Book Review: “The Jane Austen Society” by Natalie Jenner

Thank you @stmartinspress @librofm & @macmillan.audio for my gifted physical & audio copies of “The Jane Austen Society” by Natalie Jenner! (pub date 5/26)

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 & 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 & 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 & her legacy.

These people—a laborer, a young widow, the local doctor, & a movie star, among others—could not be more different & yet they are united in their love for the works & words of Austen. As each of them endures their own quiet struggle with loss & trauma, some from the recent war, others from more distant tragedies, they rally together to create the Jane Austen Society.

A powerful & moving novel that explores the tragedies & triumphs of life, both large & small, & the universal humanity in us all, Natalie Jenner’s “The Jane Austen Society“ is destined to resonate with readers for years to come.

Initially I started reading the physical copy of this book, & although it is well-written & quite interesting, historical fiction isn’t quite in my wheelhouse. But I am trying to branch out. (Baby steps!) Plus, I am super busy and on the go, so I need a book that can be on the go with me. Thankfully I am a fan of audiobooks, & I found that I was more able to connect with the characters & the storyline by listening to it. The narrator did a fantastic job of bringing all of the very charming characters to life. It did take me a a bit to keep track of everyone, but once I got hold of who was who, the story really took off for me.

“The Jane Austen Society” is a tip of the literary hat to Miss Austen & her iconic novels & Jenner has sprinkled quotes from those novels throughout this book. This book got me wanting to re-read some of Austen’s novels I read way back when. This was such a lovely, heartfelt, nuanced, uplifting story that many people have said gives them “Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society” vibes. This story touches on family, love, loss, second chances, friendship, the importance of literature & so much more. A very impressive debut novel! Highly recommend!

To buy it on audiobook, I encourage you to use Libro.fm. They support independent bookstores with their audiobook sales, unlike other audiobook apps. Independent bookstores need our sales now more than ever, whether it be with physical books or audiobook sales. Click HERE or use use my referral code MOMLOVESREADING to get a 3-for-1 audiobook deal when you start a Libro.fm account & subscription. You can cancel anytime, so there is no long term commitment.

Those of you that entered my big thriller giveaway on Instagram (the post is HERE), stay tuned for the winner announcement in the next 24 hrs or so. I have to go through all the entries still & everyone’s bonus entries & of course make sure all the entry criteria was met. Another giveaway will be coming soon! Hope everyone has had a wonderful week so far! They seem to be going by so quickly for me these days…