Now the only friendship I still had, however unexpected, had been upended. I was tired of being adrift. Tired of romance and attraction and all the complications and ruination it entailed. Tired of trying to find some pattern, divine or not, in what had happened, what was happening to me. Most of all, though, I was tired of Jane Austen ruining my life. – p.146
Emma Douglas has just found her husband cheating on her, and she blames Jane Austen’s novels (as well as her parents’ own happy marriage) for leading her to believe that there are always happy endings. Devastated by her personal and professional life, she travels to England in search of Jane Austen’s missing letters, where, coincidentally, she also bumps into her old college friend Adam.
I really enjoyed Beth Pattillo’s ‘what-if’s’ concerning Austen’s personal life and letters, particularly her take on which of Austen’s books most closely mirrored the author’s (imagined) life. I was also fascinated by Emma’s treks around Austen’s old haunts and the real personal history of the author. Mixing fact and fiction, this book is a fun and quick read that most Austen fans will appreciate.
2009, 270 pp.
[Disclaimer: This copy was obtained from my public library.]
I pick this up at the library tomorrow and am SO excited
Glad that you liked it!
Miss Remmers, so hope you like it. It’s a fun read!
Sounds like a great spinoff novel. I think I’ll have to check this one out.
Serena, it’s a light (other than the adultery), and fun read. Hope you do enjoy it if you pick it up!
This one has been on my list for awhile. It looks great. I like fun and quick books!
Holly, I do hope you enjoy it!
I have a friend who just read this one! We were at Borders and she just picked it up based on the cover while browsing the shelves…glad to hear it’s a good one!
Chris, I really enjoyed it. Great fix for Austen fans!
I liked this one as well. It was fun to try to figure out the mystery before the main character did.
This does sound like fun and I really like the cover too.
Amy, glad you liked it, too!
Rhinoa, yes, the cover is great.
I read this one and really enjoyed it! I liked Pattillio’s idea of Jane Austen’s past, too (it was my favorite part of the book!)
Kay, so glad you liked this one too. I know! And the book her imagined past is modeled on is my favorite!