Hi there, readers! I know we are ten weeks and two days away from Christmas (goodness, that makes it sound close doesn’t it?), but it will be here before we know it! Shall we anticipate its arrival with a brand new Austenesque novel about Jane Austen and Christmas??? I think that sounds divine, don’t you? I hope you enjoy learning about A Jane Austen Christmas by Carlo DeVito!
I had already written books about Mark Twain and Charles Dickens at Christmas, when I
was approached with the idea of writing about Jane Austen. Now, I must tell you, as much I think Elizabeth Bennet is a most endearing young woman, and her family absolutely entrancing, I have, as a man, always sympathized and empathized with Mr. Darcy, even at his worst moments. It is nice to know, as a man, that despite our deepest faults, a stout and smart woman can find forgiveness for all our stupidity, and discover something worth latching on to. Women are remarkable people.
But more so than that, when I first started doing some research into the project, I immediately fell in love with Jane, for she and I bonded almost instantly – we were born a day apart! Now, I know that might seem incredibly shallow to you, dear reader. After all, an accidental sharing of such a date – what is that? Anything better than happenstance?
On the contrary, knowing that mid-December was our shared introduction into this world instantly convinced me that the subject at hand was not only possible… but imperative!
You see, when you are born so close to Christmas, its season, already a festive time of year, is even more amplified for the person born so close to the holiday. Indeed, while some people attempt to celebrate their birthdays for a whole week, the December birthday child seems to revel in a month long build up to their special and personal anniversary.
Anyone not born in December, especially those born well into the heart of the month, does not understand the very special meaning the holiday season brings to those people born at this time of year.
Everything in the season takes on more significance than it does for the casual reveler. For those born at this time of year, the season is like a celebrity tour for the celebrant. Each party is a fete. Each meeting is a rendezvous. Each conversation is a tete-a-tete. There is an inescapable magic about the season for those born in it.
Thus I instantly understood Jane’s attraction to the season. I understood her love of balls. Her love of visiting in the country. Her love of making potables. Her bubbling correspondence. And of course, it was easy to understand, once I started doing the real digging, why the book was so easy to write.
So many of the important moments of her life happened during this festive time of the Georgian/Regency calendar. It must be remembered that Christmastide started in early December and ended in early January. While it lacked the Victorian and modern ornamentation and sentimentalization that it now boasts (or suffers, according to your opinion) today, it was nonetheless an important part of the Georgian/Regency social calendar.
She received her first writing desk from her father on her birthday. Her dearest cousin, and the model for most of her many of her heroines, visited with her for the first time, at this time of year. She met Tom Lefroy during this period. She was proposed to by her best friend’s brother during this season. She published the last novel in her lifetime during this season. Many of the happenings from her life from this season wound their way into her writings.
And as for her love of season, it was easy to see her enthusiasm for this time of year as well as her dedication to its keeping. She wrote letters describing her holidays in detail. At once, I wanted to go visiting with her, dance with her, sit in her kitchen and make food together.
I hope you will feel the same excitement as you read through these pages, and get a chance to experience the holidays with Jane Austen.
I never realized how so many significant events happened around December for Jane Austen! I’m sure the season held even more special meaning for her because of it! Thank you for sharing, Carlo!
~ Author Bio ~
Carlo DeVito is a lifelong publishing executive who has worked for Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, McGraw-Hill, Running Press, Penguin USA, and Sterling Publishing. He is the author of more than 15 titles on dogs, sports, and wine. Carlo is co-owner of the Hudson-Chatham Winery and the editor of the blog East Coast Wineries. His most recent titles have included A Mark Twain Christmas, Inventing Scrooge, and Mrs. Lee’s Rose Garden.
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GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
The kind people at Cider Mill Press have kindly donated ONE lovely hardcover copy of A Jane Austen Christmas for me to give away to ONE lucky winner!
To enter this giveaway, leave a comment about what important December event of Jane Austen’s life are you wanting to learn more about!!
- This giveaway is open for US residents. Thank you, Cider Mill Press!
- This giveaway ends October 21st!
Sounds wonderful Meredith!
Glad you think so, Michelle!
I’m most curious about the marriage proposal by Jane’s best friend’s brother – and I really like the cover design of the book!
What a great idea for a book! I love that Jane was born in December. Since I was born far from Christmas in August I would love to learn more about those born close to the holidays. . Thanks for the chance to win.
What a delightful, special and interesting feature and post today. I was captivated. I was born in mid-December as was my son so this post resonates with me greatly and Jane and her happiness with this month is wonderful. Thanks for this lovely introduction to December in Jane’s life.
This sounds like a delightful project! It’s always a wonderment to me how Jane Austen can find her way into so many people’s consciousnesses, how we each feel our own unique connection to her.
I can’t enter the giveaway but I just wanted to comment on the fact that I feel so much better about my birthday now after reading this. I was born on the 20th of December and as a child always felt hard done by regarding presents. Now of course as well as being born in the same month as Jane I feel kinda special!!
There seems to be many people born in December, how lovely to share something in common with Jane Austen!
We have four December birthdays in our family and Carlo is right about how exciting that month is for the group. I never realized how many significant events for her fell during that time period, but it makes sense b/c that’s when folks gather close and extra activities take place. I’m not curious about any one particular event in the book, but would love to read about them all.
I just love Christmas! My favorite time of year! I’m most interest in learning more about the last novel Jane Austen had published in her lifetime.
Sounds like an interesting book. If your birthday is on Christmas day or close to it, you might not get as many birthday presents (maybe X-mas ones instead). My birthday is in June, on the first day of summer. I enjoy having my birthday when it’s warm and am glad it’s not in the wintertime. The Scrooge book sounds good, too, but then again A Christmas Carol is one of my favorite Christmas movies.
The book sounds lovely! I’d love to win a copy…what Jane Austen fan wouldn’t? 🙂
I’d like to know more about Jane’s dearest cousin that first visited her in December.
Thank you for the giveaway!
I, too, love the Chridtmas season above all others. My mother was born on December 25, my late husband on the
22, and I was a Thanksgiving baby and
the holiday season begins then! I just love
the idea of this book and am crossing all
my fingers and toes that I win. I am very
particularly interested in her writing gift
gift from her father.
Thank you for the giveaway.
I especially love learning about the Christmas traditions in Jane’s day.
T
Oops! What I wanted to say is this book sounds fantastic! I love learning about different Christmas traditions.
I’d love to learn more about the publication of Emma in December 1815. Especially since the 200th anniversary is this year.
Lovely book! I would like to learn more about gift giving and other traditions. Thank you.
I can’t enter the giveaway, being from the UK, but this sounds a fascinating book. I’d love to know more about the proposal of marriage (presumably Mr. Bigg-Wither?), why she accepted him and then changed her mind.
Our son was born on 30th November and ever since then, I’ve had a hard time getting my head around the prospect of Christmas until his birthday has come and gone. Usually, this means everything tends to be a bit last minute! I just wish the shops and the TV companies were the same. It’s not even Hallowe’en or Bonfire Night yet and already we’re being inundated with Christmas goods and TV ads. There’s a lot to be said for the way they celebrated Christmas in Regency times.
The psychological, romantic and historical interconnections of Mr. Darcy and “Lizzie” are among my most favorite literary moments. December..is the most romantic month of the year…Who doesn’t love to be kissed while snowflakes fall all around…Bravo Mr. DeVito!