A review by theknitgeek
Jane Austen, the Secret Radical by Helena Kelly

5.0

Helena Kelly gives us an in-depth and intriguing look at the life of Jane Austen; how her surroundings, circumstances, and experiences might have shaped her opinions; and what her contemporary readers would have known that we, as future readers, are no longer aware of. Together, it shapes a compelling narrative of Austen as a radical, secret only with the passage of time. I highly recommend the audio version. The narrator, Emma Bering, brings the biographical sketches at the beginning of each chapter to life in a way that would be missed reading it on paper/screen (especially if you, like me, are American and can't read in a lovely British accent).

I think this is the first time I've given nonfiction five stars. This book definitely warrants it.