In episode 82, The Boston Sisters discuss the Hallmark Channel’s adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility featuring a multiracial cast. Vanessa Riley, the historical and cultural consulting producer, shares her journey into Austen's works and her role in ensuring historical accuracy and cultural sensitivity. Riley also discusses her novels Queen of Exilesand Island Queen, which explore the lives of Marie-Louise Christophe, Haiti's only queen, and Dorothy “Dolly” Kirwan Thomas, a formerly enslaved woman who became a wealthy entrepreneur. Riley emphasizes the importance of representing diverse historical figures and the potential adaptation of her novels into films.
Award-winning author Vanessa Riley, honored as the 2023 Georgia Literary Fiction Author of the Year, spotlights hidden narratives of Black women and women of color in novels. Her works emphasize strong sisterhoods, diverse communities, and power across historical fiction, romance, and mystery genres.
TIMESTAMPS
0:03 - Podcast description
1:30 - Overview of Sense and Sensibility
2:42 - Introduction to Vanessa Riley, historical and cultural producer and historical fiction author
4:05 - Vanessa's Jane Austen origin story
7:25 - Jane Austen's wit
9:19 - Historical authenticity and cultural sensitivity in Hallmark Channel’s SENSE AND SENSIBILITY
17:39 - Challenges and achievements in adapting “Sense and Sensibility”
20:35 - Generic Break
21:03 - Discovering Dorothy “Dolly’ Kirwan Thomas, “Island Queen”
28:35 - Vanessa's Research and discoveries for “Queen of Exiles” (Marie-Louise Christophe)
36:15 - Future adaptations and Vanessa Riley's vision
Note: Ep. 82 has been updated to correct a technical error in the introduction.
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