The Jane Austen Society

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner 320 pages

I’m not sure there has ever been a time since Jane Austen published her novels that she didn’t have rabid fans.  Most teenage girls read them.  I did. I liked them. But they aren’t something that I would re-read again and again.

When this novel opens in 1932 in the village Jane last lived, Chawton, a visitor arrives looking to pay her respects to the places Jane called home and visited. Unfortunately, there isn’t much left and the visitor, Mary Anne, like so many others is disappointed. 

The novel fast forwards to 1943. Chawton is still a small village. Visitors, although not many with WWII raging, still come.  Many of the villagers as well as the visitors can quote Austen. I felt left out, not being able to quote her works, but author Jenner did a great job in letting the rest of us know which book was being quoted.

There are rumors that what is left of Jane’s past will be sold to developers. Some in the village are eager for the sale, others are dismayed at the very thought of it. At first, three villagers come together to figure out what they can do to save the area. Then the group grows to five, then eight. I was confused, at first, because there are only five people on the cover, especially since I had an Advanced Reader’s Copy (Thank you St. Martin’s Press.).

For the rest of the novel, readers learn about the about lives of Evie, Dr. Gray, Adam, Mimi, Yardley, Frances, and Andrew. I like that each of these characters came from differing socio/economic backgrounds. To me, that illustrated how Austen touched all members of society. I also like the not-so-predicable ending. 

Readers beware: There is a graphic rape scene that to me did not fit with the style of the book.

“The Jane Austen Society” receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.