Jan Hahn

To the ReaderThe structure of this work is quite straightforward.In a sparsely furnished family physician's office, patients arrive alone to tell their story.What is important to this doctor? Only that which is important to his patients - nothing more and nothing less.Some come once, never to return. Others frequent his office repeatedly as they struggle to make sense of what has befallen them.None come for judgment; a few for advice; but all simply to be heard.On the left facing page are notations of several types: VOICE OVER - introduces the speaker&- commentary on how the poem is to be read&&- personal reflections of the writer on the meaning of the poemReaders may very well wonder if each poem represents a single patient. In a few instances, this is the case. But most of them are composites based upon repeated contact with people who have contended, in their unique ways, with common crises.I have been privileged to have had no less than 150,000 patient encounters (100 patients per week - 50 weeks per year - 30 years).Despite our differences, at the end of the day, we confront the same basic issues of life and living.

In Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," Fitzwilliam Darcy's proposal to Elizabeth Bennet at Hunsford is disastrous. In Jan Hahn's "The Child," Darcy flees England soon afterward, striving to overcome his longing for her. Upon his return two years later--while standing on the steps of St. George's Church in Hanover Square--he spies the very woman he has vowed to forget. But who is the child holding her hand?Darcy soon discovers that Elizabeth and her family are suffering the effects of a devastating scandal. His efforts to help the woman he still loves only worsen her family's plight. His misguided pride entangles him in a web of falsehood, fateful alliances, and danger.Will Elizabeth be able to forgive Darcy for his good intentions gone awry? And what effect will the child have on Darcy's hopes to win Elizabeth's love?

Can a marriage of convenience ever lead to true love? Immediately after Elizabeth Bennet refuses Mr. Darcy's proposal at Hunsford, her father dies, leaving Longbourn entailed away and little fortune to sustain his widow and daughters. Six months later, the Bennet family receives a visitor with a most unusual offer that promises to save the family from financial and social ruin. Elizabeth's sense of duty forces her to enter into an arranged marriage with a man she does not even like. Told from Elizabeth's point of view, An Arranged Marriage is a compelling twist on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Can Elizabeth overcome her feelings of anger, resentment, and suspicion toward her new husband and - the most bewildering sensation of all - a growing attraction for the last man in the world she ever wished to marry?