While there were more characters to follow than I am used to, the way their lives intertwined gave me such nostalgic feelings about living in a small town and ensured that there wasn’t an information overload that would make it difficult for the reader to follow along. But both of those worries were soon laid aside. I was also worried that maybe I was not familiar enough with Jane Austen’s works to be able to really appreciate this book either.

I was a bit skeptical in the beginning because the story had a much slower start than I expected. So when I saw The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner, I knew I had to read it! That doesn’t mean though that I stopped enjoying the heck out of my Pride & Prejudice DVD and I also still love to read modern books based on those same classics. I have been much happier since I’ve stopped doing that. I have forced myself into so many books for the sake of being a well-rounded reader and ended up abandoning them each time. I have always wanted to be someone who loves the classics but a few months ago, I finally decided to be honest with myself: I really do not enjoy reading classics (besides The Count of Monte Christo of course). 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. 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. 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.

Now it’s home to a few distant relatives and their diminishing estate.

One hundred and fifty years ago, Chawton was the final home of Jane Austen, one of England’s finest novelists. 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. The Jane Austen Society // by Natalie Jenner // narrated by Richard Armitage

The jane austen society characters