Estella - Alanna Knight

Estella, a heroine consumed by the love she sought to deny. Estella, icily beautiful and self possessed, fostered by the eerie Miss Havisham amid the decaying splendours of Satis House, is trained from infancy to wreak a terrible revenge upon the whole male sex, for the bitter betrayal of Miss Havisham's wedding day. 'Break their hearts' is the cry forever echoing in Estella's ears. And she does. But Estella's raven tresses and bright, dark eyes hide darker secrets. Only half known to herself, they threaten to destroy her whole life. The cruel victory of her marriage curdles to dire defeat. Wedded to Bentley Drummle solely to break the heart of her life-long admirer, Pip, she garners only misery and evil. Forced to flee, she searches for safety, she craves for love — love, deep and true, as Pip once had offered her. Her wandering takes her to the mill towns of Derbyshire, presided over by the enigmatic sensualist, Aaron Flint. But even here Estella's shameful secrets pursue her, driving her into hiding amongst the gypsies. Happiness and security beckon, only to be snatched yet again from her grasp.

Estella is a tale of love, loss, and redemption, set amongst the fervent aspirations and cruel hypocrisies of Victorian England. Based on the haunting heroine of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations, Estella is a deeply satisfying novel rich with the passion and sentiment that inspired the original.