Lovely book set in the small town of Chawton, where Jane Austen lived and worked. A small band of townsfolk decide to form a society to protect their favorite author's legacy. The members are all quite different, but they can discuss their favorite characters as if they're friends, bringing them all together and teaching them life lessons to help them through difficult times.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Set after World War II, The Jane Austen Society focuses on the village where Jane Austen lived the last several years of her life and wrote the last three books. It details the creation of the Jane Austen Society to preserve the cottage she lived in and her legacy. Everything tied together nicely in this book.

At times this novel seemed to be more of a description of the lives of those who love Austen and how many of them reflect Austen's famous characters. Though the plot was a bit of slow start, the characters were endearing and interesting.

Oh, such a delightfully charming read from a new voice within the historical fiction genre. Author Natalie Jenner, a self-proclaimed Austen fan, has artfullly captured the charm of an Austen period piece. However it is set 150 years later in the post WWII years. The subtle interplay among the cast of characters reads as familiar story for Austen afficionados yet is clearly spoken in the vernacular of its later time. Her characters are well-developed, very human in their brokenness yet all willing to pull together to create something greater than each could on their own.

We find in this story eight main characters: Adam Berwick-quiet, mild-mannered local farmer who became enchanted with Austen's writing by way of a young lovely's recommendation; Dr. Benjamin Gray-town physician and lonely widower; Adeline Lewis Grover-local schoolteacher, recently widowed and expecting; Frances Knight-unmarried and only child of current and aged heir to the Knight estate who is a direct descendant of Ms. Austen's brother; Andrew Forrester-Mr. Knight's solicitor; Mimi Harrison-film star and bright Smith College graduate; and Jack Leonard-Mimi's fiancé and narcissistic leading man. With no male heir of the Knight estate immediately known, any and all Austen artifacts are in great peril. As a way of furthering education and the study of Ms. Austen's life and writing, the group assembles to discuss what can be done. Thus the Jane Austen Society is established and a plan is launched. Yet, oh "the best laid plans of mice and men....".

Ms. Jenner writes beautifully from her obvious love for and study of Jane Austen's works. She has deftly crafted a story of various arcing narratives which can so easily be compared to those of characters in Austen's books. It's a delightful read and and an excellent first novel by a rising star. I will definitely keep an eye open for Ms. Jenner's future writing projects.

I am grateful to author Natalie Jenner and St. Martin's Press for having provided a free uncorrected digital galley of this book. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review - the words of which are mine alone.

The eagerly anticipated release of this book is May, 2020.

Jane Austen inspires romance, friendship, and self-discovery in this lovely story

I love books. It is as simple as that. The thing I love most is their ability to transport me in time and space, and Jane Austen Society was an especially lovely trip. Fiction and reality intertwine to take the reader to the village of Chawton, Hampshire, where author Jane Austen lived, and where her brother’s estate, Chawton Park, is still located.

Most of the story takes place in 1945 when eight very different individuals end up establishing a society in an attempt to preserve as much as possible of Jane Austen’s legacy. In their quest, they not only dive into Jane Austen’s world, but they also connect to one another in a very meaningful way.

I was impressed by the depth of the characters: A lonely village worker dominated by his mother; a Hollywood star unhappy with the superficiality of fame; a widower doctor trying to start living again; a young and smart girl in a man’s world; an old lady facing the consequences of her life choices; a young teacher devastated by loss; a lawyer unable to disclose disturbing information to those he cares most about; and a Sotheby’s specialist, who dreams of being a farmer.

A well-written and engaging story. There is romance, friendship, kindness, a villain here and there, a wonderful tour through Chawton, several references to Jane Austen’s fabulous work, and a heartwarming end. Overall a great read!

Disclosure: I have received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this but its so bumpy and poorly written. The dang society isnt formed until 40% in, talk about dragging your heels. The endless discussions about Austen's books were downright tedious and theres a whole lot of telling, not showing, going on. Boo.

3.5 ⭐️
I like how the story is told by multiple points of view, we get more of a feel for who the characters are, instead of just having one narrative. I found it really cool that there were direct quotes from Austen’s books, and how the characters discussed parts of each book in detail, brigg big big the books even more to life. I enjoyed the simple writting, there was nothing overly complicated.

In the year 2020 I've made myself a goal to immerse myself in all things Austen. This book did not disappoint. I loved looking at things from this point of view and fresh perspective.

A fresh take on Austen and a delight all the way from start to finish. Any Austen or literature fan would enjoy this novel and I liked how it offered something a bit new in the sharing of the story and interjecting pieces of passages from Austen's works to highlight and showcase. It's like being with others who also love all things Jane Austen!

The beautiful thing about The Jane Austen Society is that you don't have to be well-read on Austen to enjoy it. However, those who are familiar with Austen's work will appreciate the many references to her novels. An easy and enjoyable read, Natalie Jenner's debut novel makes me hope that there will be more to come. Jenner's characters play out their own Austen-ian story, full of surprises, plot twists and repressed emotions in an endearing way. This is a title that I may just purchase and reread in the future.

With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read The Jane Austen Society prior to publication in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: May 26, 2020.
#thejaneaustensociety #netgalley

The Jane Austen Society starts off slowly. Before the Society forms, the author gives background to the story and introduces the characters. The biggest problem for me was the number of main characters. I felt I never really got to know the characters well and therefore didn't get drawn into the story. I thought the premise was interesting and the writing was good over all; I just wish the story was more focused on fewer characters.

This novel made me miss Jane Austen's novels. By the half point of the novel I finally figured out that the characters respected the Jane Austen novels typology: the man who looks down on women; the man who is afraid of his feelings; the woman who denies herself the chance at love. The couples that form as the novel progresses were references to her novels, but also modern and with a twist. Every main character was a darling, and the villains were to be expected and had their part in the story. You knew whom to love and whom to dislike.

And speaking of couples, just like in Austen's novels, there's a rush of declaration of love and weddings at the end. A lot of time was spent dealing with the financial and inheritance aspects, and just hints and snippets of romance. The characters circle one another, but don't say their piece directly.

The plot was not far fetched for a historical novel, but when the characters started talking about Jane Austen's novels they sounded scholarly. It was a bit too much, although they were educated people (Dr. Benjamin Gray and teacher Miss Adeline Lewis). I liked the choice of setting the action in post World War II and not during the War. This way the attention was on the importance of the books and Jane Austen's legacy. For a reader who enjoys books about books, this is a good choice, especially if you're an austenite.

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner was a sweet read that made me miss the classics and the British settings of the novels I enjoyed over the years.

I am a huge fan of Jane Austen, so when I saw that Natalie Jenner was releasing a novel based on the very premise of saving the priceless articles of historical context to Austen, I was ALL IN for sipping the proverbial tea for this novel.

Jenner has quite clearly done her research, from character names and behaviors, to location accuracies and historical context, you find yourself immersed in a story woven from varying moments in the Jane Austen Society’s timeline of the 1940s. Each character bringing his or her own trials, struggles, and stories of perseverance.

One of my favorite characters is Frances, the last in the Knight line of relatives to Jane Austen. Her stoicism, patience and regard for others made my heart ache for her, all the while cheering her on during her moments of growth and freedom. I equally loved the quirky little detail of several male characters of the Chawton village loving Jane Austen and her writings, so much so that they read her works over and over again, yearly.

I highly recommend this novel for the avid Austen fan, as well as anyone that loves literature set in the British countryside, with a few surprise turns along the way. Well done, Natalie Jenner!

This is a lovely and literate story. You don't need to be a Jane Austen fan to enjoy this group of very different people coming together to preserve her legacy. In fact, readers may want to read or re-read Jane Austen books. It started off slowly but then I couldn't put it down.

If you are a Jane Austen fan, I definitely recommend this book. It is a historical fiction, set in the 1940's and is basically a love letter to Jane Austen while still providing a good story. It's about a group of people in a town that come together to try and save Jane Austen's home. Each person has a different story and a different reason for loving Jane Austen.

When I was reading this, I got a similar vibe as the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. The town and the characters really made the book. I think even if you aren't a huge Jane Austen fan, you would still like it for the story of banding together to save something. The book also had some romances, which I found very enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

First, I am not a huge Jane Austin fan. It’s simply due to me not really being interested, not something being specifically off putting about her writings. However, this book was captivating from beginning to end. I could relate to the characters wanting to cherish, treasure and preserve something that is so impactful to our lives. We all have that thing or person we are so enamored with. There was such a diverse blend of characters from the people in town to mimi the movie star. The end even had me guessing. I would highly recommend this to anyone!!!

As a big Austen fan I wanted to love this book but didn't. It was pleasant enough but boring, This is the kind of book I forget everything about after a few months.

The Jane Austen Society is a charming fictionalized account of the founding of the Jane Austen Memorial Trust and the Jane Austen Society, both of which were actually founded in the 1940s, the time period of the novel. While it seems a little strange to fictionalize this history which is both well-known and not terribly distant, the novel provides a pleasant story of a post-war English village and its residents and weaves plenty of Austen discussions, parallels, and quotations throughout to please fans. Austen scholars and society members may not appreciate the author's inventions, which distort the actual history and roles of real-life persons, but less serious readers will undoubtedly enjoy the depiction of village life, likable characters, and Austen connections that pervade the novel.

"But one can always read Austen "

So there is a lot of Jane Austen out there right now. As there always is. And I don't begrudge anyone the love HOWEVER as someone who would love to see some of her other literary favourites (I am looking at you, miniseries of Villette) get attention, I often feel that every time I approach something Austen I will be seeing something I have seen before.

For example, on first glance, you might look at this and think: hey! It's the Jane Austen Book Club 40s Style.

That is not the case. There are few cases, actually, where a writer decides to use fiction as a thesis-as an outlet to posit her reflections about her relationship with Austen as well as inspire us to think about Austen in a different way. With the exception of the excellent (if very different) "The Austen Escape" by Katherine Reay, and Charlie Lovett's "First Impressions", this is the height of wielding a literary figure's life and legacy to help us understand our own foils and foibles, trials and triumphs.


Expertly researched with an immediately engaging narrative whose omniscient tendencies pull you in tight and are as warmly knitted as a cozy on a Brown Betty tea pot, The Austen Society never once talks down to its readers. It never goes over the plots of Austen like a bludgeon rather it assumes the initiated will fall head over heels with the treatment of their favourite Austen books and the uninitiated will be immediately inspired to dash and pick up the one or several books they missed.


This book is told with a gentle philosophy and a cherished connection that welcomes the reader into a world shared by a common interest. More still, it beckons you to revisit Austen again beyond what we've turned her into. But moreover inspires you to read her in a new way.

From servant girl to seductive film producer, the universal appeal of Austen is done in a focused way. We find Austen here not in the general but in the subtle and nuanced interpretations of timeless characters. If Austen's greatest strength is the humane appeal of her flawed and dimensional characters stretching centuries so they could easily fit into the wheel of whatever era is turning , so Jenner's thesis is that we are not unlike these faraway characters on a shelf. Their flaws and foibles triumphs and ultimate desire for love are what make her so resonant. Because we are Austen's characters. And she chooses to spotlight other people as equally humane and resounding in a world torn by war and death. Humanity. Through Austen, through tenuous connection and intentional community, Jenner recreates the same experience. Of lush rural settings like patchwork quilts dotted by sheep of grand estates and country parishes. Austen is always with us because we do not change. Not truly. Nor does our grief, nor do our hopes, nor do the little things that throw us off completely. Just as the rehearsal of a play mimics the courtship ritual in Mansfield Park ( "a bunch of young people half related to each other putting on a play so they can make out with all the people they are not supposed to"), so a hidden letter can shift the course of an estate's future.

It deftly balances as homage to Austen in word and conversation and ode to Austen by replicating what is at the core of her stories. But perhaps, most powerfully, it is a call to revisit a textual world we've minimized to numerous adaptations. So many Jane Austen fans are fans of one interpretation of her work. This inspires you to tuck again beneath the pages and not allow a director or star to speak for the power of the slightest wordplay that will never transpose rightly to screen. In actress Mimi's inclusion and the Hollywood angle we see Jenner stating the case as a production of Sense and Sensibility (hilariously Willoughby heavy) takes fictional stage in a mirror of our own era's propensity to re-film these again and again.

You see things form characters who teach you perspectives wrought of their own emotional intelligence similar social construct and personal histories. Jane Austen is a buoy for grief stricken hands reached out and the balm of laughter. She's the winsome wise sage and the matchmaker through the ache of nostalgia and the promise of something else. And it's constant. An anchor. It's the power of reading and escapism and the pages we turn until they're thin beneath our fingers: "It was so huge. It was as if a whole other world were inside him, so big that he couldn't see it without somehow getting completely out of his own way."

And the book offers surprising vantage. Even a Hollywood scoundrel who wants to seduce women gets a turn at preconceived Austen notions while villagers who pass at church and Christmas functions in often silent communication finally find words when they can speak in Darcy and Pemberley, "obstinate, head strong girl" and Henry Crawford.

The insight of each character into Austen is a gateway to understanding their dynamics and relationships. But also heightens their instinct and understanding of the relationships around them. Austen is the portal to interpreting a glance a comma placement in a letter a breath or a touch or an umbrella shared. She is the dictionary on a language of love and friendship that allows this society to rebuild the very finest of warm and compassion and ultimately human moments as they repair from a time when humans wrecked each other. The Austen Society is a restoration of love of literature of a small village slowly returning to its shrines to a great writer but also finding its character again. A community forged. Families chosen. Hearts exchanged. Food and clothing are rationed still. But these characters have something in bottomless abundance.

But also a rallying cry to return to the source material as we spiral out in our modern media, a reminder that Austen is a sense of restoration and reconciliation especially here when pitted against a world trying to rebuild. "How real, how human she seems now!" Exactly--- in grief and relation--- in love and in loss---at the book end two horrible wars-- at the uncertainty of the future... From what was to me a glaringly new perspective on Anne Eliot's measurement of grief for her mother against her relationship with Wentworth, to the highlight of Knightley's careful consideration of Emma's unread reading list, it begs you to put Jonny Lee Miller away for just an afternoon in exchange for a trip back into the wit and wonder of Austen's words.

"And that's exactly what Austen gives us. A world so 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."

This human author reflects our humanity back to us through centuries and in the careful curation of her work and legacy, Natalie Jenner's resplendent debut does the same.


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📖 BOOK REVIEW ⁣⁣
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Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this amazing ARC! ⁣⁣
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The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner⁣⁣
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5⁣⁣
Pub date: May 26, 2020⁣⁣
Good with: A nice cuppa ☕️⁣⁣
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Brief synopsis: Just after the Second World War, in the small English village of Chawton, an unusual but like-minded group of people band together to attempt something remarkable.⁣⁣⁣⁣
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One hundred and fifty years ago, Chawton was the final home of Jane Austen, one of England's finest novelists. Now it's home to a few distant relatives and their diminishing estate. With the last bit of Austen's legacy threatened, a group of disparate individuals come together to preserve both Jane Austen's home and her legacy. ⁣⁣
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Review: This book was like a nice, warm blanket on a rainy day—funny, romantic, dramatic—everything you would want in a historical fiction novel! ⁣⁣
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I love Jane Austen, so I cheered on the establishment of a society that celebrates her books. I loved the shifting point of views and how all of the characters intersect in this book. I love how books bring people together—people from all walks of life. ❤️⁣⁣
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The village of Chawton has so much charm, and so does its people! I wanted to jump into the book and be a part of the society myself! ⁣⁣
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I also loved the Austen-esque themes that the author brought to her book. The humor, the romance—it reminded me of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility 😍! It was lovely that she included her own Austen-like twist. Such a great book—those who love Austen should definitely scoop this one up! 🤓📚✨⁣
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Question: If you could make a society for any author, who would you choose and why?