Cassandra and Jane - (Jane Austen Novel) by Jill Pitkeathley (Paperback)

About the Book

Legend says that, after Jane Austen's death, many of her personal letters were deliberately destroyed by her sister Cassandra. Pitkeathley reimagines the friendship between the two sisters in this novel that looks at one of literature's most intriguing figures through the eyes of the sister who knew her best.

Book Synopsis

They were beloved sisters and the best of friends. But Jane and Cassandra Austen suffered the same fate as many of the women of their era. Forced to spend their lives dependent on relatives, both financially and emotionally, the sisters spent their time together trading secrets, challenging each other's opinions, and rehearsing in myriad other ways the domestic dramas that Jane would later bring to fruition in her popular novels. For each sister suffered through painful romantic disappointments--tasting passion, knowing great love, and then losing it--while the other stood witness. Upon Jane's death, Cassandra deliberately destroyed her personal letters, thereby closing the door to the private life of the renowned novelist . . . until now.

In Cassandra & Jane, author Jill Pitkeathley ingeniously reimagines the unique and intimate relationship between two extraordinary siblings, reintroducing readers to one of the most intriguing figures in the world of literature, as seen through the eyes of the one person who knew her best.

Review Quotes

"A meticulously researched, engrossing and intimate portrait of Jane Austen's life, sensitively told through the eyes of her sister Cassandra, this poignant and often painstakingly honest tribute is also a celebration of the enduring strength of sisterly love." -- Syrie James, author of The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen

"Lively...a must-read for Austen fans." -- Booklist

"Cassandra's voice is perfectly pitched, true to Austen's England, and jam-packed with Austen trivia. " -- Publishers Weekly

"CASSANDRA AND JANE transports the reader into Jane Austen's world...I loved every word of it." -- Ruth Rendell

"This delightful book offers unique insight into the Austen sisters' relationship." -- Janet Aylmer, author of DARCY'S STORY