By Natalie Jenner
St Martin’s Press, 2020, 309 pages, Historical Fiction
The small English village of Chawton boasts a famous connection that no other place can—it’s the village Jane Austen lived in when she penned some of the most beloved novels of all time. Just after the Second World War, the residents of Chawton realize that the impending death of the neighboring great estate’s landowner could mean that many Jane Austen treasures which have been kept intact for generations may be split up and sold for a profit. Seeing an opportunity to preserve Jane Austen’s heritage, a group bands together to form the Jane Austen Society. In the process, they learn more about themselves, and help each other overcome past traumas.
As a Jane Austen fan who has been to England and toured the small cottage in Chawton where Jane Austen lived, I picked up this book thinking it would be a great way to reminisce on a fun past experience. I could see myself walking up the lane, talking about Jane Austen with all of the different characters. Some of my favorite parts of the book were the debates members of the society had about the value of Jane Austen and the meaning found in her work. They often brought up some good points I’d never thought about.
I also appreciated that this book is its own story instead of a Jane Austen retelling. While some of the charm of this book comes in its depiction of English small-town life, each character in this story is nuanced and struggles with real problems. In joining the Jane Austen Society, each character finds a place to let go of heavy burdens that they’ve been carrying alone.
An added bonus of this book for me was that Richard Armitage narrates the audiobook. As usual, he does an excellent job in giving each character their own voice. If you’re a fan of Jane Austen, or a fan of books set in the English countryside (Helen Simonson’s The Summer Before the War comes to mind), this could be the next book for you.
MB
No comments:
Post a Comment