Synopsis
Just after the Second World War, in the small English village of Chawton, an unusual but like-minded group of people band together to attempt something remarkable.
One hundred and fifty years ago, Chawton was the final home of Jane Austen, one of England’s finest novelists. Now it’s home to a few distant relatives and their diminishing estate. With the last bit of Austen’s legacy threatened, a group of disparate individuals come together to preserve both Jane Austen’s home and her legacy. These people—a laborer, a young widow, the local doctor, and a movie star, among others—could not be more different and yet they are united in their love for the works and words of Austen. As each of them endures their own quiet struggle with loss and trauma, some from the recent war, others from more distant tragedies, they rally together to create the Jane Austen Society.
AudioBook narrated by Actor Richard Armitage
The full unabridged text of THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY was read by the distinguished English film, television, theatre and voice actor Richard Armitage for the audiobook recording. Best known by many period drama fans for his outstanding performance as John Thornton in the BBC television adaptation of North and South (2004), Armitage also portrayed Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson’s film trilogy adaptation of The Hobbit (2012 – 2014).
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Praise
“Just like a story written by Austen herself, Jenner’s first novel is brimming with charming moments, endearing characters, and nuanced relationships…Readers won’t need previous knowledge of Austen and her novels to enjoy this tale’s slow revealing of secrets that build to a satisfying and dramatic ending.” ―Booklist (starred review)
“Few things draw disparate people together so quickly as discovering they love the same writers. Few writers cement such friendships as deeply as Austen does. I believe that the readers of Jenner’s book will fall in love with the readers inside Jenner’s book, all of us thinking and dreaming of Austen the whole while. What could be better? Nothing, that’s what! A wonderful book, a wonderful read.” ―Karen Joy Fowler, New York Times bestselling author of The Jane Austen Book Club
“Fans of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society will adore The Jane Austen Society… A charming and memorable debut, which reminds us of the universal language of literature and the power of books to unite and heal.” —Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris
Review
If you are a Jane Austen aficionado then you will enjoy the references to her books and characters peppered through this book about The Jane Austen Society that was formed in the 1940s in her hometown of Chawton. While all of the characters are fictional and the events leading up to the formation of this group may not be how it really happened, it was eye opening to see so many who cared about an author and her works and be invested in her writings. I was intrigued by how many times these characters read her books and commenting on the new nuances they discovered and debating Austen’s thoughts while writing the book.
But this book is about more than Jane Austen. It is about finding new friends, relationships, misunderstandings, and perhaps renewed faith and interest in life. The cast of characters ranges in age but there is a connection between all of them, which is not surprising for this small village in England. I enjoyed most of the characters but there were a few that were despicable but that is to be expected because not everyone can be nice. However, those characters gave the story a little more depth and gave you someone to root against as events unfolded.
There are parts of the book that I’m disappointed by some actions of several of the characters. While some I sort of understood in the grand scheme of life, a different choice would have resulted in a different outcome for the society. While reading the book, I felt like I knew some of the characters better than others. There were some that I wanted to know more about, such as Mimi. I felt like the surface was just scratched in her case and there was more to understand about her character.
I will admit that I haven’t read any Jane Austen books that I recall but now I am intrigued and maybe one day I’ll pick up one of her books to see if I can unearth the same sort of observations as others have over time.
We give this book 3 1/2 paws.
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About the Author
Natalie Jenner is the debut author of THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY, a fictional telling of the start of the society in the 1940s in the village of Chawton, where Austen wrote or revised her major works. Born in England and raised in Canada, Natalie graduated from the University of Toronto with degrees in English Literature and Law and has worked for decades in the legal industry. She recently founded the independent bookstore Archetype Books in Oakville, Ontario, where she lives with her family and two rescue dogs.
