Author: Gill Hornby
Published: 2020
Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis From Goodreads

Whoever looked at an elderly lady and saw the young heroine she once was?

England, 1840. For the two decades following the death of her beloved sister, Jane, Cassandra Austen has lived alone, spending her days visiting friends and relations and quietly, purposefully working to preserve her sister’s reputation. Now in her sixties and increasingly frail, Cassandra goes to stay with the Fowles of Kintbury, family of her long-dead fiancé, in search of a trove of Jane’s letters. Dodging her hostess and a meddlesome housemaid, Cassandra eventually hunts down the letters and confronts the secrets they hold, secrets not only about Jane but about Cassandra herself. Will Cassandra bare the most private details of her life to the world, or commit her sister’s legacy to the flames?

Moving back and forth between the vicarage and Cassandra’s vibrant memories of her years with Jane, interwoven with Jane’s brilliantly reimagined lost letters, Miss Austen is the untold story of the most important person in Jane’s life. With extraordinary empathy, emotional complexity, and wit, Gill Hornby finally gives Cassandra her due, bringing to life a woman as captivating as any Austen heroine. 

My Take

When I heard that a PBS series would be made from this book, I knew I had to read it. If it has anything to do with the Austen sisters, I’m in. Jane Austen’s letters have always intrigued me, and I have never quite forgiven Cassandra for burning them! This book gave me a greater appreciation of Cassandra and the lengths she went to protect Jane and those around her (including burning Jane’s precious letters). No one knows what was in those letters, including Gill Hornby, and I am OK with that. Cassandra does deserve her “due”!

The beginning of the book starts slow, to the point I almost gave up. It was an excellent example of “Tell, don’t show” rather than “Show, don’t tell” and read more like a documentary than a novel. This was not what I had anticipated, and I was disappointed. While there were elements of documentary-style writing throughout, it evolved into a more novel form. 

The list of Austen family members and those in their close circles at the very start helped keep the characters straight for me, but perhaps this wasn’t the best way to hook a reader. Although I knew many of the family members already, I forgot most of the unfamiliar ones by the time the extensive list was complete. It was a good reference for when these names popped up later.

Once the story got moving, it was very enjoyable. I don’t know how much, other than the main life events, was true to life and how much was the author’s imagination, but it rang believable and allowed the reader a possible glimpse into the Austen family’s world. Cassandra, Jane, and other family members seemed like real people rather than characters on a page, although most of the elements are speculation.

The novel alternates between young Cassie and Jane and an elderly Cassie years after Jane’s death. The timeline was well executed, allowing us to understand better what could have motivated Cassie’s actions. Jane Austen’s style of writing came through beautifully as well.

If you enjoy everything Austen, take a chance on this one. It left me wanting an in-depth history of the family—something I will most likely never have access to (nobody truly knows). However, it didn’t stop me from ordering a few books from local colleges! I also can’t speak to the quality or authenticity of the upcoming TV series. The first episode is due to be released on May 5, 2025.