Of Austen, Ancestry, and Adapting
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Source: Gift from Author
Ever wonder what modern-day descendants of Jane Austen’s family think of her? What are their opinions on her work and celebrated fame? How does it feel to be related to one of the world’s most celebrated writers? How has it impacted or influenced their lives? If your answers are yes, here is a book for you.
Jane Austen’s fifth great-niece, Caroline Jane Knight, descendant of Jane’s brother Edward (who is responsible for bringing Jane to Chawton Cottage) candidly and courageously tells the story of her life in her memoir Jane and Me: My Austen Heritage. She shares in vivid detail the pleasures and delights of growing up in the ancestral home of Chawton House, an estate that has been in the Knight family for 400 years. But she also shares the heartbreaking account of how her family had to leave Chawton just after she turned seventeen and the uncertain and unexpected direction her life took after facing such an upsetting upheaval. This memoir tells of Caroline Knight’s journey – her memories, her successes, her challenges, and her discoveries. Continue reading »
