Godmersham Park: from the #1 bestselling author of Miss Austen
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- Create Date：2022-06-18 00:51:35
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Gill Hornby
- ISBN：1529125898
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Summary
On 21 January 1804， Anne Sharpe arrives at Godmersham Park in Kent to take up the position of governess。 At 31 years old， she has no previous experience of either teaching or fine country houses。 Her mother has died， and she has nowhere else to go。 Anne is left with no choice。 For her new charge - twelve-year-old Fanny Austen - Anne's arrival is all novelty and excitement。
The governess role is a uniquely awkward one。 Anne is neither one of the servants， nor one of the family， and to balance a position between the 'upstairs' and 'downstairs' members of the household is a diplomatic chess game。 One wrong move may result in instant dismissal。 Anne knows that she must never let down her guard。
When Mr Edward Austen's family comes to stay， Anne forms an immediate attachment to Jane。 They write plays together， and enjoy long discussions。 However， in the process， Anne reveals herself as not merely pretty， charming and competent; she is clever too。 Even her sleepy， complacent mistress can hardly fail to notice。
Meanwhile Jane's brother， Henry， begins to take an unusually strong interest in the lovely young governess 。 。 。
And from now on， Anne's days at Godmersham Park are numbered。
The governess role is a uniquely awkward one。 Anne is neither one of the servants， nor one of the family， and to balance a position between the 'upstairs' and 'downstairs' members of the household is a diplomatic chess game。 One wrong move may result in instant dismissal。 Anne knows that she must never let down her guard。
When Mr Edward Austen's family comes to stay， Anne forms an immediate attachment to Jane。 They write plays together， and enjoy long discussions。 However， in the process， Anne reveals herself as not merely pretty， charming and competent; she is clever too。 Even her sleepy， complacent mistress can hardly fail to notice。
Meanwhile Jane's brother， Henry， begins to take an unusually strong interest in the lovely young governess 。 。 。
And from now on， Anne's days at Godmersham Park are numbered。
Reviews
Jennyh
，
This is an interesting， well researched story based on fact。。Anne Sharp is a new governess to 12 year old Fanny Austen。 At 31 after her mother's death， Anne discovers that she needs to find employment。 In spite of a marriage proposal， Anne decides to earn her own living， a bold move for a woman in her situation。This book shows the difficult life for unmarried women in the nineteenth century， snd echoes Jane Austen's style and wry humour， I enjoyed this historical novel and recommend it to fans a This is an interesting， well researched story based on fact。。Anne Sharp is a new governess to 12 year old Fanny Austen。 At 31 after her mother's death， Anne discovers that she needs to find employment。 In spite of a marriage proposal， Anne decides to earn her own living， a bold move for a woman in her situation。This book shows the difficult life for unmarried women in the nineteenth century， snd echoes Jane Austen's style and wry humour， I enjoyed this historical novel and recommend it to fans and new readers of this genre， 。。。more
Federica
，
Such a lovely read for Jane Austen's fans！ It's extremely well researched and highly enjoyable， and the writing style is easy and flowing， the setting and the era are spot on。Though I didn't know about Anne's life and her relationship with the Austens， I was soon intrigued by her story and I found the style in between historic fiction and biographic novel very interesting and entertaining。Definitely recommended for period drama's lovers！Thank you to NetGalley and Random House， Cornerstone for th Such a lovely read for Jane Austen's fans！ It's extremely well researched and highly enjoyable， and the writing style is easy and flowing， the setting and the era are spot on。Though I didn't know about Anne's life and her relationship with the Austens， I was soon intrigued by her story and I found the style in between historic fiction and biographic novel very interesting and entertaining。Definitely recommended for period drama's lovers！Thank you to NetGalley and Random House， Cornerstone for this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Federica
，
Such a lovely read for Jane Austen's fans！ It's extremely well researched and highly enjoyable， and the writing style is easy and flowing， the setting and the era are spot on。Though I didn't know about Anne's life and her relationship with the Austens， I was soon intrigued by her story and I found the style in between historic fiction and biographic novel very interesting and entertaining。Definitely recommended for period drama's lovers！Thank you to NetGalley and Random House， Cornerstone for th Such a lovely read for Jane Austen's fans！ It's extremely well researched and highly enjoyable， and the writing style is easy and flowing， the setting and the era are spot on。Though I didn't know about Anne's life and her relationship with the Austens， I was soon intrigued by her story and I found the style in between historic fiction and biographic novel very interesting and entertaining。Definitely recommended for period drama's lovers！Thank you to NetGalley and Random House， Cornerstone for this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Fiona Brichaut
，
Godmersham Park is an absolute delight of an novel， whether you are interested in Jane Austen's life or not。 It builds a vivid picture of the life of Anne， governess to Jane's niece， Fanny， and of the friendship between Jane and Anne， in a richly-portrayed 19th century setting。Although based on historical references， it's fiction。 Beyond the historical interest， it's a fine novel and a great read。 It's beautifully written: in its narrative style， structure and pacing it might indeed been written Godmersham Park is an absolute delight of an novel， whether you are interested in Jane Austen's life or not。 It builds a vivid picture of the life of Anne， governess to Jane's niece， Fanny， and of the friendship between Jane and Anne， in a richly-portrayed 19th century setting。Although based on historical references， it's fiction。 Beyond the historical interest， it's a fine novel and a great read。 It's beautifully written: in its narrative style， structure and pacing it might indeed been written 200 years ago。 It has wonderful， well-rounded characters。 Everything one would look for in a good classic British novel is here。If you're looking for a Regency romp， this isn't it。 Rather， this book is ideal for anyone who likes 19th century British fiction and who is picky about the literary quality of the work。 。。。more
Daren Kearl
，
“The county of Kent was a mystery to her。 Why would one live here， so far from the world？”I’ve visited Godmersham Park and walked around the estate a few times due to my love of Jane Austen’s writing and also living nearby。 Therefore I was immediately intrigued to read Gill Hornby’s second fictional foray into the Austen family。 Using diary entries and letters， the author is able to bring to life the world of 18c Godmersham Park and its inhabitants。 The narrative focuses on the life of governess “The county of Kent was a mystery to her。 Why would one live here， so far from the world？”I’ve visited Godmersham Park and walked around the estate a few times due to my love of Jane Austen’s writing and also living nearby。 Therefore I was immediately intrigued to read Gill Hornby’s second fictional foray into the Austen family。 Using diary entries and letters， the author is able to bring to life the world of 18c Godmersham Park and its inhabitants。 The narrative focuses on the life of governess Anna， who became a life-long friend of Jane and the rest of the family。 The dynamics and tensions between the different layers of household is depicted well and the themes of position， conduct and a woman’s place echo Jane Austen’s own。 When Jane herself appears in the story， the text sparkles and Hornby is able to convey her wit and amiability very convincingly。 An essential read for Austen lovers 。。。more
Alisha
，
A beautifully written though slightly melancholy book that imagines the life and circumstances of one of Jane Austen's most beloved friends。。。 the shadowy， elusive governess Anne Sharp。Most casual readers of Jane Austen won't be familiar with this friend， and none of Anne's own words or letters survive， but what we do know is that even though Jane Austen was publishing anonymously， she presented Anne with a special copy of Emma， and they were close enough for Cassandra to send Anne a lock of Jan A beautifully written though slightly melancholy book that imagines the life and circumstances of one of Jane Austen's most beloved friends。。。 the shadowy， elusive governess Anne Sharp。Most casual readers of Jane Austen won't be familiar with this friend， and none of Anne's own words or letters survive， but what we do know is that even though Jane Austen was publishing anonymously， she presented Anne with a special copy of Emma， and they were close enough for Cassandra to send Anne a lock of Jane's hair after her death。 To shed light on Anne's governess days， we also have the diaries of Fanny Austen Knight， who was Jane's niece and Anne's student for two years at Godmersham Park。I certainly wasn't aware of any of that before beginning Gill Hornby's latest book。 Hornby spins an intriguing tale of what-might-have-been in trying to explain Anne's background and social status。 She also gives us quite a bit of time with the family of Jane's brother， in their newly elevated sphere as landowners， and Jane's brother Henry， the charming， optimistic gadabout who reeks of male privilege but more or less means well。It's a sobering story of the precarious situation many women without husbands or fathers found themselves in， and the writing is excellent and vivid。 I enjoyed the inner monologue of Anne， a clever woman who has to walk several tightropes in order to maintain any kind of social and financial stability。 I also appreciated that the book doesn't focus too much on Jane Austen， who could easily overshadow everyone else in a work of historical fiction like this。 Although she does enter the story toward the latter half， it mostly keeps one step away from her， instead opting to provide a fresh look at some of the other family members in their own contexts。If you are interested in expanding your view of Jane Austen's family and friends， or of Regency social history， this book is for you。Thanks to Edelweiss and Pegasus Books for this advance review copy！ 。。。more
Annarella
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There's a lot of books about Jane Austen but this one is about her family and Anne Sharp， the former governess and a dear friend of Jane。It's a fascinating book that describes the life of a governess at the end of XVIII century and how Austen family worked。Anne is a strong character and I loved her。The author is a talented storyteller and this story kept me hooked。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine There's a lot of books about Jane Austen but this one is about her family and Anne Sharp， the former governess and a dear friend of Jane。It's a fascinating book that describes the life of a governess at the end of XVIII century and how Austen family worked。Anne is a strong character and I loved her。The author is a talented storyteller and this story kept me hooked。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Zoey Curato
，
I loved this book！Such a great read containing real characters， places and events from the life of Jane Austen and interspersed with fictional events。A total joy for fans of perios dramas and any fan of Jane Austen。
Kelly
，
This book is a novel but is based on real people and events in the life of Jane Austen， and it centres around a friend of Austen， Anne Sharp， who was governess to Jane’s niece Fanny Austen， at Godmersham Park in Kent， for a space of two years。 The real version of Fanny kept a diary， and it is this as well as letters that the novel is built around。 In this novel version， Anne has become a governess because her father has decided not to support her anymore， following the death of her mother。 This This book is a novel but is based on real people and events in the life of Jane Austen， and it centres around a friend of Austen， Anne Sharp， who was governess to Jane’s niece Fanny Austen， at Godmersham Park in Kent， for a space of two years。 The real version of Fanny kept a diary， and it is this as well as letters that the novel is built around。 In this novel version， Anne has become a governess because her father has decided not to support her anymore， following the death of her mother。 This background is partly a mystery element throughout the novel as Anne herself struggles to work out why she has been cut off; however highlights the real plights of many governesses of the period， who were forced into the work by the fact that there were scant other options available for them。 Anne is in a strange limbo between servant and family， unused to the countryside， but soon finds her feet as she is embroiled into the Austen family life， and soon meets Jane’s charismatic brother Henry， who doesn’t ignore her quite as he should。 When Jane， Cassandra and Mrs Austen visit the household， finally things turn on an upward note for Anne， with the formation of a friendship that would become dear to both women。 I had expectations of a sort of novel similar to those of Austen herself， and this sort of does read a bit like one， but it also reads as much more modern and feminist， which I’m not sure entirely worked for me。 I did like that the author worked the real facts into an ending that felt like a good resolution to this story and I felt quite a clever one， as it obviously couldn’t end quite with the heroine’s usual story。 It is always nice to read a book centering on friendship as the main driving force。 It was also fun that they went to Worthing for their sea break - always fun to see a place you know well pop up in a book！ My thanks to #NetGalley and Cornerstone for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Mrs。 I。
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Thoroughly enjoyable read。set historically in the days of the austen family。well written and interesting throughout。
Sarah Hudson
，
We meet Anne Sharpe in 1804 as， cut off by her father at the age of 31， she takes up the post of governess to a young girl， Fanny Austen。 Coming to terms with her new situation is tricky for Anne， but is made easier when she begins corresponding with， and eventually befriending， Fanny’s aunt Jane。 However， she is less enamoured with Jane’s brother Henry Austen， and what starts as an irritation blossoms into something more， which could threaten Anne’s position as governess。I love Jane Austen， so We meet Anne Sharpe in 1804 as， cut off by her father at the age of 31， she takes up the post of governess to a young girl， Fanny Austen。 Coming to terms with her new situation is tricky for Anne， but is made easier when she begins corresponding with， and eventually befriending， Fanny’s aunt Jane。 However， she is less enamoured with Jane’s brother Henry Austen， and what starts as an irritation blossoms into something more， which could threaten Anne’s position as governess。I love Jane Austen， so learning more about real people and events in her life was always going to be of interest to me。 I enjoyed learning more about the life of a governess at this time， and the characters were great。However， not an awful lot really happened… I appreciate that， since the author is being led by true events， we weren’t going to have an all-out Regency romp， but I thought we might have a little more action than we ended up with。 Overall， it was still an enjoyable read and I would read more by the author。 My thanks to the author， NetGalley， and the publisher for the arc to review。 。。。more
Stephanie H
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I have never loved a book so much！ I picked this up after reading nothing but thrillers and crime and wanted a change。 This was such a welcome difference。 I felt like I was in an Austen novel and just loved it。
June Walters
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Due to reduced and unexpected circumstances Anne Sharpe becomes governess to Fanny， the eldest daughter of Edward Austen， Jane Austen’s brother。 The change in her fortune is something of a shock， and it takes time for Anne to settle into her new role。This is a partly true story of the friendship between Anne Sharpe and Jane Austen。 Whilst the early days of Anne’s life is subject to supposition， there is enough documentation available for the rest to be a matter of record。As a Jane Austen enthusi Due to reduced and unexpected circumstances Anne Sharpe becomes governess to Fanny， the eldest daughter of Edward Austen， Jane Austen’s brother。 The change in her fortune is something of a shock， and it takes time for Anne to settle into her new role。This is a partly true story of the friendship between Anne Sharpe and Jane Austen。 Whilst the early days of Anne’s life is subject to supposition， there is enough documentation available for the rest to be a matter of record。As a Jane Austen enthusiast， I was unsure of how this book would deliver， as some previous attempts on the life and times of JA have been a pretty mixed bag。 However I was more than pleasantly surprised。 The setting and the era are depicted so well， and the style of writing is very much of the period， but with a more modern slant which may make it more readable for todays readers。 I’m sure that there will be rumblings from the Austen aficionados， but I really enjoyed it， and think the author did an excellent job。 The authors note was also a nice addition， and gave further insight into the rest of Anne Sharp’s life。Thank you NetGalley。 。。。more
Carlie
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This is a very well-researched and well-written story of Anne Sharp， who was a close friend of Jane Austen and who worked for some time as governess to Jane's niece， Fanny。 The story itself is part fiction， particularly her early life， but partly based on the accounts and letters that have survived in the Austen family。 You really feel for Anne and her precarious position as a governess， and particularly uncomfortable reading is the various 'cures' that were tried for her 'headaches' - it makes This is a very well-researched and well-written story of Anne Sharp， who was a close friend of Jane Austen and who worked for some time as governess to Jane's niece， Fanny。 The story itself is part fiction， particularly her early life， but partly based on the accounts and letters that have survived in the Austen family。 You really feel for Anne and her precarious position as a governess， and particularly uncomfortable reading is the various 'cures' that were tried for her 'headaches' - it makes me very grateful for how far medicine and women's rights have come！ It is an interesting read and more so to read the author's note which helps to give closure to Anne's story。 **Thanks to NetGalley， the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of this book。 All opinions are my own ** 。。。more
Rebecca
，
3。5 Stars from me！ An enjoyable dip back into the world and time of Austen， fun， flawed and ultimately loveable characters！ I just found the plot wandered a bit and at times didn’t seem to go anywhere。 But because this book is based more in actual events than fiction， the author didn’t have the same control over a happy ever after！
Nicki
，
It is such a clever idea to take a character who was known to be a friend of Jane Austen and write a novel about them。 Anne Sharpe was governess to Jane's niece。 Using letters and correspondence from the time as her research， Gill Hornby has created a delightful novel exploring how Anne ended up as a governess and how her friendship with Jane and her siblings came about and developed。 More widely it effectively reflects on the position of educated unmarried women in society at the time。。 As a Ja It is such a clever idea to take a character who was known to be a friend of Jane Austen and write a novel about them。 Anne Sharpe was governess to Jane's niece。 Using letters and correspondence from the time as her research， Gill Hornby has created a delightful novel exploring how Anne ended up as a governess and how her friendship with Jane and her siblings came about and developed。 More widely it effectively reflects on the position of educated unmarried women in society at the time。。 As a Jane Austen fan who has read a lot of novels exploring the lives of the characters in her books， I really like Gill Hornby's books which are based on the real life of Jane and her circle。 Godmershan Park is well written and an excellent addition to my collection。 Thank you。 。。。more
Sarah
，
Gill Hornby’s ‘Godmersham Park’ is a well-researched enjoyable immersion into the lives of Regency women， and one or two men！ She focuses on the story of the governess to Jane Austen’s niece Fanny， one Anne Sharp， who becomes a good friend and particular correspondent of Jane Austen。Whilst Hornby fictionalises Anne’s early life， as soon as she steps down from the carriage and into the impressive entrance hall of Godmersham Park to take up her duties， all is very much based on actual events。The r Gill Hornby’s ‘Godmersham Park’ is a well-researched enjoyable immersion into the lives of Regency women， and one or two men！ She focuses on the story of the governess to Jane Austen’s niece Fanny， one Anne Sharp， who becomes a good friend and particular correspondent of Jane Austen。Whilst Hornby fictionalises Anne’s early life， as soon as she steps down from the carriage and into the impressive entrance hall of Godmersham Park to take up her duties， all is very much based on actual events。The reader cannot help but sympathise with Anne。 She is portrayed as an intelligent girl always concerned that her origins may be exposed， who， nonetheless， refuses to allow her precarious position as governess to entirely preclude her true identity。 Hornby shows us time and time over how Anne belongs nowhere: sometimes fawned over， sometimes bullied and often ignored， she can never feel secure in her position。 Whilst the exploration of the position of the nineteenth century governess is nothing new， the author really does allow her readers to appreciate the precariousness of such a role。Thanks to Hornby’s writing skills， the reader becomes thoroughly immersed in Anne’s world。 A little-known story in the vast library of Austen biography and all the better for being told。My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK， Cornerstone for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review。 。。。more
Miriam
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A perfect book if you’re a fan of Jane Austen’s books。 It’s a charming easy read but I felt for Anne， as she always seemed to be on the outside looking in at the family and terrified that she would never be accepted。 I’m glad that the author gave an account of her life after Godmersham Park。。
Northern Rose
，
This isn't the type of book that I would ordinarily buy， so many thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book in return for an honest review。 Having read this book I have to say I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it。 It certainly wasn't a face-paced book， and at times I did wonder where the story was going， but in true Austen-style it provided a rich picture of the Godmersham household， the issues of class that were so prevalent in Austen's time， and of a very different life This isn't the type of book that I would ordinarily buy， so many thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book in return for an honest review。 Having read this book I have to say I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it。 It certainly wasn't a face-paced book， and at times I did wonder where the story was going， but in true Austen-style it provided a rich picture of the Godmersham household， the issues of class that were so prevalent in Austen's time， and of a very different lifestyle to that enjoyed by most of us today。 The fictional story itself was， at times， rather sad - the main protagonist， Anne， clearly did not have an easy life。 I was pleased to see， therefore， that at the end of the text the author had provided details of Anne's life after her period at Godmersham Park， which suggest she went on to have a successful life， if not necessarily a happy one。 This is a book that I will definitely recommend to those of my friends who like Austen's books。 。。。more
Emma Hardy
，
For any Austen fans， this is well worth a read。 The author， in my view， really captures Jane's voice well through the letters sent。If you are looking for a gripping plot， this isnt for you。 But if you are interested in sweeping yourself to a different time period and just immersing yourself， this is a gentle read。A comfort if you are suffering from Bridgerton withdrawal symptoms。 For any Austen fans， this is well worth a read。 The author， in my view， really captures Jane's voice well through the letters sent。If you are looking for a gripping plot， this isnt for you。 But if you are interested in sweeping yourself to a different time period and just immersing yourself， this is a gentle read。A comfort if you are suffering from Bridgerton withdrawal symptoms。 。。。more
MMB Book Blog
，
What a charming book！ It was a lovely change of pace from the books I’ve been reading lately and I thoroughly enjoyed it。It’s the ultimate tribute to the lifelong friendship between Jane and Anne。 Henry too with his lack of propriety was a brilliant character。 However， just like Anne， Jane will forever be my favourite Austen！ Her personality sparkled throughout the book。 Gill Hornby has done a brilliant job at displaying the wit and irony that is always evident in Austen’s novels。It was an immer What a charming book！ It was a lovely change of pace from the books I’ve been reading lately and I thoroughly enjoyed it。It’s the ultimate tribute to the lifelong friendship between Jane and Anne。 Henry too with his lack of propriety was a brilliant character。 However， just like Anne， Jane will forever be my favourite Austen！ Her personality sparkled throughout the book。 Gill Hornby has done a brilliant job at displaying the wit and irony that is always evident in Austen’s novels。It was an immersive read and the setting and characters felt authentic。 It perfectly highlighted the place of women in society in the 19th century and how， through no fault of their own， these women often found themselves at the mercy of men and their employers。I enjoyed the section at the end where the author reveals what happened to these real-life characters and where the story had come from。 The headache cure sounded horrendous so I was horrified to read that this was a real procedure that Anne had to endure。I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be reading more by Gill Hornby。 。。。more
Bronwyn O'Neill
，
Thanks so much to Netgalley for sending me an advanced copy of Godmersham Pakr by Gill Hornby。I was so enthralled by this novel which gives a back story to a real-life person that doesn't have a lot of information out there about them。 I'll admit， I'd never heard of them。I was so invested in Anne's story and her conversation with her auntie Jane Austen throughout the novel。 Sometimes I just love a bit of historical fiction and this was the perfect pick up for that。 I was so intrigued by every si Thanks so much to Netgalley for sending me an advanced copy of Godmersham Pakr by Gill Hornby。I was so enthralled by this novel which gives a back story to a real-life person that doesn't have a lot of information out there about them。 I'll admit， I'd never heard of them。I was so invested in Anne's story and her conversation with her auntie Jane Austen throughout the novel。 Sometimes I just love a bit of historical fiction and this was the perfect pick up for that。 I was so intrigued by every single chapter and couldn't wait to get to the next。 However， as someone who isn't a massive fan of this genre I did find it a bit tedious。 I needed to sit down and really want to read it。 I would go days without it。。。I did love it by the time I finished it but it was a bit of a heavy read。 。。。more
Fran
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This was a delight to read。 The setting was authentic as was the writing。 The author manages to write about the period， without any gaffes， and yet it is not difficult to read。 The fact that it is based on a true story， is a bonus。 Jane Austen does appear， but our interest is all with Anne Sharpe。 How she negotiated her way in the world， her interests and relationships。 Also make a great present， as it can appeal to those who like history， literature or the place of women in society。
Sam
，
In 1804 Anne Sharp is forced to leave the life she knows， after the death of her mother， and to take up a position as a Governess to the Austen family in Kent。 We follow her as she struggles to manage her changed circumstances and to find her place between both upstairs and downstairs， learning who she is as an independent woman and making lifelong friendships along the way。Gill Hornby brings to life real people – Miss Sharp and the Austen family – in an immersive， very ‘Jane-like’ historical fi In 1804 Anne Sharp is forced to leave the life she knows， after the death of her mother， and to take up a position as a Governess to the Austen family in Kent。 We follow her as she struggles to manage her changed circumstances and to find her place between both upstairs and downstairs， learning who she is as an independent woman and making lifelong friendships along the way。Gill Hornby brings to life real people – Miss Sharp and the Austen family – in an immersive， very ‘Jane-like’ historical fiction with a hint of mystery and a whole lot of heart。Jane herself is a truly likeable character， both in the extracts from her letters and her developing friendship with Anne。The story addresses the challenges faced by women at the time （both for Anne and the Austen women themselves） of household politics， class imbalance， the issue of marriage and the impact of men’s actions on their circumstances。I saw a quote from another reviewer that ‘Jane would love’ this book and I couldn’t agree more！I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Louise
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