Nancy Moser

I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this novel. I love Jane Austen’s work, but this novel is a fictionalized account of Austen’s life told in first person by “Austen” herself and I wasn’t sure how that would work - and I read in some reviews that Nancy Moser, the author, had admitted not trying to capture the complexity of Austen’s voice. However, I had enjoyed the movie Becoming Jane, which was the film world’s attempt at portraying Jane Austen, so I decided that it would be fitting to read a literary world portrayal… I mean, Austen’s world was one of parchment and ink - books, not celluloid, right? I’m glad I made that choice. Although I am not quite halfway through the novel, I have noted that Moser uses many phrases and spellings that Austen uses in her works. Moser must have done quite a bit of research, too, and it has been fun reading about Austen’s experiences and how some of them may have crossed over into her novels (including encountering shelves in the closet of the place she stays in Bath - much like the ones Lady Catherine “vouchsafed to suggest” to Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice). The relationship between Elinor and Marianne Dashwood and the ways in which they each deal with loss and heartbreak in Sense and Sensibility is also shown to have correlations with Jane and Cassandra Austen’s life experiences. So far, I find, as a fan of Austen, I am enjoying this fun, summer read very much! ⁣… (meer)

I appreciated the historical details, especially those that highlighted the differences between the socioeconomic classes in both British and American societies. Though the first third of the book extensively focused on the trade that Lottie and Dora would eventually make, the book did pick up some speed later on. The cross-cultural interactions were interesting to read about, and if readers want to know more about clothing, there is quite a bit of information included. Lottie is admittedly not the most likeable character when we first meet her, but the spiritual changes she undergoes make her journey more worthwhile to read. The deception between the young women eventually takes a toll and the book is clear about how the truth will set people free. Ultimately, the happily-ever-afters show how the plans of the Lord will always prevail over our own plans and schemes.… (meer)

It's often hard for me to find a Christian fiction book that isn't ridiculous. It's also often hard for me to find a Jane Austen fan fiction that isn't ridiculous. I was pleasantly surprised that this Jane Austen fan fiction, written and published from a faith-based source, is refreshingly good! Just Jane is a lovely biographical fiction story that follows Jane Austen from her first few lines of Pride and Prejudice, written in Steventon in early days, through to her beginnings of Emma, begun in Chawton, just a short time before she passes away in Winchester. For the most part, the story follows her life well and the imagined bits are quite believable. Other than a couple distractions, (like her using the term "eggplant" when the British say, "aubergine", or her literary-minded line about semi-colons when Austen was known for dashes and actually had to be heavily edited to correct her bad punctuation) I felt the story flowed smoothly and enjoyably. I love reading about places that are familiar to me, so once the Austens left Steventon, I enjoyed imagining their dwellings in Bath and Chawton---both places I've visited on many occasions. I also learned a couple neat things---like the "three dips" the ladies took in the ocean, aided by a "dipper". How funny and strange! There truly can never be enough WELL WRITTEN Austen adaptations!… (meer)