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A review by marilynw
Miss Austen by Gill Hornby
4.0
Miss Austen is a historical fiction giving insight into the what and why of the letters that Jane Austen's sister Cassandra destroyed, during Cassandra's last years of life. As the story starts, Cassandra drops in suddenly, to stay with Isabel, the relative of her late fiance, as Isabel is packing up her late parents belongings. Cassandra has a secret mission to go through Isabel's mother's letters so that she can remove any letters that Jane wrote that might put Jane's personality and demeanor in anything but the best light. There were other letters that pertained to Cassandra's life that she didn't want exist any longer, either.
While Cassandra is going through letters, trying not to be caught at it, by the pesky and grumpy housekeeper, she is also meddling into the future of Isabel. For Cassandra, being a single women is a blessing, almost a great calling, even though society looks down on such women. She is going to set Isabel up in a safe, tidy, living arrangement with Isabel's sisters. The trio varies from indifference to unwillingness to embark on such an arrangement but Cassandra feels like she must do her duty to help them see the error of their judgement. All of this is written very much in keeping with the way Jane Austen wrote her books and the way Jane Austen saw the plight of women of her time, single women of her time, to be more specific.
Although the story is told with some humorous undertones, overall, life does not look good for a single woman who is past finding a husband who can elevate her financial and social status. Still, we learn that Cassandra is very happy with her lot in life and if Jane was unhappy before she died, Cassandra feels it is her duty to hide that unhappiness from the public. The book makes it clear that in this world of Jane and Cassandra Austen, single women are at the mercy of others, dependent on the generosity of others, when it is convenient, and then often sent on their not so merry way, until the women can be useful again. Basically Cassandra acts as her brother's nanny, as each of his children are born and then is sent on her way, between births.
Published January 23, 2020
Thank you to Flatiron Books/Macmillan for this ARC.
While Cassandra is going through letters, trying not to be caught at it, by the pesky and grumpy housekeeper, she is also meddling into the future of Isabel. For Cassandra, being a single women is a blessing, almost a great calling, even though society looks down on such women. She is going to set Isabel up in a safe, tidy, living arrangement with Isabel's sisters. The trio varies from indifference to unwillingness to embark on such an arrangement but Cassandra feels like she must do her duty to help them see the error of their judgement. All of this is written very much in keeping with the way Jane Austen wrote her books and the way Jane Austen saw the plight of women of her time, single women of her time, to be more specific.
Although the story is told with some humorous undertones, overall, life does not look good for a single woman who is past finding a husband who can elevate her financial and social status. Still, we learn that Cassandra is very happy with her lot in life and if Jane was unhappy before she died, Cassandra feels it is her duty to hide that unhappiness from the public. The book makes it clear that in this world of Jane and Cassandra Austen, single women are at the mercy of others, dependent on the generosity of others, when it is convenient, and then often sent on their not so merry way, until the women can be useful again. Basically Cassandra acts as her brother's nanny, as each of his children are born and then is sent on her way, between births.
Published January 23, 2020
Thank you to Flatiron Books/Macmillan for this ARC.