Miss Austen Blog Tour

**Thank you to Flatiron Books for a gifted review copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Welcome to the Miss Austen Blog Tour.

Miss Austen by Gill Hornby is a touching historical fiction about Cassandra Austen.

Cassandra was once engaged to Isabella's uncle, Tom Fowle. The families were very close and both Jane and Cassandra Austen were very good friends with Isabella's mother, Eliza.  An elderly Cassandra visits Isabella in order to retrieve letters that had been written to Isabella's mother by Jane and Cassandra. She doesn't want private matters about her sister to become public. The letters in this story are of course made up by the author but according to family record Cassandra did look over and destroy some of the correspondence involving herself and her sister, Jane.

The story takes place in a dual timeline. The past is told through letters and Cassandra's memories. The present will make the reader feel for the remaining sister and her responsibilities to the family. Even though the letters are imagined they were touching and realistic to the story. The author is able to bring across the loving relationship and loyalty between sisters. This book also helped me to place the members of the Austen family, their spouses, and the children.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and would definitely read more from author. This book is perfect for historical fiction fans as well as Jane Austen fans.

Thank you to Netgalley and Flatiron Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Historical Fiction
Release Date: April 7, 2020