Godmersham Park: The Sunday Times top ten bestseller by the acclaimed author of Miss Austen

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Janites, fans of the Brontë sisters, and readers of immersive historical fiction will savor every moment. We see her transform from a privileged, carefree individual into a woman of substance, who faces her changed circumstances head on with dignity and strength. MY THOUGHTS: After greatly admiring and adoring Gill Hornby’s brillint Miss Austen, I was beyond excited to learn that her next novel focused on another intriguing person in Jane Austen’s life.

Enjoying the thoughtful treasures and quiet moments encourages a leisurely reading pace, while the Author's Note is chock-full of fabulous true tidbits. In addition, Anne’s perspectives of Godmersham and all the Austens she encounters were most interesting to explore.Godmersham Park is a pleasant enough novel but I felt the story sacrificed dynamism for historical accuracy. in " The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly " Publishing This Week" newsletter. A refined and intelligent woman, educating Fanny poses no real difficulties for Anne but finding her place within the household proves to be more of a challenge. They were all bound together by custom, tradition and an even, simple affection: united in their felicity.

Her greatest concern are her abominable sick headaches which she fears may make her lose her place and her source of income and security. We’re on a mission to guide you to the best period dramas, historical fiction books, classics, imaginative tales of Romanticism, captivating love stories in entertainment, plus Romantic Living inspiration.But the deepest longing she feels comes from exposure to Fanny’s letters from Aunt Jane, Edward Austen’s younger sister, and then the arrival of the wry, witty woman herself shows Anne the true friendship and companion of the heart she has been missing all her life. Alone and desperately in need of an independent income, she is to become a governess to twelve-year-old Fanny Austen. Hornby’s protagonist is Anne Sharpe, a once well-to-do woman who has been forced into straitened circumstances after her mother’s death.

More than that, I enjoy learning about the role of women in the early part of 1800's, that tells the story about the complexities of societal class, position, friendships, and matters of the heart.Meanwhile Jane’s brother, Henry, begins to take an unusually strong interest in the lovely young governess. He and his wife, having no children, made a cousin Edward Austen the heir to Godmersham and to the Chawton estates in Hampshire.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. But could her connection to them, a triangle of sorts, ruin her chances to support herself as a governess? Already miffed at her drastic change of circumstances, Anne is desolate when she realises that being a governess is akin to being invisible, 'She was neither a guest deserving of especial courtesy, nor a servant to be treated as a friend'. Meanwhile, Anne crosses paths with Henry Austen, the handsome and charming brother of Edward, her employer – who often comes to visit. Pacing issues aside, the book suffers from structural problems and an unconvincing romantic subplot.Anne is neither one of the servants, nor one of the family, and to balance a position between the “upstairs” and “downstairs” members of the household is a diplomatic chess game. Her own circumstances are now reduced and she is conscious of the social status difference and need to satisfy the Austens.