Anxiously Awaiting Miss Austen

Hello, dear Janeites! I must say, there is nothing like participating in a Jane Austen-inspired book club. This might just be my opinion, but I find being part of a group of devoted Janeites is most excellent. Not only do Austen-aligned book clubs select the best possible material to discover, but the members of said organizations never fail to read the material. The liveliest conversations may be had while engaging with other fans who adore the work of Jane Austen.

               It is because of my membership in one such book club that I had the opportunity to re-read Gill Hornby’s outstanding historical fiction novel, Miss Austen. It was first published in 2020 and I read it right away because my enthusiasm for the topic was so great. But since the BBC adaptation recently appeared in the United Kingdom on Sunday, February 2, 2025, my friends and I determined this story was ripe for a re-read.

               Hornby’s novel follows a fictional Cassandra Austen, Jane’s sister, and is set in 1840. Determined to find letters penned by her sister, and herself, Miss Austen spends time with old friends so she might sort through missives that were written long ago. There are a host of secrets that Miss Austen wishes to keep private, and she knows the best and only way to do that is by preventing others from reading the innermost thoughts she and her sister once shared with their treasured correspondents.

               Through the usage of flashback sequences, the story dips and dives out of the present (1840) and into the Austen sisters’ shared past. The reader is tugged along on this journey as tales of love, loss, and heartache are all revealed through the tender letters written by a pair of affectionate sisters.

               Hornby’s writing is at its most superb during the scenes in which Cassandra and Jane spend time together. It does not matter if the sisters are talking, giggling, and reading aloud the latest of Jane’s works or if they are speaking about their relatives and acquaintances. When the Austen sisters are united, they are at their happiest and most content.

               While the film adaptation has already aired in the UK and is currently available to stream on BBC iPlayer or BBC One, it will not be long until it premieres stateside. On Sunday, May 4th, 2025, the four-part series may be accessed on MASTERPIECE.

               Until we have the pleasure of watching this story, may I entice you to read the novel for yourself? Or, if you would prefer, click this link to preview the official trailer.

Note: There are still a few places left for JASP 2025! This year’s four-day symposium, JASP 2025: Sensibility and Domesticity, will take place June 19-22, 2025, in historic New Bern, North Carolina. We will be focusing on Austen’s first published novel, Sense and Sensibility, and considering the birth of her career as a published author and taking a transatlantic look at the world into which she was born. Program topics include medicine, birth, and domestic arts in Regency England and colonial North Carolina. We’ll be covering the aforementioned topics and celebrating Austen’s 250th birthday through a wide range of activities including workshops, small-group discussions, and workshops. Our Regency Ball is also not an event to be missed! We can’t wait to celebrate Austen’s 250th birthday with you!