Okay, I was weak. I hadn’t had a Jane Austen fix lately so I brought this book by Jill Pitkeathly on vacation with me. I knew it wasn’t going to be Jane Austen writing, but sometimes it’s just enough to have her in the novel.
But quite frankly, this was very interesting. The book is about the entire Austen clan, and in particular their cousin Eliza, who was married to a French count (who was later beheaded during the revolution) and later married Jane’s brother. I enjoyed it because it was written letter style, from Eliza to Jane to Cassandra and all the brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers and a really nasty cousin too.
This book has all the characters, the historical background and gives some insight into the Napoleonic wars, which was distinctly absent in any of Austen’s books. But mainly it was an excuse to read about Jane and I’m glad I gave in. Long may she live!
