Welcome to my tour stop! Check out my review for this new fiction release for Austen fans below...
The Jane Austen Society
By Natalie Jenner
Adult Historical Fiction
Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook & ebook, 320 Pages
May 26, 2020 by St. Martin’s Press
Summary
ACCOLADES:
· An Amazon Best Book of May 2020
· One of Goodreads Big Books of Spring & Hot Books of Summer
· One of Audible’s Top 50 Most Anticipated Spring Audiobooks
· June 2020 Indie Next Pick
· May 2020 Library Reads Pick
· Starred Review - Library Journal
· Starred Review - Booklist
· An Amazon Best Book of May 2020
· One of Goodreads Big Books of Spring & Hot Books of Summer
· One of Audible’s Top 50 Most Anticipated Spring Audiobooks
· June 2020 Indie Next Pick
· May 2020 Library Reads Pick
· Starred Review - Library Journal
· Starred Review - Booklist
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.
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. These people—a laborer, a young widow, the local doctor, and a movie star, among others—could not be more different and yet they are united in their love for the works and words of Austen. As each of them endures their own quiet struggle with loss and trauma, some from the recent war, others from more distant tragedies, they rally together to create the Jane Austen Society.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATED BY ACTOR RICHARD ARMITAGE:
The full unabridged text of THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY was read by the distinguished English film, television, theatre and voice actor Richard Armitage for the audiobook recording. Best known by many period drama fans for his outstanding performance as John Thornton in the BBC television adaptation of North and South (2004), Armitage also portrayed Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson's film trilogy adaptation of The Hobbit (2012 – 2014).
Link to YouTube audiobook excerpt: https://youtu.be/OJ1ACJluRi8
ADVANCE PRAISE:
“Just like a story written by Austen herself, Jenner’s first novel is brimming with charming moments, endearing characters, and nuanced relationships…Readers won’t need previous knowledge of Austen and her novels to enjoy this tale’s slow revealing of secrets that build to a satisfying and dramatic ending.” ―Booklist (starred review)
“Few things draw disparate people together so quickly as discovering they love the same writers. Few writers cement such friendships as deeply as Austen does. I believe that the readers of Jenner’s book will fall in love with the readers inside Jenner’s book, all of us thinking and dreaming of Austen the whole while. What could be better? Nothing, that’s what! A wonderful book, a wonderful read.” ―Karen Joy Fowler, New York Times bestselling author of The Jane Austen Book Club
“Fans of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society will adore The Jane Austen Society… A charming and memorable debut, which reminds us of the universal language of literature and the power of books to unite and heal.” —Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris
My Review
THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY is an excellently written book as it weaves its characters' stories together, showing the influence of Jane Austen in each of their lives. These various characters are all unified by Austen, regardless of their different stages of life and classes. Fans of the author will find much to love in these characters and in the dialogue as they discuss Austen's works and their love for them. An overall delightful read!
I found this story to be captivating from the beginning. It spans many years, from before WWII to years later, and I never found the jumps in time to be confusing. In fact, I enjoyed seeing where the characters were over time and how their love for Austen never lagged. I especially loved the little town of Chawton, where Jane Austen's family estate was, and the people who lived after her. There was the usual town gossip and people who have known each other their whole lives, with some regrets, heartache, friendships old and new, and a hint of romance. The scenes here were my favorite, especially when the characters come together in surprise when they find they have a similar interest in Austen and preserving what they can of her life for future generations. The author really did an excellent job in fleshing out her characters and the narrator (as I listened to the audio version) did a marvelous job in bringing them to life!
My one criticism would be in regards to a few of the scenes and content involving the movie star's storyline. There was one that was particularly vulgar and then others that were a bit risqué for those who might prefer clean reads. I didn't necessarily feel that much of this was necessary to the story (things could have been suggested with less detail), particularly the first scene, and it marred an otherwise wonderful book.
In the end, was it what I wished for? I enjoyed my visit to the English countryside and this quaint town with delightful characters who loved Jane Austen as much, if not more, than I do. Highly recommended to Austen fans and Historical Women's Fiction readers.
Content: Clean
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the tour host/NetGalley, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.
Spotify Playlist
About the Author
Natalie Jenner is the debut author of THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY, a fictional telling of the start of the society in the 1940s in the village of Chawton, where Austen wrote or revised her major works. Born in England and raised in Canada, Natalie graduated from the University of Toronto with degrees in English Literature and Law and has worked for decades in the legal industry. She recently founded the independent bookstore Archetype Books in Oakville, Ontario, where she lives with her family and two rescue dogs.
Tour Schedule
Join the virtual online book tour of THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY, Natalie Jenner’s highly acclaimed debut novel May 25 through June 30, 2020. Seventy-five popular blogs and websites specializing in historical fiction, historical romance, women’s fiction, and Austenesque fiction will feature interviews and reviews of this post-WWII novel set in Chawton, England.
May 25 Jane Austen's World
May 25 Austenprose—A Jane Austen Blog
May 26 Frolic Media
May 26 A Bookish Affair
May 26 Courtney Reads Romance
May 26 Margie's Must Reads
May 26 The Reading Frenzy
May 27 Book Confessions of an Ex-Ballerina
May 27 Gwendalyn's Books
May 27 Romantically Inclined Reviews
May 28 Getting Your Read On
May 28 Living Read Girl
May 28 The Lit Bitch
May 29 History Lizzie
May 29 Silver Petticoat Reviews
May 30 Cup of Tea with that Book, Please
May 30 Historical Fiction Reader
May 31 Jane Austen in Vermont
June 01 From Pemberley to Milton
June 01 My Jane Austen Book Club
June 01 AustenBlog
June 02 Lu's Reviews
June 02 The Green Mockingbird
June 03 The Interests of a Jane Austen Girl
June 03 Relz Reviews
June 03 Impressions in Ink
June 04 The Caffeinated Bibliophile
June 04 Life of Literature
June 04 Laura's Reviews
June 05 Reading Ladies Book Club
June 05 Bookish Rantings
June 06 From the TBR Pile
June 07 Rachel Dodge
June 07 An Historian About Town
June 08 Bringing up Books
June 08 Austenesque Reviews
June 09 Captivated Reading
June 09 Savvy Verse and Witt
June 10 Lady with a Quill
June 10 Drunk Austen
June 11 Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell
June 11 Inkwell Inspirations
June 12 Nurse Bookie
June 12 A Bookish Way of Life
June 13 Calico Critic
June 14 Jane Austen's World
June 15 Stuck in a Book
June 15 Storybook Reviews
June 15 Confessions of a Book Addict
June 16 Literary Quicksand
June 16 Becky on Books
June 17 The Reading Frenzy
June 17 Anita Loves Books
June 18 Chicks, Rogues, & Scandals
June 18 The Write Review
June 19 Diary of Eccentric
June 20 Cracking the Cover
June 21 Short Books & Scribes
June 22 Reading the Past
June 22 Babblings of a Bookworm
June 23 My Vices and Weaknesses
June 23 The Book Diva Reads
June 24 Books, Teacups & Reviews
June 24 Wishful Endings
June 25 Robin Loves Reading
June 25 Bookfoolery
June 26 Lit and Life
June 26 Vesper's Place
June 27 Foxes and Fairy Tales
June 28 Probably at the Library
June 28 Scuffed Slippers Wormy Books
June 29 The Anglophile Channel
June 29 So Little Time…
June 30 BookNAround
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