JUST JANE

Author: Nancy Moser ISBN: 0764203568 9/2007 HISTORICAL Publisher: BETHANY HOUSE
Time Period: 19th Century England

Unable to find her own Mr. Darcy, she created him. Jane Austen lives simply in the English countryside with her beloved family, entertaining them with her stories and seeking romance. She never ventures far from her own corner of the world and struggles to find her place in it. Growing up in a clergyman's home gives Jane opportunities to observe human nature at its best—and worst. Vivid and delightful characters pour from her pen—Elizabeth Bennet, Fitzwilliam Darcy, Emma Woodhouse, Fanny Price, John Willoughby ... Jane dreams of publishing her stories and sharing them with the world, but she's just Jane from Steventon, isn't she? Will anyone ever read her novels?

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Jane Austen is one of my favorite novelists, so reading about her is something I find highly entertaining. JUST JANE by Nancy Moser is a fictionalized account of the author's life, highlighting the trials and tribulations that Ms. Austen endured while seeking to find love the only way she really understood-through her writing.

Taking the reader right into the life of Jane Austen, this book is witty and engaging, and shows the famous writer as a very real person with doubts, desires and daydreams. Through dialogue with her friends and family, we see what a struggle it was for Jane to find a home for the characters we all know and love-Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth Bennet, Emma Woodhouse and the rest.

Reading JUST JANE is like taking a step back in time. I loved this book from beginning to end, and I think anyone who's even mildly curious about Jane Austen will love it, too. Very well done!

Kay James