Miss Austen by Gill Hornby follows Jane Austen’s sister, Cassandra, as she visits the home of her late fiancé to help her would-be niece pack up the house for the new vicar, all while concealing her motive of searching for Jane’s letters to their dear friend, Eliza.
It’s dual timeline, following Cassandra in the present as she seeks out her sister’s letters, as well as documenting Cassandra’s life, from her tragic engagement, all the way through to the present.
Overall, I found the story line hard to follow at times, with lots of names to keep track of (there is a list in the front of the book.) I also found the premise of the book better than the book itself, it didn’t really do it for me. It was a tender read, that really focused on sisterly love, the joy of female companionship, and the difficulties faced by women in a world run by men. It wasn’t the drama that perhaps the blurb implied it would be.
It was an interesting read, especially for a history nerd like me, with elements of romance, and certainly lots of familial affection. It was also interesting to get a glimpse of the peaks and troughs of Jane’s writing considering what a world-famous posthumous author she is today.
If you love everything about Jane Austen, then this is certainly a book for you.
Star Rating: 3/5
Fav Quotes:
‘I promise you faithfully, here before God. I will never marry any man other than you.’ – Cassandra Austen
‘First, I am a doctor. I shall not turn me back on a patient who needs me. But I am also a man. And I shall never – not ever, me pet – turn me back upon you.’ – Mr Lidderdale
‘Oh the stories of me will live on, I am sure… But our own? Not a bit of it. There will be no one to care about us.’ – Mary Austen
‘And as I approach this final departure, I am selfishly grateful that it was never my fate to be the one who survive. For how could I? What sort of life would it be, if I did not have her by my side?’ – Jane Austen
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