Pride and Perfection

This is a story of Jane Austen's young life after she has abandoned her efforts to write and has settled into a settled, if unrewarding, existence. Much of the novel follows directly from her correspondence and known biographical facts to provide some probable and revealing glimpses into her life. What has not been previously described, is Jane’s life-long friendship with two misplaced time travelers, men loaded with 21st century medical and electronic gear and all the knowledge that goes with it, who are trying to find their way in a world in which they must remain unremarked.

In 1808, Jane is living in Southampton with her mother and sister; her life is consumed by family obligations and the incessant demands of old friends. She has not written anything of substance in years, and there is little evidence that she ever considered taking it up again. But then something important happens. A curious event rekindles Jane’s interest in writing and she begins to revisit her early novels even before she moves away to dull, little Chawton. Years later, at the height of her career, having completed the publication of her fourth novel, the fates turn against her. Family troubles, then a fatal illness. She reconnects with her 21st century friends. They have no cure for her illness, but they have the knowledge of their time, and are able give Jane a peek at her future fame, not to mention Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice.