers,
There has been much buzz and excitement among the staff and patrons of the Orem Public Library lately regarding a highly anticipated event, namely, the release of the second season of Bridgerton. For those who cannot bear to wait any longer or who crave entertainment of a similar flavor, I have procured from library staff this list of shows for your perusal. Whether you long for salacious gossip and revelations of a scandalous nature, back-stabbing plots of intrigue and seduction, or depictions of powerful women fighting both in front of and behind the scenes to achieve their romantic, political, and financial goals, I am confident you will be delighted with this excellent selection.
Yours Truly,
Lady Whistledown
Sanditon (2019)
DVD
Based on the unfinished novel by Jane Austen. Tom Parker is obsessed with turning the sleepy seaside village of Sanditon into a fashionable health resort, enlisting the backing of local bigwig Lady Denham. Through a mishap, Tom makes the acquaintance of the Heywoods and invites their eldest daughter, Charlotte, for an extended stay at Sanditon. Meanwhile, Lady Denham, a widow, is playing matchmaker for her destitute nephew, Sir Edward, who is determined to seduce Lady Denham’s ward, Clara.
Miss Scarlet and the Duke (2021)
DVD
Eliza Scarlet joins forces with a Scotland Yard inspector to solve crime in nineteenth century London. This British detective drama features a fearless, independent heroine with an inquisitive mind. Miss Eliza Scarlet has always been more interested in running her late father’s detective agency than behaving like a proper lady, much to the chagrin of family friend Inspector William Wellington of Scotland Yard, also known as The Duke. But nothing has prepared her for the dangers she is about to face as a woman in the murder investigation trade.
Gentleman Jack (2019)
DVD
Inspired by the diaries of Anne Lister. Anne Lister returns to Halifax, West Yorkshire in 1832, determined to transform the fate of her faded ancestral home, Shibden Hall, by reopening her coal mines and marrying well. However, the charismatic, single-minded Lister–who dresses in black from head to toe and has charmed her way into high society–has no intention of marrying a man. Instead, she is determined to stay true to her nature by marrying Ann Walker, a sheltered heiress who happens to be a seriously wealthy woman.
Belgravia (2020)
DVD
Adapted from the novel Belgravia by Julian Fellowes. This show follows events when the rising nouveau riche, including the Trenchard family, rub shoulders with London’s well-known upper classes and when secrets from the past threaten to emerge.
Love & Friendship (2016)
DVD
Based on the novel by Jane Austen. The beautiful widow Susan Vernon has come to the estate of her in-laws to wait out colorful rumors about her dalliances circulating through polite society. Whilst there, she decides to secure a husband for herself and her rather reluctant debutante daughter, Frederica.
All about Eve (1950)
DVD
Bette Davis stars as a fading Broadway actress who is menaced by an overreaching younger actress played by Anne Baxter.