Just Jane: A Novel of Jane Austen’s Life

JUST JANE: A NOVEL OF JANE AUSTEN'S LIFE: Nancy Moser: Bethany House: Historical Fiction: 367 pgs.

This book follows the story of Jane Austen’s life from the time she was about 20 years old and started writing to her 30’s when her work was getting published. It is formed into a series of vignettes about different happenings through these years. Just Jane tries to reflect on what Jane Austen might have been thinking or feeling at those times, and how these events may have affected her novels.

I think my expectations were too high, because I was disappointed. There is a slow development of Jane's character, but any enlightenment I got from her growth wasn’t worth the effort of getting there (250 pages of effort). The book seems to be historically accurate, and I admire that she doesn't bend events in Austen's life to make them more dramatic, but this isn't a compelling read. Maybe if I had expected less of this going in, I would have appreciated it like I would appreciate a long, quiet, uneventful vacation in the English countryside.