Cassandra's Sister: Growing Up Jane Austen

***Spoiler alert*** I stumbled across this book in the children's section of the library, and since I am a lifelong fan of Jane Austen (have reread P & P esp., numerous times, whenever I need comfort) I thought it might be fun to introduce my daughters to her through a YA bio. But *I* actually ended up being the one plowing through it. I already knew the bare bones of her Tom Lefroy misadventure and the acccepted, then rejected proposal, but the loving detail that this author supplies was delightful. But Austen fans should take note, this is not a pastiche of Austen's writing, so the young Jane never says anything nearly as clever as her characters always do - though she does seem a little like Catherine Morland at times! It's not a witty book, like JA's, but it has other virtues. It finds the origin of a number of themes from Austen's books in her own life - for instance that business of the entail on the Bennet family's home in P & P that complicates all the daughters' marriage prospects. The story considers the plight of Jane Austen and her best friend and sister Cassandra, and other single women like them, in a very understanding way. But all in all, I'm not really sure whether this is a children's book - it's certainly perfect for me, i.e. someone who likes reading well written YA books. And anyone who has been entertained by P & P might want to go on to learn more of the enigma of Jane Austen the person and the writer. Give it a try!

I am very surprised that "Cassandra's Sister" isn't more popular. It is one of the best historical fiction books I have read, and at that, it is about Jane Austen! It is appropriate for all ages with nothing questionable, and offers good insight to what Jane's life may have been like as a teenager. It also sheds a new light on the books that Jane wrote and different aspects of them. A wonderful read!