A version of this article was originally posted on The Coffee Pot Book Club website.
In Persuasion, Jane Austen’s Lieutenant Wentworth was considered an unsuitable match by Anne Elliot’s friend Lady Russell, as he was not rich nor did he have high family connections. Lady Russell persuaded Anne to end the engagement. Years later he returns as Captain Wentworth, considerably richer due to prize money, and that is where the novel starts.