A review by bookbelle5_17
Miss Austen by Gill Hornby

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Review of Miss Austen

By: Gill Hornby

            Jane Austen had many siblings including her sister Cassandra, whom she was very close with, and became the preserver of Jane’s legacy.  Readers don’t hear about Cassandra, but this historical fiction tells a story about what could have happened to Cassandra after her sister died.  

            This bittersweet story gives voice to Cassandra Austen and allows the reader to get an idea of the person she was.  The letters, though the contents were fictional, took you to the past of the lives of the Austen sisters. We get a glimpsed into the time when Jane was still alive and right after Cassandra found out Tom had died on the expedition.  We’re inside Cassandra’s head during that time and get to know the girl she was.  I appreciated that the author included the date to show we were going back in forth and letters also offered a transition element, as well.   I wonder if the personalities of the other people in the Austen’s lives was accurately portrayed, because Mary, who married James Austen, reminded me of characters like Catherine de Borough or Mrs. Norris.  Like these characters of Jane’s, Mary is vain and sees herself as better than everyone else.  She considers her husband’s poetry, which was included in the story, as superior to Jane’s novels and would out last her work.  In one of the letters, we find out that Cassandra had another suitor, but she obviously turns him down, but again, I’m curious if that is something that actually happened.  Cassandra’s concern for Isabella is sweet as she wants to prepare her for spinsterhood.  Isabella’s maid was interesting, but I wasn’t sure if her intentions were good until the end.  The story explores the struggles of women facing spinsterhood and how women like Cassandra found themselves to rely on the love of family. It is a sad as we know  how Cassandra’s life turned out, but the story shows she was content and found happiness where she could.