The Jane Austen Society takes it beginning in charming if rural Chawton Village in Hampshire, just as WWII is drawing to its conclusion. Here we are met with a band of different characters, seemingly with nothing in common except 1 thing; Jane Austen and her works.

The focus of the book was the pain of WWII and how Jane Austen helped to heal and guide people after and during their pain and loss of the great war of 1940-1945. And each character in the book had experienced losses in one form or another. We are introduced to Dr Gray, who has lost his wife, Mimi Harrison (American movie actor) who has lost her father, Evie who is a housemaid who has lost her chance of schooling, Andrew Forrester who has lost the love of his life, Adam Berwick who has lost his father, Frances Knight who loses her father and her home, Adeline Lewis who loses both her husband and baby – this band of characters who Natalie managed to bring to life and make this reader feel their pain, confusion, and hope during the plot.

Secondly, the fictional part of the plot follows how these seven characters help to form the Jane Austen House Museum in Chawton, and how they struggle to acquire the library from the Knight Estate and the small if well-loved cottage, many fans of Miss Austen’s both know and love to visit to feel close to the lady and her genius – where she wrote 3 out of 5 much read, many times translated, discussed, performed, filmed and enjoyed books.

Natalie especially caught me with this following quote, “And that’s exactly what Austen gives us. A world so a part of our own, yet so separate, that entering it is like some kind of tonic. Even with so many flawed and even silly characters, it all makes sense in the end. It may be the most sense we’ll ever get to make out of our own messed-up world. That’s why she lasts, like Shakespeare. It’s all in there, all of life, all the stuff that counts, and keeps counting, all the way to here, to you.”
In my opinion, Natalie nailed it with this quote, because she’s so right with this statement, Austen lasts and has lasted for more than 200 years so far, and is as well-loved as she ever has been. Her books I find is truly like a tonic, when you need an escape from your own messed up world because no matter how messed up the plot gets, you know it all makes sense in the end.

The story had its ups and downs, but every page was a revelation with many references to the works of Miss Austen, including a heartwarming proposal, very much like a well-known character, who is older than the heroine and is too proud to admit to his faults, and in this scene, Miss Austen’s “Emma” reference was used perfectly.

“She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and smiled at him lovingly for the first time in as long as that. “Are you sure?” “Frances, I just watched you have your whole world ripped out from under you, and you have borne it as no other woman in England would have. It would be my honour, truly, to be your husband.”
Wow, did I sigh and have to remove a tear at that scene! It was simply wonderful, and the reference was just perfect! Emma might not be my favourite, but gosh did I suddenly have to rush out to find my copy and locate the matching scene to read it again, after finishing this lovely book.

Another thing I noted was Adam Berwick and the way Natalie wrote him, and how much I could identify with his search for meaning and why some things matter a lot and some not at all, – and how that resonated with my personality and my way of seeing the world around me. Though I could identify with more or less all of the characters in one way or another, – but mostly with Adam and his escape into the worlds of others’ making.

“He had gone to work every day merely to survive, saving for himself a few hours every night to disappear into fictional world of others’ making. He was hoping to find some answers for why he didn’t care about some things and cared too much about others.”
Another way Austen is being used to heal and guide people, in Adam’s way of searching for answers, – I think we can all identify with the escape from our world. Though likely the character who understood Miss Austen best in this book, and her search for ‘greatness’ was Evie, the youngest member of The Jane Austen Society. Especially when she locates a certain letter from a Miss J. Austen, and I am guessing it would have been to Miss C. Austen. I think my adrenaline spiked when that letter was found, just reading it, I could feel it, nearly see the yellowed paper between ones hands and feel how fragile it would feel and recognise the handwriting!

As Evie turned the pages of the large dense volume still in her hands – pages so thick that it took actual effort sometimes to pry their edges open – she could feel a slight bulging in the section coming up. She skipped eagerly ahead to it, and as she flipped over the final page, a letter fell out. The handwriting was familiar to her from some of the earlier annotations, inscriptions, and margin markings she had found. No postmark was on the outside folded cover, the letter apparently having never been mailed. She could not believe her eyes as she read it, at first too quickly, as if convinced the paper might disappear as mysteriously as it had been found – and then three more times, each time more slowly than before. It was the very thing she would have been looking for, if only she could have guessed what that could possibly be.

She had had moments before in the library, late at night, that had approached a small degree of the euphoria she now felt as she scribbled away, but nothing else had ever come close to this. She finally understood why she had spent so many futile nights sitting here, on her little stool, alone. This was why she had never given up. And this was why Miss Adeline had been right all along. She had, with this discovery, brought the world closer than it had ever been before to the greatness. She had, as Miss Woolf herself once described it, caught Jane Austen in the act.
And yes indeed she had caught Jane Austen in the “Act” so to speak! And lastly, the ending perfectly rounded off, and all the characters got their own form of Happily Ever After. So I can completely content with this book, it was such a pleasure and privilege to read it. I can only congratulate Natalie on a wonderful book, with all the deserved praise and accolades it has already received.

A group of very different people get together to preserve the home and legacy of Jane Austin. They live in the last town she lived in. This is a unique homage to Jane Austin and has wonderful characters and plot. I really enjoyed this book. I truly recommend it.

This book is perfect for WWII historical fiction readers, and will especially appeal to Jane Austen aficionados. A group of villagers from Chawton get together to preserve the cottage where Jane Austen wrote her last 3 books. Each villager has suffered a loss of some kind, some as a result of WWII and others for different reasons. Banding together to prevent the loss of Jane’s cottage helps ease the pain of their own losses.
I loved the individual characters, they were so well described and relatable. Also, many of Jane Austen’s own characters are referenced in places for readers familiar with her books. I received this book, 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I listened to the audiobook of this title and enjoyed it very much. It's great for fans of Jane Austen.

Set in the years after WWII, eight individuals living in Chawton, Hampshire come together through their love of the works of Jane Austen. Living in the town that Austen spent many years of her life, they form a society with the goal to preserve the once home of the famous author. This ensemble cast is unique in their motivations but all have the same driving force to maintain the town and maintain the legacy of Austen. This novel will rekindle your love of Jane Austen and gives intriguing storylines of the villagers of Chawton.

The story was sweet and the characters were interesting. I enjoyed the talks about Jane Austen’s works and her background information as a Jane Austen fan myself.

***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
An utterly charming story set in a small town!

This could have been sooooo good! Jane Austen, historical fiction. Right up my alley. This was just far too slow and I wasn't feeling g anything for it. I think I started and stopped, read a few books in between.

This is a great book for fans of Jane Austen, but I definitely struggled through this one. I'm a fan of historical fiction, but this was a slow one for me.

While I was so excited to read this novel, I must admit that I was disappointed. I started reading the book multiple times and I just couldn't get into it. I didn't affiliate with the characters at all. I loved the look of the book jacket and the description of the storyline. I received an advance copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

I love Jane Austen so naturally I thought I would love The Jane Austen Society. However, I found it to be quite dull at some point I r3ealized I was falling asleep. I stuck with it and ended up really liking the book in the end. If you are not a Jane Austen fan, you probably will not like/get this book.

This beautiful book is the perfect homage to Jane Austen and timeless novels. The characters feel like more modern Austen characters, reminding us that Austen’s characters are as real in any decade as they were when she wrote them.

I fell in love with The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner within the early pages of the book. The setting of Chawton, England, the last two Austen lived in, and the eclectic group of characters all connected to her legacy were charming in a way that reminded me of The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Society. I absolutely love the idea of this group of individuals bonding and healing while discussing Jane Austen, who also happens to be one of my all-time favorite authors. The incredible research and detail included within this book makes me want to pick up Pride & Prejudice again and reread an old favorite.


Thank you to @netgalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Famed British novelist Jane Austen wrote novels that have transcended time. Her novels have been talked about, dissected and the basis of plays and movies.
She has fan clubs and regular pilgrimages to her birthplace and final home from people all over the world. Jane Austen was able to blend just the right amount of humor, charm, common sense and moral judgement in her characters that even modern day readers find relatable.
Austen's story-telling knew no boundaries and created a real passion in her writing. Her characters evoke emotion that border on the surreal. Wikipedia describes Austen's writing style as a "combination of parody, burlesque, irony, free indirect speech and a degree of realism."
Jane Austen was only 41 years old when she died and for her fans the regret is that she didn't write anymore books.
But what if there was another Jane Austen book or one that has all of the qualities and characteristics of a Jane Austen story?
What if this book was set in the small English village of Chawton, which Austen fans know as her final home?
What if a group of people, a laborer, a young widow, a local country doctor and a movie star band together to preserve Jane Austen's legacy and home from people looking to profit over history?
What if each one of these people had their own story of their hopes, love, lost opportunities and tragedy that bears semblance to characters from many of Austen's novels like Emma and Pride and Prejudice?
What if this book was set post WWII as a historical fiction novel that is less a singular tale but really a story within a story that finds the reader wondering if author Natalie Jenner is possibly related to Jane Austen as the only explanation that makes sense?
To have written a story that is Austenesque while telling a story about the legacy of Jane Austen is both a stroke of genius and a touching tribute all rolled into one.
So as to what if such a book exists, well read The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner to find out.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. #NetGalley #TheJaneAustenSociety #NatalieJenner

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, publisher and NetGalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Ms. Jenner's novel is delightful. An eccentric yet real cast of characters all connected by their love of Miss Jane Austen. Her book hits all the right emotional notes without becoming maudlin or cartoonish. Content warning for sensitive readers: pregnancy loss, death, mild references of drug use and abuse,

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.

This book was an excellent book. I recommend it to readers who enjoy a touch of history in their fiction and Jane Austen. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I thought the book was very well written, albeit a little slow for my taste. I think I would have been more enthralled by it had I read the works of Jane Austen prior to reading. There are a lot of spoilers for those books! That is something I hadn't considered before starting. This is definitely a book for Austen fans, not necessarily for those who haven't dabbled in her work.

slow moving but good characters. Seven mismatched individuals strive to save Austen's house, library, furniture, etc. Love blooms for some and fades for others. Kind of boring.

A delightful book. Austen fans will definitely enjoy the Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner. Thank for a copy of this book.

This is a book that isn't for me, but I can definitely see the audience for it! I feel like it's one book clubs are going to eat up with a spoon, it has literary references, a small town, and a collection of characters.