In the small town of Steventon Hampshire one of the world's most important authors was
born... Jane Austen is a luminary of the global literary canon and is adored for her wit
social observation and insight into the lives of women. But behind the books is a life
largely unknown with an idyllic childhood a busy social life and an affectionate family
circle. Elizabeth Jenkins' account of Austen's story not only brings to life the country
gentry of Regency England but also illuminates the character and mind of one of the most
unusually perceptive and gifted writers the world has ever known. Richly drawn and in
picturesque detail Jenkins pulls together fact and fiction to show how Jane Austen's life
lived with quiet passion inspired some of the most beloved novels to date. 'A classic' The
Sunday Times 'Ensconces us deep in the loyalties and tendernesses that held the whole Austen
family together' The Observer 'Illuminating' The Times
