’ve read all of Jane Austen’s books, and of course own copies of them, as I was an English major and received a degree in English Literature. Clearly, Miss Austen was a book I wanted to read. So I’m surprised and a little embarrassed that it took me a few years to actually sit down with it.

Final verdict? I loved it! I have to agree with the advance praise of several authors:

“Unputdownable. So good, so intelligent, so clever, so entertaining – I adored it.” ~Claire Tomalin.

“Hornby places Cassandra center stage and ingeniously imagines what her own life might have been like – an approach that casts a different light on the familiar biographical picture without in any way distorting it.” ~Deirdre Le Faye.

“Fans of Austen will rejoice in the chance to enter this fictional world as Cassandra and Jane navigate the demands of her genius and temperament in the face of the many pressures single women have endured throughout history.” ~Natalie Jenner

“Rich in historical detail, family lore, and heart. Miss Austen will wow Janeites and enchant the uninitiated. Upon her sister’s death, Cassandrea Austen claimed that she was ‘the sun of my life.’ Now we know why.” ~Laurel Ann Natttress.

So pleased to end 2023 with a 5-star read! ( )

I totally fell in love with the creative process behind the embroidered cover design for Miss Austen by Gill Hornby after watching this video created by Chloe Giordano.

I've been stitching - mostly cross stitch - on and off for years and Miss Austen was a complete cover buy. I hardly ever pre-order books, but went all out to pre-order this Waterstones signed hardback edition, with dust jacket showing the reverse of the embroidered fabric (so clever), sprayed edges and stunning endpapers. You can see a flip through of the book here.

Chloe Giordano went on to design and stitch the embroidered cover for Godmersham Park by Gill Hornby and I really admire the publisher for seeking a different design style and process for these historical fiction novels.

Miss Austen by Gill Hornby is a novel of the Austen sisters, focussing on Cassandra Austen. Being unfamiliar with the members of the Austen family and in-laws, the handy family list at the beginning of the novel was immensely helpful and I constantly needed to flip back to refer to it.

"And she decided that other families must be one of life's most unfathomable mysteries. It was no use sitting as an outsider and even trying to fathom them. One could have no idea of what it must be like to be in there, on the inside. She would share that thought later in her letter to Jane." Page 69

The primary thrust of the novel is discovering why Cassandra Austen burned so many of her sister Jane Austen's letters, thus depriving future readers and scholars from reading her words. The dialogue is witty and enjoyable, and despite only having read one book by Jane Austen, felt authentic to her writing style.

"Half of Caroline's story was plainly ridiculous. The girl had always had a strong imagination, as well as a talent for embroidery, and was employing both quite liberally here." Page 161

'Well, what a lovely confection of nothing at all that was, my dear,' she began... 'Most charming, indeed; so charming I almost wish it had happened.' Page 161

The bond between Jane and Cassandra ran deep, with both seeming to sacrifice their happiness and future prospects for one another. The lack of female agency, the bonds of family and the relationships between women formed the base of this historical fiction novel:

"Now, here, in this vicarage, Cassandra had found another; most unexpected, excellent woman. She had quite forgotten the feeling, that deep, joyful and satisfying feeling brought by good feminine companionship. What a blessing to enjoy it once more." Page 170

In reflecting on Jane's death, the author highlights the importance of inheritance and legacy, noting:

"... these are the things by which most of us are remembered, these small acts of love, the only evidence that we, too, once lived on this earth. The preserves in the larder, the stitch on the kneeler. The mark of the pen on the page." Page 20

Jane's temperament and moods were mentioned throughout Miss Austen, although I'm lacking any opinion as to how close to her true medical history the author was steering us. Having only read Pride and Prejudice, I felt somewhat ill prepared and poorly equipped to enjoy all of the subtleties and easter eggs no doubt on offer here in Miss Austen.

Fans familiar with the Austen canon or the author's life in any detail, will no doubt recognise plot points, locations (Godmersham Park, Chawton House), family members, engagements, marriages and deaths mentioned throughout, however these were unfortunately lost on me.

Not knowing how much of the narrative in Miss Austen is based on history and fact and how much was fictionalised, I wasn't able to enjoy the novel at the level it was intended. Instead, I chose to read Miss Austen as a stand-alone novel of sorts, knowing as I did so that I was missing many layers by being unfamiliar with the Austen canon.

The constant moving of the family members was a surprise although I did enjoy Mrs Austen's dialogue, especially when it concerned her own health:

'My bowels feel much steadier now, thanks be to the Lord, after what was, as you of all people know, Cass, the most frightful evacuation. I think I shall like this apothecary. He has a good feel for my system.' Page 198

Love it! Miss Austen by Gill Hornby will be remembered by this reader for having one of the most attractive cover designs I've seen and was an enjoyable read. ( )

A historical fiction novel about the Austens sounded interesting but unfortunately I didn't like this as much as I'd hoped to. Part of the problem was the duel timeline. The story set in 1840 is slow moving and it takes a while for the reader to have any inkling as to why Cassandra Austen is in such a hurry to return to Kintbury or what she hopes to accomplish there. The timeline set while Jane Austen is still alive, is a little more interesting. I expected this part of the story would be told in the form of letters, but it wasn't. Overall, the whole book was a bit of a muddle. ( )

This book is in a class by itself when it comes to Jane Austen-related fiction. Far more than the ubiquitous Regency fan-fic full of meet-cutes and enjoyable enough fluff, this work sits neatly on the line between biography and fiction. It is a thoughtful, well-written reflection upon Jane Austen's closest friend, her sister Cassandra. Cassandra and Jane are both somewhat shrouded in mystery: there is just so much that we can't know. Which is the very point of this book. It deals with themes of privacy, family legacy, and the strange ways that narratives get shaped once other people or later generations take over.
There's not much plot here; the story alternates between elderly Cassandra (1840) and young Cassandra and Jane. In this setup, Cassandra in later life journeys to visit extended family with the goal of retrieving letters written by Jane. As she reads through the letters, she remembers in detail the events of her life with Jane. She also ponders on the way that life has turned out, the dreams vs. the realities, and what kind of legacy people might foist upon Jane compared to the way she and Jane really felt about their lives. Of course, the author introduces some speculative material, but none of it is wildly improbable, and it beautifully illustrates the themes. While Cassandra has sometimes been given short shrift as the destroyer of Jane's letters, this novel explores why she did it and reflects us readers back to ourselves as we ask, really, how much right do we have to intrude on all the details of a life, or make judgments in areas where there is bound to be complexity and context?

I initially passed by this book on NetGalley, but then I heard the author interviewed on the Bonnets at Dawn podcast and it convinced me that the book would have substance. I'm glad that I was convinced to go back and request it!
Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for this advance review copy. ( )

“It is as if Nature can only throw up one capable person to support each generation. In my family that has always been me.”
Isabella was a picture of misery. “Then we are equals in our misfortune.”
“Not at all!” exclaimed Cassandra. “Our fortune is to have families who need us. It is our duty, our pleasure. Our very worth!”

I am not a Jane Austen fanatic so I can’t comment on the accuracy of this story, but I thought this was a nice historical novel.
The relationship between Cassandra and Jane is central to the story and I liked the emphasis on family instead of romance. That also meant I found the chapters set in the ‘present’ less interesting. ( )