4.5
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. As a Jane Austen girlie, I loved getting to learn more about the women who inspired her as an author that have somehow over time dropped from the literary canon. I like many others believed the lie we were fed that Jane Austen was the first great female writer in English, and one of only a handful of enduring female authors in the canon. It was both disheartening to learn that so many other great writers were dismissed from that position but also great to discover so many new voices to read from that may just tickle my fancy the way a good Austen novel does.

Loved this book! Romney does a fantastic of job of weaving different threads together - bios on the different women, what books she collected about them and how she decided, and critical receptions of their books throughout time. (Note, while I used the term 'critical', reviews discussed were both positive and negative). Romney is a fantastic writer, constantly keeping my attention and making me add to my own TBR list with her discussion of different books.
This book chronicles Romney's journey into discovering the women writers who influenced Jane Austen and why/how they disappeared from the modern canon. Each author gets a chapter devoted to her, but I love that Romney was also able to draw out connecting threads between the authors - some of who knew each other and were friends. Romney does a great job of discussion how the canon came to be, different reasons authors "fall off" the list, and how they can be re-added to the list.
Highly recommend this to anyone who likes Jane Austen, female writers, book collecting, or questioning canon. You won't be disappointed!

Thanks to
Simon Element, S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books, and NetGalley for the eARC!

If you’re a Jane Austen fan, 'Jane Austen’s Bookshelf' by Rebecca Romney is an absolute treat. Romney, a rare book dealer and Austen lover, takes us on a journey to uncover the women writers who inspired Austen. Turns out, Austen didn’t create her literary genius in isolation. She was heavily influenced by other amazing women writers of her time. Writers like Frances Burney, Ann Radcliffe, and Maria Edgeworth were big names back then, and their books played a huge role in shaping Austen’s work. Romney explores why these writers were so important to Austen and why many of their books have disappeared from today’s shelves.

I loved how the book felt like a mix of history, personal storytelling, and literary passion. Romney tracks down rare copies of the works of women writers, showing just how much she loves books and studying historical context. Her enthusiasm is contagious! After reading, I felt like I’d learned so much about Austen’s life, her role in her family, and how her writing was influenced by her literary idols who navigated barriers of their own as women in publishing. It gave me a whole new appreciation for her work.

One thing this book made me want to do? Become a rare book collector! Romney makes it sound so rewarding to hunt down old books and piece together the stories of the past. I also left with a whole new reading list, starting with 'Evelina' by Frances Burney, which I’m super excited to read after Romney's analysis.

Another unexpected gem? I learned about Odyssey Books, an indie press from the 1990s that specialized in Black romance novels. That little detail made me reflect on how many incredible stories and voices have been overlooked and forgotten over time.

This book is perfect if you love Austen, history, or just the magic of books. It’s inspiring, insightful, and makes you want to rediscover forgotten authors. If you’ve ever wondered about the women who shaped one of the greatest writers of all time, you’ll love 'Jane Austen’s Bookshelf'.

As a long-time fan of Jane Austen’s novels, as a feminist, and as a reader generally interested in understanding the literary canon, I was eager - but a bit intimidated - to read an ARC copy of rare-book collector Rebecca Romney’s soon-to-be-released work Jane Austen’s Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector’s Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend, to be published in mid-February 2025.

Why intimidated? Well. I’m not well-versed in the literary canon, nor am I a rare book collector, and I was afraid the topic might require more knowledge and background than a feminist fan of Jane Austen might bring to the table. But thanks to author Rebecca Romney’s conversational (and definitely not intimidating) writing style, I found I was in good hands and had nothing to worry about.

Jane Austen’s Bookshelf is well-written, highly readable, and thoroughly researched. The work is interesting and fascinating, although it was quite a bit more detailed than a casual reader (like me) might actually . . . need. The author provides brief biographies, historical context, and critical summaries for each of seven women writers whose works would have been read by Jane Austen, as well as for Jane Austen herself. Interspersed throughout are stories from the author about her own life and work as a rare book seller collector.

I’m glad to have waded into this topic, despite my initial intimidation. I learned much about the formation of the literary canon, the fascinating world of rare book collecting, and the lives and works of seven women writers who’ve been cast aside by that literary canon.

(Additionally, the cover is beautiful.)

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Element, S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on February 18, 2025.

4 stars.

Fascinating premise, very subversive and necessary. Wish the author focused more on the subjects -- the forgotten women authors inspiring Jane Austen -- instead of devoting so much of her time on her own personal journey as a collector. Made this book horribly bloated, which makes it an intimidating pick for a casual nonfiction reader, or a generic Austen lover to pick this up, which kind of subverts the need for a wider awareness for these authors. Still necessary work, and the cover is gorgeous.

While reading this book, I thought back to all my lit classes in college, trying to remember the percentage of female to male authors talked about. It really is impossible to know for sure, but, like everything else in our culture, the talents of women have always been overlooked and forgotten. Not to say that we didn't study any women authors, of course.

I had only heard of two of the female authors listed in this book. I know that I haven't read anything by Frances Burney before, but I can't say the same of Anne Radcliffe, as it sounds so familiar.

Really enjoyed not only the biographies of these authors but being able to see exactly how these works influenced Austen's novels. For example, the phrase "pride and prejudice" was directly taken from one of Jane Austen's favorite novels. I really wonder if that would count as copyright infringement today. Hmmm.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free kindle book! My opinions are my own and are freely given.

This was such an interesting idea for a book! It has truly changes my way of thinking when reading authors considered classics. Who did they read? Who inspired their stories and characters? I, like many people, have read and loved Jane Austen’s novels but have heard of, much less, read any of the authors in this book. From Frances Burney to Maria Edgeworth, author Rebecca Romney, delves into nine female authors who in some way shape or form influenced one of the greatest novelists of all time. Romney goes through their lives, writings and in many cases, how they went from being so popular to basically being forgotten. My favorites were Frances Burney, Ann Radcliffe, Charolette Lennox and Elizabeth Inchbald. Romney clearly loves researching these women and tracking down her books and I think her introduction is one of the best I’ve read in books like these. If you love Jane Austen you should definitely get this when it is released. Highly recommend! Thank you to netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you to Simon Element/S&S/Marysue Ricci Books and NetGalley for an advance readers copy of this book.

With a light, almost conversational style, this book offers deep insights into the history of the novel, and especially the women writers of the 18th century. Well-researched and documented, writer Romney explores the plots, characters, critics and commentators that led to the dismissal of many of these books as “romances,” frivolous reading from which young women should be protected.

Romney is a collector and dealer in rare books, and she describes her quest to put together a shelf (actually, there must be several) of first editions by the writers who influenced Jane Austen. These include Fanny (Frances) Burney, Ann Radcliffe, Charlotte Lennox, Hannah More, Charlotte Smith, Elizabeth Inchbald, Hester Lynch Thrale, and Maria Edgeworth. Most are not currently “household names,” but each in her time was a celebrated author, often focusing on heroines’ plights with men.

In her quest to create a collection of the original books that reflect these 18th century writers, she also includes highlights (and she critiques) comments from contemporary essays and books that championed or challenged these writers. This gives a larger context to her work.
She is frank about her own past reading prejudices against certain genres, and how her research changed those, and I found her description and discussion of gothic novels particularly illuminating. She also explains and explores the idea of having a “canon” of literature, and deciding who belongs in it.

Thought-provoking, wise, and witty, Romney’s is not just a rare book expert, but a writer of rare clarity. She is able to capture the essence of forgotten novels – and women writers – that deserve renewed respect and interest today.

Learned about authors was unaware of that helped formed/influence Jane Austen's writing.
Downfall - my TBR list just grew

thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for ARC

This review is a story of two books. I had an ARC of “Jane Austen's Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector's Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend” sitting in my kindle waiting to be read, and Hoopla credits leftover on December 31st. I borrowed “Belinda” by Maria Edgeworth since I knew she was one of the authors in “Jane Austen’s Bookshelf.” I never expected I would actually listen to it, but I wanted an audiobook I wouldn’t get too pulled into, a 19th century novel seemed like a good choice. I was wrong. I read Rebecca Romney’s journey when I had time, and listened to “Belinda” while I was doing chores. In the beginning I was comparing “Belinda” to the other 19th century books I read in terms of quality and tropes. The farther I got into Romney’s journey, her passion for the books she was reading for the first time won me over. She isn’t just reading to study the book, she’s reading to enjoy the book. Somewhere along the way her journey gave me permission to fully enjoy “Belinda” on its own merit. The whole reading experience for both of these books inspired me and made me feel like I was getting back to my roots. I read books because I enjoy them, and I forgot classics other than my old favorites could be enjoyable. This entire experience was exciting and even emotional (there may have been tears). I was able to view old books as a reader again, rather than a critic. But that’s enough about me, here’s my actual review:

“Jane Austen’s Bookshelf” is part biography of 18th and 19th century women authors, and part memoir as Romney discovers these authors who were bestsellers of their time but have disappeared from literary canon. It begins when Romney decides to read through the women authors that Jane Austen read—authors she mentioned in her books or personal letters. Romney knew of Scott and Johnson and other famous male authors of the time, but she’s exploring why she’s never heard of women authors such as Frances Burney and Charlotte Lennox who Austen names as being favorites of hers. Through this exploration, Romney joyfully finds new books and authors who she loves, and she traces their careers through old books. Romney is a rare book collector and this brings a unique perspective as she decides which edition of the book she wants to add to her personal collection. There are luscious descriptions of old books. Beautiful old books with leather covers and gilt designs. Musty old books that are cracked and falling apart, but with amazing histories of their own. It makes you feel like you’re in the room with the books.

The perspective of a book collector also adds to the conversation as Romney is not a literary critic. She is reading the books for enjoyment and she tracks the rise and fall of these authors through how many editions were printed in the past. Many authors fell out of the canon because there wasn’t a way to access their books. But there is also a history of literary critics who have discredited and demeaned the works of these women. These literary critics create the canon which defines what gets published, and what gets studied in classrooms. These literary critics also produced texts that future critics stand upon to make their arguments and assessments—as such, one person’s opinion gets passed along as the standard of how these authors works are viewed.

“Jane Austen’s Bookshelf” is going to appeal to readers interested in women’s history, literary history, and Jane Austen fans. I also believe it is a valuable read for anyone pursuing a degree in English so that they understand how and why things are chosen as canon, and they can investigate a source before taking their opinion as fact when it comes to underrepresented authors. Like my reading experience with “Belinda,” “Jane Austen’s Bookshelf” wasn’t just an informative read, it was an enjoyable one.

"Austen's canonical status is so unassailable that she's not just included in the great novelists: she tops it." Austen's bookself included authors such as Frances Burney, Ann Radcliffe, Charlotte Lennox, Hannah More, Charlotte Smith, Elizabeth Inchbald, Hester Piozzi, and Maria Edgeworth. The majority of Austen's reading and writing took place during a period when women published more novels than men. These authors are part of what is called the "Great Forgetting". The "Great Forgetting" refers to the historical oversight and marginalization of these women writers who were once popular and influential in their time. Despite their significant contributions to literature, their works were largely ignored or forgotten as literary canons were established, often favoring male authors. This has led to a lack of recognition for their impact on the literary landscape of the period. In her writing, Austen drew inspiration from these female writers. As a list, the "classics" constitute the canon. Male authors have traditionally dominated literary canons, often receiving more critical attention and scholarly analysis than their female counterparts. While female authors like Austen have achieved recognition, many others remain overlooked despite their significant contributions to the literary world. This disparity highlights the ongoing need to reevaluate and expand the canon to include diverse voices and perspectives from both genders.The influence of these female writers is evident in Austen's nuanced exploration of social norms, gender roles, and domestic life. Their works provided her with a rich tapestry of themes and narrative techniques, which she adeptly wove into her own novels. By building on their foundations, Austen was able to critique and satirize the society of her time with a sharpness and wit that has secured her lasting legacy.

The book discusses the following authors and how they contributed to Austen's writings.





Jane Austen



Frances Burney



Ann Radcliffe



Charlotte Lennox



Hannah More



Charlotte Smith



Elizabeth Inchbald



Hester Lynch Thrale Piozzi



Maria Edgeworth

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=5 | 😘=1 | 15+

summary: the women authors who influenced Austen: collecting and dissecting their books, their lives, their stories, and their critical importance to the history of literature.

thoughts: so, SO good. a new necessity for an Austen nerd, or a classic literature nerd, or a feminist nerd—basically a new necessity for every geeky niche I inhabit. will be rereading this, especially as I study Evelina and The Mysteries of Udolpho next semester. the biography and analysis interspersed with personal and collector-related anecdotes was so well-balanced and thoughtful; adored everything about this. (less)

It was unsettling to realize I had read so many of the men on Austen’s bookshelf, but none of the women. from Jane Austen’s Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney

Back in 1978 I was in a two-semester honors class on Jane Austen. We read all of Austen’s novels the first semester, and her juvenilia, letters, and influencers the second. Prof. Toby Olshin allowed me to audit the second semester as I had already graduated. It was the most important and formative experiences in my education.

But that was a very long time ago and I am fuzzy about details. I know we read Ann Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolpho in that class, which Romney notes as “one of the best reading experiences I’ve had,” and lists Samuel Johnson and Samuel Richardson as fans of the novel.

But I believe I read Richardson’s Pamela and Burney’s Evelina in another class on the early novel (which also included the Gothic classics Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto and Lewis’s The Monk.) Earlier in my college career, in a required survey course, I fell in love with the early novel. We read Henry Fielding’s Jonathan Wild and on my own delved into his other novels and books about the early novel.

I was excited to revisit this aspect of Austen’s writing life, and Jane Austen’s Bookshelf did not disappoint.

This is the story of how I collected books by, and books about, eight women writers whose works Jane Austen read, but who no longer have the widespread readership they once enjoyed. from Jane Austen’s Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney

The authors in the book include Frances Burney, Ann Radcliffe, Charlotte Lennox, Hannah More, Charlotte Smith, Elizabeth Inchbald, Hester Lynch Thrale Piozzi, and Maria Edgeworth.

Just reading their life stories is a treat. Several of these women wrote because they needed to support themselves. They had bad marriages. They lost children. They moved in the highest social circles and knew prominent literary men. At the time, the novel was not considered high art or appropriate reading for ladies. They were constrained in their careers and writing because of social and ethical pressures, needing to “justify their art” as moral influences.

Ann Radcliffe’s romances (a fantasy, or imagined story) influenced Walter Scott, Mary Shelley, Emily Bronte, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Poe. And, Doyle’s The Hound of Baskerville and Stevenson’s Jekyll and Hyde and even Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. So, why didn’t I read her in my early novel course?

Partly because, like the other women in this book, she fell out of sight when Austen’s star rose, outshining them. No other writer had captured the lives of ordinary women as well as Austen. And because the canon was focused on male writers. I read Richardson, and Fielding, and Johnson in the early novel class. We even read The Pilgrim’s Progress and Robinson Crusoe and Gulliver’s Travels. But Burney was the only woman.

Romney discovered their work was delightful, witty, incisive, enjoyable. And the social and women’s issues they probe continue to be relevant.

This is not an academic (think ‘dull’) read. It is a memoir about Romney’s discovering these writers, her reactions and insights, and, as a bookseller of rare books, the quest to find early editions of their work. I found it a delightful read.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.

I loved this book so much! I haven’t shut up about it since finishing it. I’ve since preordered a copy and have featured it as a selection for my online book club.

An interesting, history deep dive into one of the most prolific and well known writers out there who has arguably influenced so much of popular culture today even hundreds of years after her death. I enjoyed this book a lot!

Very interesting and well laid out. I wish all the books mentioned were available for us to read today!!

Thank you Simon Element for granting me an ARC!

3.5 stars. I enjoyed aspects of this and liked to see how different women played an important role in Austen's life. Interesting read.