The Austen Girls

The Austen Girls is the imagined tale of Jane Austen’s nieces, Anna and Fanny, and their introduction to society, balls, mature responsibility, and matters of the heart.

Anna and Fanny are cousins who have just reached marriageable age. Close friends with very different personalities, the girls have very different views of the world and their roles and responsibilities within it. The cousins are under pressure to find suitors, one for the money, the other for family. Whilst they navigate the pressures of society during the Georgian era, a darker plot enfolds, involving scams, prison and thief-takers.

The book is written by Lucy Worsley, famous for her history television programmes and the Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces. She was inspired to write this tale whilst researching for a Jane Austen Biography she was writing. It is clearly written by an Austen-lover, and there is a clear respect for the author here, which may inspire readers to start to explore Austen’s works for themselves.

A delightful and composed book for secondary pupils, this is a great read.