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Wendi is a graduate of Nassau Community College and Adelphi University, and holds a degree in Psychology. She decided to stay at home when her triplets were born. Having always been an avid reader and adoring fan of Jane Austen, when the triplets were old enough that she was able to find a little time to herself, Wendi searched the internet and discovered a treasure trove of “fan fiction” written by fellow Janeites. At first, experiencing Austen’s stories from several different characters’ points of view caught her interest, but then she branched off into reading sequels, “what if” stories, and even modernized versions of Austen’s tales. Though she had always aspired to become a writer, it was not until Wendi awakened from a dream and realized that the story could become a terrific tale that she made a serious attempt. In the midst of penning a number of short stories, in 2010, she posted her first draft of a novel-length Dreams & Expectations to several online forums. Wendi published Promises in 2011, Dreams and Expectations and All Hallow's Eve in 2012. Wendi continues to live on Long Island with her husband of twenty-three years, her son, and two daughters.
Reviewed by Stephanie Dagg for Readers' Favorite
"Dreams and Expectations" by Wendi Sotis is a new take on Jane Austen’s "Pride and Prejudice". We have the same characters and much of the same action in the Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwiliam Darcy love affair, but we see it in much more detail. We hear the conversations only hinted at in the original story and we see inside our characters even more clearly. The unpleasantness of some characters only hinted at in a genteel way by Austen is given detailed treatment here and this lends a lot of spirit to this story. Emotions are stronger and actions are more energetic. The book is like a painting that has been touched up during restoration. The original story with its intricacies and beauty shines more brightly in this new version.
It is not easy to take on such a well-known classic and give it a new slant but Wendi Sotis has done it well. Her Lizzy and Darcy are modern, livelier and more motivated somehow. Even though we already know the story's ending, we urge our hero and heroine on to happiness and cringe in exasperation when things look as though they might go wrong. "Dreams and Expectations" works brilliantly well. I am sure Jane Austen would have enjoyed reading it. She had a sense of fun which would have reveled in this sensitive yet robust reconstruction of her story. Sotis’s evident admiration for Austen shines through every word. Her enthusiasm is contagious and together with her easy, flowing style of writing, you are swept off your feet. This is a real success story.
