Snap Judgment: Lush period piece that is romantic and poignant. Dido Elizabeth Belle is an 18th-century British aristocrat -- the daughter of a slave and a Royal Navy Officer -- who is sent to live at her uncle's estate. She is doubly bound as both a woman and a mixed-race individual in a society that treats both as second class citizens. There's an idealistic, incredibly square-jawed love interest, a non-magical Draco Malfoy her beloved cousin is in love with, and a rich but judgmental suitor. Plus, Vauxhall Gardens, the Season, a gorgeous English estate, and portrait painting This is basically Jane Austen, but acknowledging and focusing on issues of race. Obviously, I loved it but also it made me tear up.
