The Jane Austen Society...book review

I just finished reading The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner.  I really liked it and I would like to share some of my thoughts on it. 

This book revolves around a wide variety of characters who share a love for Jane Austen's work.  We have Adam, the farm worker, Adeline, the widowed former school teacher, the doctor of the town, Dr. Gray, Evie, a teenager who works in the "Great House", Mimi, the famous American actress and her friend Yardley who works as an auctioneer, Andrew, the solicitor, and  Miss Frances Knight, a  descended of Jane Austen and keeper of the "Great House".   They join together after World War II to save Jane Austen's legacy. 

My favorite character was probably Evie.  She has so much drive and determination.  She is wise beyond her years.  She starts a project and sees it through.  Even though I rarely finish my projects I still saw myself in her the most because of her drive to even start a project as big as the one in the book- I am trying not give TOO much away. 

This book definitely made me want to visit Chawton and St. Nicholas Church (here is a link to Jane Austen's churches) in Steventon, Hampshire- basically any where that has to do with Jane Austen in England even though it focused mostly on Steventon and Chawton Cottage.  But alas I shall have to attempt to visit these places through the internet. 

I have been looking forward to this book since I knew it was coming out this year and also because I recently finished The Guernsey and Potato Peel Pie Society which has a similar feel to it.  Both are about book clubs/societies and both books take place at roughly the same time (1940s).  I love the word society.  It sounds much grander than a regular old book club. 

I also loved the cover.  It is pretty and has that nostalgic feel that many historical fiction books have.  The flowers and color scheme are beautiful to me. 

Jane Austen's ring

The purpose of the author writing this book was to give us who love Jane another story and another way to tell how much impact she has had over the years, specifically after World War II.  Jane Austen was prescribed for soldiers after the Great War to help soothe the shell-shock and in a way this book helps soothes the characters in this book who have all had much loss and suffering as well.  Now we are continuing to be soothed by Austen''s language through this crazy time (referring here to more of an escape from Covid19 reports and protests all over America and the world because of police brutality and justice for George Floyd). 

No Jane Austen type or homage book would be complete without some type of romance and we definitely have some of that here.  I don't want to spoil too much but we have at least 3 hook ups by the end.  I think I felt most fulfilled by Miss Francis Knight's story line. 

What did I expect?  I expected a sad story, which I got, but with an uplifting ending, which I also got.  I did get one slight surprise in the story but other than that it was a gentle and a more serious read than I have had lately.  It was the best when the characters talked about their favorite Jane Austen books and quoted her so naturally.

Jane and Cassandra Austen's topaz crosses

It is nice to know that this book is based off a real society- The Jane Austen Society so we don't have to imagine or worry that there will not be a happy ending.  Or at the very least we know we will have a fairly satisfying ending to this story. 

Since I have not read all of Jane Austen's major works this book has made me very interested and in looking forward to reading  Mansfield Park.  My favorite Austen book so far is Sense and Sensibility.  I think it is because it was my first and because I just love Elinor.  Elinor is who I wish I was- practical, good judgement, level headed, and in the book she has great quotes about the horrible children. 

All in all, I enjoyed this book.  It was mostly a gentle read.  It had a little legalize language that I honestly didn't follow, but it really reminded me of how much of a genius and how much of a difference Jane Austen can make in people's lives.   I would recommend it.  I would give it 3.5 stars.