The Prime of Miss Jane Austen

Who were the real-life models for memorable characters in Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility? And which real-life events were models for Jane Austen’s plots? Jane actually knew people like Lady Catherine De Bourgh, the Bennet family, and many others. She also knew someone who saved the reputation of a family through the pursuit of a villain. She wrote letters regularly to her sister Cassandra when they were apart. Long lapses in communication seemed to occur when significant events took place in Jane’s life, strongly suggesting that Cassandra disposed of the letters later. The longest lapse lasted three years, during which time the sisters met a mystery gentleman in Sidmouth, whom at least one of them fell in love with. Jane’s most important mature growth took place in her 20s, the time period of this novel (1795 - 1802). This is when she met and lost the two loves of her life, and when her relationship with her sister was severely tested. Most significantly, this time period brought her to a full realization of who she was as a woman and as a writer, rejecting and surmounting society’s expectations of her. Written in the language and style of Jane Austen’s famous works, this is the first fact-based novel of Jane Austen’s life.