MISS AUSTEN
AUTHOR:
Gill Hornby
GENRE:
Historical Fiction
AGE:
12+
RATING:
3/5 Stars
REVIEW:
Unraveling story of the beloved Jane Austen. This novel follows her sister, Cassandra Austen who spends her days visiting friends and family. Nearing old age, Cassandra goes to stay with the family of her long-dead fiancé in search of Jane Austen's letters. Secrets are revealed and each chapter takes twisting turns.
The story goes back and forth through revisiting memories of when Cassandra was young. She faces lots of uncertainty along with sister strife. She is tempted to let Jane's legacy to fade because of her grief.
I enjoyed this story as followed the mysteries of both Jane and those related to her past. However, it was very slow and the character's felt bland and not well written. Which is sad because Jane Austen is such an incredible writer, and I felt like this book didn't fully give her life justice. After I finished, I found myself still wanting more of the story. I don't regret reading it, but I wish the characters were more deep.
WARNINGS:
Death // Heartbreak // Childbirth // Grief
TAKEAWAYS:
Though I felt like the characters didn't have much depth, I enjoyed seeing the sister relationship between Cassandra and Jane. It showed the importance of family and sister friendship.
The Blurb
Whoever looked at an elderly lady and saw the young heroine she once was?
England, 1840. For the two decades following the death of her beloved sister, Jane, Cassandra Austen has lived alone, spending her days visiting friends and relations and quietly, purposefully working to preserve her sister’s reputation. Now in her sixties and increasingly frail, Cassandra goes to stay with the Fowles of Kintbury, family of her long-dead fiancé, in search of a trove of Jane’s letters. Dodging her hostess and a meddlesome housemaid, Cassandra eventually hunts down the letters and confronts the secrets they hold, secrets not only about Jane but about Cassandra herself. Will Cassandra bare the most private details of her life to the world, or commit her sister’s legacy to the flames?
Moving back and forth between the vicarage and Cassandra’s vibrant memories of her years with Jane, interwoven with Jane’s brilliantly reimagined lost letters, Miss Austen is the untold story of the most important person in Jane’s life. With extraordinary empathy, emotional complexity, and wit, Gill Hornby finally gives Cassandra her due, bringing to life a woman as captivating as any Austen heroine.
About the Author
Gill Hornby is the author of the novels Miss Austen, The Hive, and All Together Now, as well as The Story of Jane Austen, a biography of Austen for young readers. Her most recent novel is Godmersham Park, also available from Pegasus Books. She lives in Kintbury, England, with her husband and their four children.
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