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For the first time, beloved author Jane Austen is brought to life in the pages of a novel. Just Jane is a fictionalized account of the author’s life, based on family letters, historical writings, and detailed research. Nancy Moser creates a portrait of Austen that left me as inspired as Jane’s work always has. I’m a diehard Austen fan—I have three copies of Pride and Prejudice and have read all but one of her unfinished works, some multiple times. So for me, Just Jane was incredibly exciting. I knew very little about the author’s personal life, so I couldn’t wait to delve into her mind, even if the account was fictional. What I found wasn’t exactly what I expected. Instead of the romance that I would have thought this famous romance author to have experienced personally, Jane suffered disappointments, trials of faith, and even gave up writing for many years. Through it all, though, she grew and developed and spread her wings until she had become the Jane we all know through her work—not just a daughter or a sister or a friend. Just. . . just Jane. Just Jane follows Austen through nearly twenty years of her life, starting with her penning the famous first line of what became Pride and Prejudice and ending with her determination to begin her last novel, Persuasion, which was never finished. A Parson’s daughter, Jane was one of eight children and has a rich family life that keeps that pages turning. Moser obviously took liberties in filling in the day-to-day activities and internal thoughts of Jane, but she did an excellent job of basing her character upon historical facts and even has a section at the back of the book where she gives the reader a peek into what is fact and what is fiction. Just Jane is not to be missed by any fan of Jane Austen’s work. And if you’ve not read Austen herself but love historical fiction, this is a fantastic book to pick up to give you a glimpse into life in 1800 England and will likely inspire you to delve into the classics themselves. As a biography, it’s insightful, and as a novel, it’s delightful. I can’t wait to recommend it to all my friends.
Just Jane is being released alongside an insight edition of Pride and Prejudice put out by Bethany House. I did a dance of joy when I got these two tomes in the mail. I’ve read Pride and Prejudice recently so didn’t get into the story itself again, but I did enjoy spending my evening flipping through it and reading the editors’ notes in the margins. There are historical tidbits, facts about Jane’s life, reflection on different plot points, a few handy definitions of out-of-use words, and a few of the editors’ own thoughts on certain events or characters that left me laughing out loud. I read many of them to my husband as I paged through, and he got a kick out of it too (having read the novel in college). I would definitely say that anyone who has been meaning to read Pride and Prejudice but hasn’t should invest in this version—it’s sure to delight and illuminate. And for anyone who already treasures that masterpiece. . . you’ll want this edition to add to your collection. The cover is beautiful (and perfectly compliments the cover of Just Jane, sharing models and clothing), the notes are a delight, and the format is easy on the eyes. I can’t recommend it enough. Publisher: Bethany House
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