I don’t even know where to begin. I’m not sure I’ve ever wanted to transport myself into a book as much as I wanted to be in the world of The Jane Austen Society. A little village in England with a group of people who love Jane Austen as much as I do? Yes, please. But that wasn’t the only thing that made it so easy escape into this book. It was the characters that really made this book so wonderful.

There are seven characters who are the main focus of the book: Francis, Dr. Grey, Adeline, Andrew, Evie, Adam, and Mimi.

Francis lives in the Great House, the home where Jane Austen lived for a few years during her life. At the beginning of the story, Francis hasn’t left the house in a long time and she is weighed down by her sickly father and the way her life has turned out.

Dr. Grey is the local doctor in the village. Life hasn’t been the same for him since his wife, Jennie, died, but through reading Jane Austen and spending time with a certain teacher in the village, he’s been able to at least get by.

Adeline starts off the book as a energetic teacher willing to push the boundaries of the villagers to ensure her students get a unique education. But tragedy soon hits her twice and takes everything that made life worth living for her. It’s only Jane Austen and the society (and the people in it) that turn her world around.

Andrew is a solicitor who has known Dr. Grey and Francis since childhood and used to be in a relationship with Francis. Now, he’s her father’s lawyer, but still pining for what was taken away from him so long ago. Maybe the society can give him a second chance at love?

Evie is probably by favorite character. She’s unable to finish school with her favorite teacher Miss Adeline Lewis, but when she goes to work as a maid in the Great House for Miss Francis, she makes the most of it. She catalogs the whole library because she wants to! I freaking love her!

Adam is where the story begins. His life has been a series of tragedies. His father and his two brothers are dead and he now lives with his mother who is not the greatest person to be around most of the time. But when he meets a tourist looking for Jane Austen’s house, something sparks in him that leads him to a life he could’ve never expected.

Mimi is a big Hollywood actress who just so happens to be obsessed with Jane Austen. When her fiance decides to buy her a house Jane Austen used to live in, she comes to a small village and meets a group of people that will change her glamorous life forever.

Whether it’s fate, their love for Jane Austen, or something else, all these people come together to start The Jane Austen Society. Their mission is to create a place where they can open a museum dedicated to the famous author and to further the study of her life and books.

Maybe I just haven’t read enough (lol my friends would beg to differ), but I haven’t seen an adult book with a found family in it like this one. And that made this so goddamn refreshing. Making friends as adults (when you’re not in school) is not easy and to see these people come together due to their love of Jane Austen and because they clearly see the same level of trauma in each other’s eyes…it makes me weepy just thinking about it.

That line from Pride and Prejudice: “I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun,” rings very true to how I ended up feeling about this story and most of the characters in it (except for Jack Leonard. He can eat shit). I was listening to the audiobook and before I knew it, I was freaking crying at the end because it was over and I couldn’t spend more time with them.

Ok, before this turns into me writing poetry about the characters (I would!), let’s talk about the audiobook since that’s how I experienced the story. When I signed up for this tour, I mentioned that I would kill for the audiobook because the voice of Richard Armitage is a gift from the gods. I did not expect to actually get a copy of it! The day I received the email…there might have been some flailing.

But here we are, and let me tell y’all…YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO THE AUDIOBOOK! Even if you read the book too, you need to buy or borrow the audiobook. It does not disappoint. He does the voices of all the characters and I think it allowed me to immerse myself into this world even more (listen to the excerpt earlier in this post!).

Trigger warnings: miscarriage, past death of family members, sexual assault (on the page)

In terms of the overall story, the characters could not have been better developed and the way the storylines were all weaved together was masterfully done. Some of the storylines also mimicked Austen’s novels which I loved more than life.

I’m giving The Jane Austen Society 4.5 out of 5 stars.

You can get The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner now!

What can I say? I loved this book as a Jane Austen fan. But the good news is that you can 100% enjoy it if you're not familiar with Austen's work. But you will enjoy it so much more if you are. The references were never laid on too thick, the writing is splendid, and it really does remind me a lot of why I liked The Chilbury Ladies' Choir!

Thank you #netgalley #Austenprose #StMartinsPress for a complimentary e ARC of #thejaneaustinsociety for review. All opinions are completely my own.

A love of writing and timeless stories draws people together….

Jane Austen’s final home was located in Chawton, England. In this imagined story that takes place shortly after WW11, a number of devoted Austen fans band together to preserve the home and her legacy. A local doctor, a young widow, a young farmer, a descendant of Austen’s, a young maid, and a movie star are among the group, and the story is told through their unique perspectives. Although they are very different from each other, they each share a deep connection with and a great love for the works of Austen.

Fans of Jane Austen will appreciate this imagined story of the first Jane Austen Society and that it is written in the style of an Austen novel. The Jane Austen Society is character-driven (although there’s a suspenseful plot element), charming, relationship-centered, and filled with likable characters (the maid is my favorite!). Although there are many references to Austen’s work throughout the story, I don’t think you need to have read Jane Austen to follow or appreciate the story. If you have read Austen, reading the story will be a richer experience for you. Several reviewers have compared this story to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society because of the unique group of people in a small community who come together in post-WW11 England to form a book club. In both stories, the book club enriches their lives and strong relationships are formed.

The Jane Austen Society includes a variety of characters, and it takes a while to get to know all of them. This can make the first part of the story move slowly. These are people you would love to have in book club. They are devoted to their favorite author and her work. I liked how many of the characters found true comfort in reading and rereading their favorite Austen work and how they applied her writing to their own lives. Reading Austen offers this group of readers encouragement for the dreariness and hardships of their post-war lives and personal struggles.

A few thoughtful themes include saving (themselves, relationships, a legacy), friendship, community, romance, determination, resourcefulness, second chances, and grief.

Sometimes in historical fiction, actions, thoughts, and behaviors are modernized and a present-day agenda infiltrates the story. This was somewhat noticeable in this story, and my attention to it falls under personal preferences. Even though imagined, I prefer that the story stays as authentic to the times as possible.

Overall, I think historical fiction enthusiasts and Jane Austen fans will enjoy this charming and heartfelt story. I think it would make a wonderful movie, too! Book clubs that have read some Austen might particularly enjoy this imagined beginning of the Jane Austen Society.

***May contain spoilers.***
Trigger Warnings and Content Considerations: Even though this is a mostly gentle read, it doesn’t shy away from life’s difficulties: the loss of a baby (difficult birth), mention of suicide, death of a loved one, drug use, and sexual assault.

ARC received from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars.

Wow, this was a sloooooow read. I almost pushed it to the side a few times and had to force myself to get through it.

It's not that I disliked it. I didn't, at all! I actually often found myself wishing I could be a part of this little town with these characters that were dealing with heavy shit but still managed to keep a sweetness about them. However, I think the constant quoting and dissection of Jane Austen's novels was a bit much - I mean, if you choose to read this book, chances are you're already a fan of Austen and don't necessarily want every single one of her novels described back to you. There also were a lot of characters and several POVs, a few that fell rather flat and I feel like didn't need their own narrative. You know? It just muddied the waters of getting to know everyone/keeping all their details straight, etc.

That said, the ending did pick up some momentum, and I adored all the character updates in the epilogue. It warmed my heart and made me smile, two things that are much-needed in life right now.

Natalie Jenner's 'The Jane Austen Society" is a light and sweet read that takes place in the 1940s. Readers are taken to a small, post-WII English village with a dynamic and well-rounded cast of characters. As members of the town unite in the ultimate goal of preserving Austen's legacy, the audience is charmed into falling in love with each of them. This was such a delightful read and I felt it encompassed everything I want in a sweet summer movel.

This book warmed my heart! I loved the dual perspectives and the focus on how literature can bring us together. I did think it was a lot of stories to keep track of which lead to not being super invested in any of them. I did still highly enjoy this book.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Title: The Jane Austen Society
Author: Natalie Jenner
Read by: Richard Armitage
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Length: Approximately 9 hours and 55 minutes
Source: Review Copy from Macmillan Audio as part of the tour. Thank-you!

The Jane Austen Society is a rare book that brings together several people in the small village of Chawton and tell an overall story that was engaging and fulfilling. Combined with the dulcet tones of narrator, Richard Armitage, this was a great book to disappear into during these troubled times.

Chawton is the village where Jane Austen spent the last part of her life and where she wrote and published her novels. I will admit that I have always wanted to visit Chawton. The village is small and the villagers note that visitors often make the pilgrimage to find Jane Austen’s home, but there is no memorial to her. A group of unlikely people become friends and form a society that has a mutual love for Jane Austen and wants to use their love to save her home and make it a museum with items of the era that she lived in.

The novel starts in the 1930’s, but is mostly set at the end of WWII. Adam Berwick is a farmer that grew up in Chawton. He had won a scholarship to further his education, but after WWI killed his two older brothers and the Spanish flu killed his father, he has stayed in the village to help support his mother and keep up the family farm. He still loves to read and a happenstance meeting with a stranger looking for Austen puts him back into the path of Austen’s novels. Dr. Gray is a widower and a lover of Austen, Adeline Lewis is a local teacher, Evie Snow is a star pupil who has to drop out to help her family, Frances Knight is a descendant of Jane Austen’s brother , and Mimi Harrison is a Hollywood star that may have passed her prime. I loved all of the characters and their great love of Jane Austen and her novels. They fascinated me and had wonderful stories. I also loved that there were hints of Austen’s novels in the stories of some of these characters.

One item that was part of this novel that surprised me was an honest discussion of grief. Many of the characters in this novel have lost someone dear to them. How do they move on from this grief and how does the grief hold them hostage? I feel like many of the characters were paralyzed with grief and had been unable to move forward with their lives. Their love for Austen and the Society itself helps them to move forward.

I also am a lover of old books and libraries. I loved a side story of Evie Snow working in the Knight estate; exploring and cataloguing all of the books in the library. It was interesting for her to think about how Austen could have read those same novels. I loved it!

I listened to the audiobook version and also read the kindle version. I really liked to listen to it and then reread the chapters to savor the language and the story. Richard Armitage is a wonderful narrator with a strong deep voice that gave the story character and emotion. I have enjoyed listening to books he has narrated in the past and will keep searching him out as a narrator in the future. I really enjoy his narration style.

I honestly can’t write just how much I enjoyed this novel. I loved listening to it and reading it and was only sad when it was over. It was a gentle and enjoyable story. The characters and story were very interesting, but I also loved the rumination on Austen herself and her works. She was another character who elusively existed off page of this novel. It reminded me in a way of The Jane Austen Book Club combined with the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

Favorite Quotes:

I had a hard time just picking a few favorite quotes from this novel as I had highlighted so many quotes that I enjoyed.

“During the Great War, shell-shocked soldiers had been encouraged to read Jane Austen in particular – Kipling had coped with the loss of his soldier son by reading her books aloud to his family each night – Winston Churchill had recently used them to get through the Second World War…Part of the comfort they derived from rereading was the satisfaction of knowing there would be closure – of feeling, each time , an inexplicable anxiety over whether the main characters would find love and happiness, while all the while knowing, on some different parallel interior track , that it was all going to work out in the end. Of being both one step ahead of the characters and one step behind Austen on every single reading. But part of it was the heroism of Austen herself, in writing through illness and despair, and facing her own early death.” - I liked this quote as it really dives into how Austen’s novels have helped people deal with trauma through time.

“The unnatural loss of youth not only hits us harder, it seems to insist on invading our days, as if the memory of the person lost too soon has a hidden persistent source of energy.” – There were a number of good quotes on grief in this novel. It was very thoughtfully written.

“And one never really know what others do to cope – you’d be surprised. There’s coping and then there’s just getting through the night.”

“None of us can ever say for sure what we’d do without feeling all of someone else’s slings and arrows along the way.”

Overall, The Jane Austen Society was a lovely gentle novel about wounded souls who find themselves by helping others and trying to preserve the legacy of one of the world’s greatest authors. I loved this novel and highly recommend it.

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley for the eARC of The Jane Austen Society.
A mutual love of Jane Austen brings a group of villagers from Chawton, Austen’s last home, together to help secure her legacy.
This book was a lovely story of love and loss, and the way that life goes on after loss. It’s definitely a character driven novel, but for lovers of Jane Austen and historical fiction, this will be a lovely read.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy. What happens when you gather a cute little town, that is known for being the home of Jane Austin, and a mismatch of hardcore fans (“a country doctor, an old maid, a schoolmarm, a bachelor farmer, a fey auctioneer, a conflict-adverse solicitor, a scullery maid, and one Hollywood movie star”)...the Jane Austin Society. This is a very sweet book that looks at yes, Jane Austin and her work/impact on so many people, but also the lives, loves, struggles of some very endearing and engaging characters. There is also some history in this that I loved.
Definitely a read for Austin fans but even, if like me, you aren’t a hardcore one, you will enjoy this book and want to go jump on one of her books..which will always be timeless!

The Jane Austen Society stated out really slow for me. Readers learn a lot of background about the characters and the town, spending time with them in their day-to-day lives rather than info-dumping, which is nice. But it takes a while to get to the crux and peak of the story.

While this gave some perspective to the characters, I didn’t find that it really influenced my enjoyment of the second half of the book at all.

That said, I really loved Evie – even though she was mostly a minor side character. I appreciated her fortitude and determination and making the most of her situation.

On the otherhand, Adelaide is absolutely didn’t care for, and I don’t know why, either. I really liked her in the beginning of book, when she was the schoolteacher and standing up to the school board, putting her foot down to teach her curriculum her way. But after she gets married, to me she becomes much more of the docile and submissive housewife.

However, once the business of the Jane Austen Society begins, the books starts to pick up. It’s still slow-ish, but there’s much more action and events to move the story forward.

After reading The Jane Austen Society, I definitely want to visit Chawton and explore this quaint little town, and maybe actually read some Jane Austen.

The Jane Austen Society is quite possibly the most promoted book of the summer. Widely billed as both the perfect summer read and the perfect book club read, it seems assured a place in nearly every library in the country. Accordingly, I was thrilled to receive this title. I love historical fiction and I love Jane Austen. Unfortunately, I did not love this book. Essentially, it is a meta take on the marriage plot--the characters use Jane Austen's novels to facilitate their own marriage plots. The problem is that both plot and characterization are flimsy. The characters are two-dimensional, each defined by a formative trauma. The ending is telegraphed so aggressively that only a poor reader could miss the foreshadowing along the way. The characters are moved around like dolls, never changing, never learning, just finding their way to the expected ending. The book also feels extremely slow and long... largely because the author is never satisfied to frame the scene from one perspective when she could share the thoughts of every character. The Jane Austen Society neither expects much of the reader nor offers much to her. This book was a disappointment--I can't convey how sincerely disappointed I am.

Thought-provoking in its analysis of Austen, The Jane Austen Society at once pays homage and has an endearing, colorful cast of its own. The trials of war, survival, and carrying the burdens of others are themes that contrast with the tiny little moments that make up the joy of life all prevalent in this story of hope.

Natalie Jenner has an authorly voice that captures an era and a bright group of people with a beautiful cadence and concept. From details like the subtle and leading POV shifts to the timeline of the novel, all of the characters are introduced and set up extremely well before the deeper everydayness of their lives is explored. Their relationships intertwine and wind through the story, exploring the heart of friendship, companionship, sacrifice, and even romance.

I particularly appreciate how the pleasure of reading is portrayed in this story. The joy found in rereading favorite authors, the keen humanity found in Austen’s stories, the comfort of books, and literature as a uniting force are all concepts woven through polite conversations, characters’ thoughts, and ultimately a commonality bringing together an unlikely community. The analysis, in particular, of Austen’s depth and the slight parallels to her familiar tropes Natalie engages with her own characters are simply delightful.

I must mention there is more than one romantic thread in this story and ALL of them are a delight! The couple that parallels Emma and Knightley, though, are my absolute favorites! Their conversations are just so smart, meaningful, and full of wit. They forge their own identities, not merely regurgitations of Austen’s famous duo, as an intellectual and emotional match.

The audiobook version of this novel is a pleasure to listen to, as well. Narrator Richard Armitage delivers a memorable and impactful performance with various accents (English variations, American, and even Scottish!) and a heavy dose of emotion. His embodiment of the character Dr. Benjamin Gray, in particular, is my favorite.

I highly recommend this novel for fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, author Katherine Reay, or fans of post-WWII stories of triumph.



**content note: to my readers who know I typically review inspirational fiction, I want to fill you in on some content expectations. This is a “secular” novel, and has some mild and brief strong language, and an implied homosexual relationship. **

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy. This is my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I liked it but i didnt love it. Sorry. Some of the characters i liked and some i did not

Thanks to the publisher for an e-copy of The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner in exchange for an honest review. I read the whole book in one day. As a Jane Austen fan, I LOVED all the references to Austen's books, her characters, the author herself, and mostly, how much her books impact people across many walks of life. I learned lost of new Austen trivia, got new perspectives on characters I thought I knew all about, and basically got excited about potentially re-reading all the novels soon.....especially Northhanger Abbey for some reason.

The plot of the novel, a town coming together to try to save Jane Austen's former residence and preserve it and the things in it was sweet and uplifting. There were so many characters, though, that I didn't feel like there was enough time to really flesh out any of them enough for me to really bond with them. I liked them. I wanted to get to know them more.

The Jane Austen Society will be endearing to all Jane Austen fans. However, it probably would not work at all for someone who was not already a pretty die hard fan. Most casual fans are only familiar with Pride and Prejudice, then possibly a bit of Emma or Sense and Sensibility. Refererences and comparisons between this book's characters and some of Austen's less mainstream books and characters will be confusing to them.

All told, The Jane Austen Society is a feel-good book that should please Austen fans. It will definitely make us all want to revisit Austen's amazing books, AND visit a piece of her life in the English countryside.

A great story honoring one of my favorite authors, Jane Austen. Such a wonderful story about people from different backgrounds coming together for their love of Austen and how they want to preserve all things Austen. This book reminded me a lot of the book, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Jenner's writing is so beautiful and she makes you want to join the society and converse with all the characters about Austen. Overall, it was a great read if you truly enjoy Austen.

*Thank you to @stmartinspress , @netgalley , and @librofm for the copy in exchange for an honest review.*

DNF this title. Loved the initial premise but the characters did not grab my attention. I will attempt to finish it later since I purchased it for my library and I know patrons will ask me about it.

This charming novel comes at the perfect time
By Sandy Mahaffey For The Free Lance–Star May 30, 2020

In my opinion, Natalie Jenner’s first novel, “The Jane Austen Society,” could not have been published at a more appropriate time. I have always loved to read, but during this pandemic, it has become an even more important pastime for me. It’s an escape to a different world and often a different culture. For a Jane Austen fan, this is a perfect fit, but one need not be a fan to enjoy this charming novel.

In post WWII, the small English village of Chowton, once the home of Jane Austen, life is beginning to return to normal. In a small village everyone knows everyone else, but a group of eight diverse residents are surprised to discover they share the love of Jane Austen’s novels.

Among them are a widowed schoolteacher, the local doctor, an actress, one of the descendants of the Austen family and a laborer. As they learn of the dire economic situation of the family estate, they form The Jane Austen Society to raise funds to save her cottage and some of the family belongings.

As in Austen’s novels, the characters spring to life on the pages. It’s a very eclectic group, but they have all found Austen’s work to bring them solace and joy. They share a love of reading good literature and are delighted to share favorite characters and books. Needless to say, things do not go smoothly with their plans, but it’s a wonderful, magical journey to the end of the book.

Sit back with this one and find laughter, tears, compassion, grief and love. Enjoy!

Sandy Mahaffey is former Books editor at The Free Lance–Star.

THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY
By Natalie Jenner
(St. Martin’s Press, $26.99, 320 pages)

I received this book from Netgalley and I am thankful for that.
It was the slowest paced read I have done in a while and while it did have some enjoyable aspects I found it way too 'austenian' at times - regarding to the development of the story as there was no lovely witty humor. It would probably be wonderful as a movie but as a book it requires a very niche-type audience. Unfortunately I did not leave this book with the smiles, I did with the incredible amount of grief there is in it - and the tame happy endings did not manage to wash that away or make it seem like it was worth while. Of course this was set after the war and yes, life itself is full of sadness and frustration so I am not blaming the author for it - she did an amazing job of conveying that, I would say a lot better job than with the positive closures.
I enjoyed the numerous references to the Jane Austen books. I didn't enjoy the fact that the story truly begins halfway through the book - up to that point we just meet the characters learn about their backstory and, of course, their struggle and grief.
A nice read but not a very luminous one.

Fans of books and anything bookish, particularly Jane Austen's works, will love this engaging and heartwarming novel about a quaint village in England. The setting of the book, Chawton, is as much a character as any of the people featured. This hopeful tale of a small group of people, coming together to preserve the legacy of one of literature’s most revered authors, is hopeful and charming. Much like the book, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, the villagers have had hard lives, particularly from the recent world wars, but their inherent goodness and sense of duty to the village, its legacy, and each other is inspiring. I would highly recommend this book to any fellow book lovers and fans of English countryside settings. Now I cannot wait to visit the real village of Chawton and see the society’s cottage, the library, and the great house!

Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/109763797-the-history-mom
Website review: https://thehistorymom.com/2020/05/06/year-of-historical-reading-april-update/
Instagram review: https://www.instagram.com/thehistorymom/