Jane Austen’s life as the youngest of eight siblings proved to be as pleasant as her family allowed it to be.  With all of her brothers either employed out or married, all that was left was her sister Cassandra and herself.  With Cassandra happily engaged and waiting for her fiancée to come home, Jane continually feels the pressure to follow in the same manner of engagement.  But unfortunately for her family, Jane’s desire for writing proves to be much stronger than her desire to obtain a husband and more comfortable position for her family. 

Suddenly, tragedy hits and Cassandra’s life is turned upside down. With the poise of a true lady, Cassandra silently bears comments and remarks from everyone including her overbearing mother who cares for nothing other than being taken care of.  Because of the bond that Jane and Cassandra share, Jane grieves and feels deeply for her sister and with her sister. 

In almost the same manner Jane’s life is changed and love for the sisters seem to be out of reach.  Unfortunately shortly after their tragedies and another attempt at an engagement for Jane ends up in disaster another misfortune greets them at their doorstep.  As a result, Jane and her family begin moving from house to house. During the unstable times Jane finds it difficult to write and is further daunted by the rejection of one of her novels. Later the tide changes for Jane and she is able to write again with more fervor than ever. Her book and eventually books become published and she then becomes an awe inspiring role model for her nieces and nephews. 

JUST JANE, by Nancy Moser takes a more in depth look into Jane Austen and her life. I applaud Ms. Moser for portraying Jane’s character in such a true to life form as never done before fictionally.  Unfortunately as an avid reader of historical fiction, this book did not keep my attention. I do believe that because the book was not written in a more contemporary style, it failed to keep my interest.  The characters were well written and at times did cause me to laugh but for the most part the book itself did not satisfy my expectations. 

Reviewed by Maisha Walker for the Road to Romance

 February 17, 2008