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Generally speaking, I think of queer historical fiction as falling into two camps. One is joyful and imagines a past that is more accepting and less bigoted than it really was. The other is historically accurate and generally depressing; the authors may be able to carve out a bittersweet ending for our main character, but that’s usually the best you could get. When I picked up the Jane Austen-inspired YA graphic novel I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Conner, I was expecting the former. After all, it has queer, nonbinary, and Black main characters living in Regency England. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this is a joyful queer story that also is well-researched and faces the racism, queerphobia, sexism, classism, and other bigotries of the time head-on.
Our main character is Eleanor, a young white woman who is trying to live up to the standards her late mother set, but she just can’t seem to muster up any enthusiasm for any male suitors. She’d rather spend all her time with her cousin Charlotte and family friend George like when they were kids.
It’s immediately obvious to the reader that Eleanor and George are in love with each other, but it’s not obvious to them. George, who is gender non-conforming and is referred to with they/them pronouns in the narration, is also conflicted about whether their close friendship (or any other relationship that could develop between them) will get in the way of Eleanor’s future.
Meanwhile, Eleanor’s cousin Charlotte, as a young Black woman who doesn’t have a lot of money at her disposal, is much more practical about looking for a husband—while also refusing to settle for anyone who invests in the slave trade or treats her as lesser.
So, while there are absolutely goofy moments with over-the-top cartoon expressions, this story also doesn’t erase the everyday bigotry of this setting. It balances a cute queer love story with historical accuracy about queer people and people of color’s experiences. There are notes at the end giving more context about queer and Black people’s lives in this setting in history as well as some FAQs answered by the characters and an annotated bibliography for readers who want to learn more.
Plus, did I mention all the Jane Austen references? This is a mash-up of several different Austen novels and includes a great “Badly done, Emma Eleanor” scene and plenty of nods to Pride and Prejudice. Queer Janeites have been given a gift with I Shall Never Fall In Love.
