Synopsis: Many rumors abound about a mysterious
gentleman said to be the love of Jane's life—finally, the truth may have been
found. . . .
What if, hidden in an old attic chest, Jane Austen's
memoirs were discovered after hundreds of years? What if those pages revealed
the untold story of a life-changing love affair? That's the premise behind this
spellbinding novel, which delves into the secrets of Jane Austen's life, giving
us untold insights into her mind and heart.
Jane Austen has given up her writing when, on a fateful trip to Lyme, she meets the well-read and charming Mr. Ashford, a man who is her equal in intellect and temperament. Inspired by the people and places around her, and encouraged by his faith in her, Jane begins revising Sense and Sensibility, a book she began years earlier, hoping to be published at last.
Deft and witty, written in a style that echoes Austen's own, this unforgettable novel offers a delightfully possible scenario for the inspiration behind this beloved author's romantic tales. It's a remarkable book, irresistible to anyone who loves Jane Austen—and to anyone who loves a great story.
Jane Austen has given up her writing when, on a fateful trip to Lyme, she meets the well-read and charming Mr. Ashford, a man who is her equal in intellect and temperament. Inspired by the people and places around her, and encouraged by his faith in her, Jane begins revising Sense and Sensibility, a book she began years earlier, hoping to be published at last.
Deft and witty, written in a style that echoes Austen's own, this unforgettable novel offers a delightfully possible scenario for the inspiration behind this beloved author's romantic tales. It's a remarkable book, irresistible to anyone who loves Jane Austen—and to anyone who loves a great story.
My thoughts: I don’t
know if what is described in the book is real, but I’ll have a leap of faith
and say “yes”, especially because an specialist on the studies of Austen’s life
has signed it at the end of the book’s introduction.
This novel is about an
autobiography of Jane Austen, one – if not the only one – of the most beloved
authors of all time, and a secret love that she might have had and no one knew!
I found the writing perfect and flawless, in a way that only Jane could do
(which makes sense since according to the specialist, she wrote it herself). It’s
possible to see that her life on daily basis influenced her works. She transmitted
her feelings to her characters, making them extremely real and connectable with
the reader.
Mr. Ashford is the most
perfect man in the world, not because of his fineness and romantism, besides the
love that he had for the author, but because he was real. He wasn’t made of Jane’s vivid imagination, he really lived
and breathed and loved Jane Austen very deeply. However, studies shows that never
existed a Mr. Ashford nor the Mansion where he lived according to Jane’s
diaries, leaving us with the unanswered question: who was he? What was his real
name?
I’m head over heels
with this novel and sincerely hoping that the other works found in her chest of
memoirs are translated and published, because they are of immeasurable worth to
the history of English literature and because they bring to light the mysterious
life of this author.
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