Who Was Jane Austen?

By (author) Fabiny Sarah; By (author) Hoare Jerry
Description
Although Jane Austen''s works were first published anonymously and brought her little personal recognition, today they are rarely out of print and have inspired movies, television shows and mini-series, literary anthologies, and many other adaptations all around the world. Her writing— principally her five novels—is a critique of the British landed gentry at the end of the eighteenth century, and often a comment on the pursuit of a "good match" in matters of marriage. Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, Emma, and Northhanger Abbey remain her most famous works. Who Was Jane Austen? reveals the life of this most private author.
Biographical note
Sarah Fabiny has written several Who Was? titles, including biographies of Beatrix Potter, Frida Kahlo, Rachel Carson, and Gloria Steinem.
Promotional headline
Step into the world of Georgian England and learn more about the genteel life of this beloved author.
Excerpt
Who Was Jane Austen?

 
Every year, People magazine publishes a special issue. The magazine focuses on the twenty-five most interesting people of the year. In 1995, their list included President Bill Clinton; Brad Pitt, one of the world’s most famous movie stars; Princess Diana, the “people’s princess”; and Jane Austen, the author of six best-selling books. It was not a surprise that the president of the United States would be on the list, but Jane Austen had been dead since 1817!
 
But in 1995, several very popular TV miniseries and movies based on her books had premiered. Why would books that were published so long ago be so popular two hundred years later? Perhaps it was because Jane Austen’s characters were smart, funny, and very entertaining—even into the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Readers in the 1800s felt a connection to the people in her books. And people today still feel as if they know her characters personally.
 
Jane Austen created books about regular people and their everyday struggles and triumphs. She proved that ordinary characters and the drama of their daily lives could sometimes make the most interesting stories.
 

Chapter 1: Off to School
 

Reverend George Austen looked after the parish in Steventon, a small village about fifty miles west of London. He and his wife, Cassandra, had expected their seventh child to be born in November. But the baby did not arrive until December 16, 1775. They named her Jane.
 
In the south of England, the winter of 1775 was very cold and snowy. The harsh weather kept the Austen children inside. But Jane’s siblings—James, George, Edward, Henry, Cassandra, and Francis—were happy to have another baby to play with. And the Austens were pleased that Cassandra, who was almost three years old, now had a sister.
 
Once spring arrived in Steventon, Jane was sent to live with a foster family in the village. Sending a baby to live with another family might sound strange, but this was common at the time. All of Jane’s brothers and sisters had also gone to live with other families when they were young. Jane’s parents felt it would be easier for their youngest children to return home when they were older, especially since the house was already very crowded.
 
Reverend Austen also used the family home—which was called a rectory—as a school. He tutored students to earn money to support his family. From August to December and February to June, the Austens had students living with them. Reverend Austen taught them Latin, Greek, geography, and science. The students, who were all boys, slept in the attic rooms at the top of the house. Jane’s father also raised cows, sheep, and chickens to bring in extra money to support his growing family.
 
By the time Jane was three years o