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A review by gilmoreguide
Miss Austen by Gill Hornby
4.0
On Monday I reviewed what was a stunning, but intense book, so it’s with a bit of relief that I’m back with a book I’ll call recovery reading. Cassandra Austen is the older sister of author, Jane Austen. Jane has been dead for many years and Cassandra has felt it was her duty to be the arbiter and controller of her beloved sister’s legacy. To this end, she has been gathering her sister’s letters and writings. While Jane was the famous sister, in Gill Hornby’s Miss Austen it is Cassandra’s life that unfolds on the page.
Now, in her 80s, Cassandra makes a final visit to the home of a dear friend, Eliza, who passed away years ago. She was close to both women and both had corresponded with her regularly. Correspondence at a time in their lives that was fraught with circumstances Cassandra does not want exposed for public consumption. The problem is she doesn’t know where the letters are and she has no right to them. The current resident of the house is Isabella, Eliza’s daughter. Isabella’s mother, Mary, who is married to Cassandra’s brother and was Eliza’s sister, has already staked a claim to any written material found in the house. It’s a twisted tale.
The rest of this review is at The Gilmore Guide to Books: https://gilmoreguidetobooks.com/2020/04/miss-austen-a-novel/
Now, in her 80s, Cassandra makes a final visit to the home of a dear friend, Eliza, who passed away years ago. She was close to both women and both had corresponded with her regularly. Correspondence at a time in their lives that was fraught with circumstances Cassandra does not want exposed for public consumption. The problem is she doesn’t know where the letters are and she has no right to them. The current resident of the house is Isabella, Eliza’s daughter. Isabella’s mother, Mary, who is married to Cassandra’s brother and was Eliza’s sister, has already staked a claim to any written material found in the house. It’s a twisted tale.
The rest of this review is at The Gilmore Guide to Books: https://gilmoreguidetobooks.com/2020/04/miss-austen-a-novel/