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A review by moonlightcupofcocoa
Jane Austen's Favourite Brother, Henry by Christopher Herbert
emotional
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Pen & Sword for the ARC! As always, all opinions shared are 100% my own.
As a Jane Austen fan, and an addict to anything about her life, the moment I laid my eyes on this cover, I knew I had to read it. I had read some material about her father especially before, but never really about her siblings. All I knew about Henry was that he was a priest.
While I was curious just how much material we have about him (considering I feel that we barely know enough about Jane herself), I was delighted to see that the author did extensive research about the socioeconomical and cultural environment that the Austens lived in. From traditions about pregnancy, childbirth and childrearing to banks, taxes and loans, the book immerses the readers into the world that both Jane and Henry grew up in allowing us to learn more about them. Some moments and subjects were lighthearted, others were painful to read about such as slavery.
In addition to that, through Jane's letters and Henry's writings (as well as sermons later), we start to form a much more comprehensive idea about not only who they were but also their beliefs. Was Henry as religious as we think he was? Why was Henry her favourite? What about their relationship with their father and what were some of his beliefs? How did Jane come to publishing her books?
The author presented the information in an accessible, friendly manner that engages the reader to form their own opinion while learning about the late 18th century and 19th century. Henry was not put on a pedestal in this biography, and I appreciated that.
All in all, I really enjoyed reading the book. While there is still much we don't know about Henry, and Jane herself, I learned a lot. Many resources and references were also shared at the end of the book so I know I will dig even deeper now.
As a Jane Austen fan, and an addict to anything about her life, the moment I laid my eyes on this cover, I knew I had to read it. I had read some material about her father especially before, but never really about her siblings. All I knew about Henry was that he was a priest.
While I was curious just how much material we have about him (considering I feel that we barely know enough about Jane herself), I was delighted to see that the author did extensive research about the socioeconomical and cultural environment that the Austens lived in. From traditions about pregnancy, childbirth and childrearing to banks, taxes and loans, the book immerses the readers into the world that both Jane and Henry grew up in allowing us to learn more about them. Some moments and subjects were lighthearted, others were painful to read about such as slavery.
In addition to that, through Jane's letters and Henry's writings (as well as sermons later), we start to form a much more comprehensive idea about not only who they were but also their beliefs. Was Henry as religious as we think he was? Why was Henry her favourite? What about their relationship with their father and what were some of his beliefs? How did Jane come to publishing her books?
The author presented the information in an accessible, friendly manner that engages the reader to form their own opinion while learning about the late 18th century and 19th century. Henry was not put on a pedestal in this biography, and I appreciated that.
All in all, I really enjoyed reading the book. While there is still much we don't know about Henry, and Jane herself, I learned a lot. Many resources and references were also shared at the end of the book so I know I will dig even deeper now.