Jane Austen: The Biography

'A classic' The Sunday Times

The incredible story of the greatest writers of the Regency period, as told by her most ardent admirer.

Jane Austen is adored for her wit, social observation and insight into the lives of women. But behind the books is a life largely unknown, with an idyllic childhood, a busy social life and an affectionate family circle.

Elizabeth Jenkins, co-founder of the Jane Austen society, illuminates the character and mind of one of the most unusually perceptive and gifted writers the world has ever known.

Richly drawn and in picturesque detail, Jenkins pulls together fact and fiction to show how Jane Austen's life, lived with quiet passion, inspired some of the most beloved novels to date.

'Jenkins' lucid and balanced prose style recalls Austen's own' Deborah Yaffe, author of Among the Janeites

'Ensconces us deep in the loyalties and tendernesses that held the whole Austen family together' The Observer