Interesting. However, I have never believed that Cassandra burned Jane's letters. Jane knew that few letters were really private. Most were shared with the family. For one thing, this cut down the postage recipients had to pay as a writer need not write several letters to the same address to discuss the same items. On Mon, Mar 24, 2025 at 8:02?AM Ellen Moody via groups.io <ellen.moody= [email protected]> wrote: This is an accurate description of the book. Rachel Dodge does it justice.
Ellen
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Jane Austen's World <comment-reply@...>
Date: Mon, Mar 24, 2025 at 6:26?AM
Subject: Reading Miss Austen by Jill Hornby
To: <ellen.moody@...>
The new BBC miniseries "Miss Austen", based on Jill Hornby's novel of the
same name, is currently the focus of much attention worldwide. The series
aired in the UK in February and comes to PBS this May. Some of you have
maybe already seen the show, depe¡
Read on blog
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or Reader
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Read
on blog
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Reading
Miss Austen by Jill Hornby
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By *Rachel Dodge* on March 24, 2025
The new BBC miniseries "Miss Austen"
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, based on Jill Hornby's novel
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of the same name, is currently the focus of much attention worldwide. The
series aired in the UK in February and comes to PBS this May. Some of you
have maybe already seen the show, depending on where you live, but for
those who are waiting for it to air, I am here to say this:
*Read the book while you wait!*
You won't regret it. In anticipation of the show, I decided to read *Miss
Austen
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* by Jill Hornby, fully expecting to dislike it (I'm very picky). But I'm
here to report that I loved it! I actually finished it in two days because
I could not put it down (which is not easy as a writer with a busy
household of teens). The story flows at a slower pace, but Hornby's
style--and the whole world she created--pulled me in and kept me engaged
from start to finish.
In the book, an older Cassandra searches for a packet of Jane's letters
that she does not want anyone to ever see or read. As she finds and reads
the various letters, we travel back through her memories to visit her
younger self. I found myself completely immersed in the real (and imagined)
details about Cassandra's relationship with Tom Fowle (a former pupil of
Reverend Austen), the Fowle family, and the Lloyd family because it all
felt incredibly real.
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Overall, the book does tell a sad story because it deals with a fictional
retelling of Cassandra's real-life story, her heartbreaks, her deep
affection for her beloved family (many of whom she outlived), the Austens'
move to Bath, Reverend Austen's death, the Austen women and their continual
search for housing after his death, and Cassandra's devotion and loyalty to
Jane. However, there are many endearing and uplifting themes as well. The
writing itself is exquisite.
While Hornby of course employs creative license as a novelist, I was also
impressed by the copious amounts of research she must have done to write
this book. Though fictional, it acts as a poignant biography of Jane's
sister and best friend. I felt as though I understood Cassandra, and had a
deeper understanding of her protectiveness over Jane, by the end of the
book. Hornby's perspective on Jane is intriguing, and her (entirely
fictional) character Henry Hobday adds depth to Cassandra's story.
For those of you that read *Miss Austen* when it released in 2020, you
might enjoy a reread. For those who have never read it, it's a wonderful
way to prepare yourself for the show. And even if you've already watched
the show, you might like to read it and compare the two.
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*Book Description*
England, 1840. Two decades after the death of her beloved sister, Jane,
Cassandra Austen returns to the village of Kintbury and the home of her
family friends, the Fowles. In a dusty corner of the vicarage, there is a
cache of Jane¡¯s letters that Cassandra is desperate to find. Dodging her
hostess and a meddlesome housemaid, Cassandra eventually hunts down the
letters and confronts the secrets they hold, secrets not only about Jane
but about Cassandra herself. Will Cassandra bare the most private details
of her life to the world, or commit her sister¡¯s legacy to the flames?
Moving back and forth between the vicarage and Cassandra¡¯s vibrant memories
of her years with Jane, interwoven with Jane¡¯s brilliantly reimagined lost
letters, *Miss Austen* is the untold story of the most important person in
Jane¡¯s life. With extraordinary empathy, emotional complexity, and wit,
Gill Hornby finally gives Cassandra her due, bringing to life a woman as
captivating as any Austen heroine.
(The collection of cover art included in this article is from various
editions sold worldwide.)
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*About the Author*
Gill Hornby is the author of *Miss Austen, The Hive*, and *All Together
Now*,
as well as *The Story of Jane Austen*, a biography of Austen for young
readers. Her most recent novel is *Godermsham Park*, also available from
Pegasus Books. She lives in Kintbury, England, with her husband and their
four children.
<
*About the Show*
Miss Austen takes an historic literary mystery ¨C the notorious burning of
Jane Austen¡¯s letters by her sister Cassandra ¨C and reimagines it as a
fascinating, witty, and heart-breaking story of sisterly love, while
creating in Cassandra a character as captivating as any Austen heroine.
Based on Gill Hornby¡¯s best-selling novel, this period drama brings a fresh
and intimate perspective to the Austen sisters¡¯ lives ¡ª their joys,
heartaches, and the passions that shaped Jane¡¯s iconic novels.
Keeley Hawes (T*he Durrells in Corfu, Bodyguard, Line of Duty*) as the
loyal and loving Cassandra leads an ensemble cast that includes Rose Leslie
(*Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey*) as family friend Isabella Fowle, Patsy
Ferran (*Living*) as young Jane Austen, and Synn?ve Karlsen (*Bodies*) as
young Cassy.
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*PBS Episode Schedule*
Premieres: Sunday, May 4, 2025, at 9/8c
Episode 2: Sunday, May 11, 9/8c
Episode 3: Sunday, May 18, 9/8c
Episode 4: Sunday, May 18, 10/9c
*Miss Austen, Dutiful Daughter and Sister*
I cannot wait to watch the show soon, and I hope to come back to discuss it
later this year, but in the meantime, I enjoyed the book immensely. I
usually only review nonfiction books here, but I felt that a novel of such
high caliber warranted a thorough review, especially in light of the
upcoming show. Here's to celebrating Jane Austen's 250th year and to
enjoying her world more fully!
------------------------------
*RACHEL DODGE* teaches college English classes, speaks at libraries, teas,
and conferences, and writes for *Jane Austen¡¯s World
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* blog.
She is the bestselling, award-winning author of *The Anne of Green Gables
Devotional
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* , *The Little Women Devotional
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* , *The Secret Garden Devotional
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*, and *Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen
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*. A true kindred spirit at heart, Rachel loves books, bonnets, and ballgowns.
Visit her online at www.
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RachelDodge.com
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.
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