Review by
Kristy
The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James
There's nothing like getting lost in the world of Jane Austen. We often wonder if her novels were sprinkled with juicy bits of non-fiction. Did Jane have a Mr. Darcy of her very own, or perhaps a Mr. Knightley? Was she a closet matchmaker like Emma, always plotting of ways to marry-off her friends? When it came to love, did Jane struggle with questions regarding sense and sensibility just like Marianne and Elinor? The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen parallels the documented events that we know happened in Jane's life with the events which took place in her novels … and possibly her real-life (through the lost memoirs).
We know that most of Jane's letters were destroyed, presumably by her sister Cassandra, but is it possible that some may have survived? Perhaps stowed away in an attic in England just waiting to be found, revealed, after all these years? True Jane Austen fans are hoping the answer to that question is a resounding "Yes!" In The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen author Syrie James seems to think so. James takes the reader through the different highs and lows of Jane's life, from early adulthood when she started writing Sense and Sensibility (originally titled Elinor and Marianne), to the tumultuous years after her father passed away, to the final months leading up to her untimely death at age 42.
Hopeful romantics will definitely enjoy this book. I did! I couldn't wait to find out what exciting or difficult situation was in store for Jane. What new joy or pain would happen to her? To discover how she would respond to challenges beyond her control. If you're ready to put the puzzle pieces of Jane Austen's life together, go ahead and give this book a read. "It is a truth universally acknowledged" … that zealous readers are always in want of a good book.
