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Miss Austen
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
102 posts | 40 read | 6 reading | 55 to read
"A deeply imagined and deeply moving novel. Reading it made me happy and weepy in equally copious amounts." --Karen Joy Fowler For fans of Jo Baker's Longbourn, a witty, poignant novel about Cassandra Austen and her famous sister, Jane.Whoever looked at an elderly lady and saw the young heroine she once was?England, 1840. For the two decades following the death of her beloved sister, Jane, Cassandra Austen has lived alone, spending her days visiting friends and relations and quietly, purposefully working to preserve her sister's reputation. Now in her sixties and increasingly frail, Cassandra goes to stay with the Fowles of Kintbury, family of her long-dead fiancι, in search of a trove of Jane's letters. Dodging her hostess and a meddlesome housemaid, Cassandra eventually hunts down the letters and confronts the secrets they hold, secrets not only about Jane but about Cassandra herself. Will Cassandra bare the most private details of her life to the world, or commit her sister's legacy to the flames? Moving back and forth between the vicarage and Cassandra's vibrant memories of her years with Jane, interwoven with Jane's brilliantly reimagined lost letters, Miss Austen is the untold story of the most important person in Jane's life. With extraordinary empathy, emotional complexity, and wit, Gill Hornby finally gives Cassandra her due, bringing to life a woman as captivating as any Austen heroine.
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StayCurious
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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#Pemberlittens Ch.23 - poor Elizabeth dies from who knows what after having 11 kids and surviving each birth (no easy feat), and at first Edward wants Cass to give up her life to take care of his. It would give her security but take her away from Jane. So she hints enough that he finally offers the cottage in Chawton - yay! But also - sad. Yes. We‘re sad. But also Yay.

IndoorDame Mostly yay for me, I‘m so ready for her to catch a break! 4h
BarkingMadRead Finally being supported by a brother! A shame it took a death to bring it about! 4h
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TheBookHippie @IndoorDame That is it exactly. Also all these poor women having so many children....til they die.....ugh. 4h
IndoorDame @TheBookHippie I know! But reading how universal this was in the past helps me stay aware of how much of the world hasn‘t improved these statistics nearly enough. It‘s criminal! 4h
suvata I think it was cute how they all started divvying up the duties they wanted at Chawton. And Jane has a place to write again. ✍️ 2h
KristiAhlers I had enough medical problems having the two babies I had. I can't imagine spending your life pregnant like that. Just no. 2h
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StayCurious
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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#Pemberlittens Ch.21-22: Cass is set to take care of everyone, especially after the death of her father - and no one seems to need it more than Jane. I don‘t like seeing Jane like this, full on depressed. Does anyone know if this is an accurate portrayal? Does she just have an artistic temperament? Sounds to me to be very serious. Poor Cassie. πŸ‘‡

StayCurious And, man those rich relatives are so oblivious! Especially Edward! Calling them the β€œAusten Ladies” was a bit of a slap too. Grrr! 1d
BarkingMadRead Edward is horrible, all of their brothers are horrible! To leave them in such grave circumstances! 1d
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TheBookHippie @BarkingMadRead Right?! Ugh. All we read about is all these horrible men 😝 1d
TheBookHippie @StayCurious that was a slap! 1d
IndoorDame I don‘t know if she suffered from depression, but there‘s definitely evidence that whatever chronic immune issues ultimately led to her death severely affected her quality of life and her ability to write at times. Not being able to work would definitely affect the mental health of any artist. 1d
IndoorDame And seriously hating Elizabeth right now! 1d
Crinoline_Laphroaig I don't like seeing Jane depressed either. It's horribly sad. I don't no that there is any proof but speculation. I agree with @IndoorDame of not being able to work would affect her. I also think it would be hard to write when you're life is so unsettled. 1d
julieclair I wish that Cass had had the courage to contradict Elizabeth. But I suppose that would have been an unimaginable breach of etiquette. 23h
willaful Sad to think that with more support she might have lived longer and written more books. 😞 21h
suvata I don‘t think there is any concrete proof that Jane had clinical depression. However, after her fatherβ€˜s death, and with all the worry about where and how they would live, she did take a long break from writing. I think it is very clever how Cassy lead Frank into giving them the Chawton estate. 8h
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Crinoline_Laphroaig
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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#Pemberlittens @StayCurious this so goes along with our #JaneAdjacent read. Today is the opening of My dear Cassandra exhibition, β€˜featuring a newly acquired Austen letter!

πŸ’« Explores Jane Austen‘s special relationship with her sister and is part of our β€˜Year of Cassandra‘, celebrating the life of Cassandra Austen 1773-1845. πŸ‘‡

Crinoline_Laphroaig πŸ‘‰ FIND OUT MORE: https://janeaustens.house/display/my-dear-cassandra/ and BOOK TICKETS: https://janeaustens.house/visit/visitor-info/

πŸ’» An online version of this exhibition is also available!
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StayCurious So cool β™₯️ 1d
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peanutnine
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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Pickpick

I had to finish this early before it returned to the library but I really enjoyed this #pemberlittens read. It was interesting to imagine Cassy's motivations behind burning Jane's letters after her death. She was a frustrating character but ultimately duty to those important to her was always her priority which I can respect. This really portrayed the perception of spinsterhood and how different people embraced or pitied the role.
@StayCurious

peanutnine #2023ReadySetRead floral cover / female perspective @Clwojick 2d
Clwojick Fantastic! ❀️ 2d
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StayCurious
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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#Pemberlittens Ch.20: we see Cassandra show a bit of backbone with Dinah when she demands the letters be returned. We see a bit more of her motivations (and again it comes down to duty - and a fear of her and Jane‘s lives being dissected - especially by Mary). We see a lot of Mary in Caroline πŸ˜’ - she said some pretty tactless things in front of Cassandra. This family gives me a headache.

BarkingMadRead Omg I wanted to pop Caroline in the face. Nobody needs two Marys. 3d
suvata So, it appears that the β€œmeddlerβ€œ was Dinah, which most of us suspected anyway. Good for Cassy for putting her foot down. It does appear that Mary and Carolyn are two sides of the same coin. Having this family, it‘s no wonder Jane seems to have bouts of melancholy. 3d
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StayCurious
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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#Pemberlittens Ch.19: the Austen girls are bothering me. I understand why Jane didn‘t go through with it even though it would have given her the security she was desperate to have, but why now does Cassy need to stop writing to poor Hobday? Because she‘s leading him on? Why can‘t she just say yes to him? Oh yes, her duty. Feeling frustrated. And for the girls to have to slink back to their parents - how embarrassing and hopeless.

IndoorDame I‘m right there with you! I understand Jane and totally don‘t understand Cassy‘s decisions. Which is super unusual since the story is being told from her perspective 4d
Librarybelle It is frustrating…I feel so bad for Mr Hobday! He sounded like such a nice gentleman. 4d
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peanutnine Poor Mr Hobday! But it's probably better that she stopped writing to him if she was just gonna break his heart πŸ’” 4d
julieclair I agree. Cassy is on my nerves. I feel sorry for Mr. Honday. (edited) 4d
suvata I am right with you. These girls are intolerable. Jane wants to marry off Cassy. Cassy wants to marry off Jane, and they‘re leaving a total sh*t-storm in their wake. Also, Mr. Bigg-Wither … hater of the sea! Frustrating chapter. (edited) 4d
TheAromaofBooks I think part of the issue is that Cassy and Tom were standing in the church when she made him that promise*. I think she genuinely sees it as a vow made β€œbefore Godβ€œ similar to a marriage vow. She's such a dutiful person, I think breaking her promise would make her feel guilty for the rest of her life. But it doesn't make her less frustrating!

*originally autocorrected to β€œproblemβ€œ, which may be more accurate πŸ˜‚
(edited) 4d
willaful I think there's also a hint that Cassy is afraid of marriage. The discomfort she felt seeing Tom's intimate personal items comes back to haunt her. (Unless I'm reading that wrong.) Anyway, I still think she made a huge mistake. πŸ˜–

Jane is really the more sensible of the two; she recognizes her mistake and finds the courage to correct it, which must have been tremendously difficult. I doubt being in church would have made a difference to her.
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Crinoline_Laphroaig
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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#Pemberlittens @StayCurious this was my favorite quote when I first read. Went back and found this picture that I made. πŸ‘©πŸ»β€πŸŒΎ
#JanAdjacent

StayCurious Love this 4d
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StayCurious
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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#Pemberlittens Ch.17-18: Oh Cassy…sigh. You‘re punishing yourself and destined for a lonely life. How disappointing. Now granted, it would have been nice to get to know Henry a bit more before he proposed, but things were different back then. By all accounts, he was perfect. And you blew it. And then jump to 1840 - no wonder you‘re desperate to settle Isabella and give her a future. πŸ‘‡

StayCurious You need to be useful and here is someone that needs you. But what is up with Dinah?? 5d
BarkingMadRead Dinah is not happy, but what choice does Isabella have? 5d
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suvata Henry Hobday: Suitor or Stalker? Depends on what Century you are living in. Seriously though, I don‘t understand why Cassy is denying her self a happy future. I know she doesn‘t want to break her promise but, really, was it a promise? Jane is very clever about finding ways to get rid of people so she can have some peace and quiet. 5d
Librarybelle Cassandra denying herself happiness is so sad. 5d
julieclair Ooohhh, @suvata , what an interesting point! By today‘s standards, he is a stalker. And oh, Cassandra… break the promise. Tom is dead and doesn‘t care. Plus, he didn‘t want you to make the promise in the first place. 4d
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StayCurious
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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#Pemberlittens Ch.16: I missed a day! My library ebook got returned right as I was in the middle of a chapter - very frustrating. I had to find another copy. Anywho…boy those meddling Mamas…they‘re so transparent it‘s embarrassing but also to be expected. Mrs.Austen has not given up. Her house has all the single ladies and she wants that to change. Jane intends to scare off anyone who comes close. πŸ‘‡

StayCurious And Cass is so caught up in her own head she‘s missing what‘s there. Take the leap, darling! You‘ve mourned long enough. 6d
BarkingMadRead Ugh I really wish she would move on, it‘s been so long and I don‘t think Tom really expected her to never marry! 6d
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IndoorDame @BarkingMadRead I don‘t either. That would just be too awful of him! 6d
suvata Cassy: Heavens, no! I am a mourning widow, but may I introduce you to my sister Jane? (Not a direct quote, just a general feeling I got from this chapter). Cassy needs to get a grip! 6d
suvata @StayCurious Absolutely. Leap away, my dear. 6d
julieclair Cass promised Tom she would never marry… even though he never asked her to promise that. It was rather shortsighted of her, even if it was heartfelt. Why shouldn‘t she have a chance at happiness? Life is for the living. 6d
willaful This is what I saw happening and I'm heartbroken for her. As well as wanting to give her a swift kick in the backside. 6d
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StayCurious
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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#Pemberlittens Ch.15: Cassandra ventures out into the not so idyllic town and we are reminded that the Fowles are not the perfect upstanding family they appear to be. They have family drama and Cassandra is appalled at being confronted with it. How can they not hold each other up as the Austens do? Although she needs to be reminded that she was thrown out of her house by her brother once upon a time.

BarkingMadRead The way they all treat each other blows my mind! I know that was common for the time period, but damn! Do not abandon your sisters after yo he stolen their home from your parents! πŸ™„πŸ™„ 1w
KristiAhlers Yeah I just don't get it either. It's sad 1w
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willaful So anyone else thinking about Isabella and the doctor, who is obviously a kindly man but Not Our Kind? I think maybe her sister knows -- and maybe approves? Or very much does not? Hard to say. 1w
Crinoline_Laphroaig Whenever I read Austen I always imagine being at the mercy of the worst men in my family and shudder. 1w
suvata @Crinoline_Laphroaig Yes, I imagine it would be very much like that 1w
janeycanuck @willaful I think so, too. I don‘t know if approval comes in, per se. I think it‘s knowing it should never happen and the consequences for Isabella if it did. 1w
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StayCurious
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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#Pemberlittens Ch.14: when you finally meet a guy - He could be a 10, but he‘s into Conchology…Cass is definitely interested in Henry and even goes to lunch with his mother (πŸ˜) only to be told they‘re on their way to Europe. Well…what was the point of inviting them then, Mrs. Hobden? How disappointed Cass is. The light has once again been snuffed and she is sinking back into a shell of herself.

BarkingMadRead Dude needs to stay here. Ugh! 1w
julieclair @BarkingMadRead Perfectly said! 1w
suvata Why even put him in the book if he‘s leaving the next day? I think he will be coming back into the picture before it‘s all over. 1w
julieclair @suvata I hope you‘re right! 1w
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StayCurious
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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#Pemberlittens Ch.13: I don‘t know what I‘m happier about: the fact that Cass is attracted to a stranger or the fact that Mrs. Austen‘s bowels are feeling better. β€œThis was a new hell: a fusion of spinsterhood with the troubles of digestion.” Haha. Even back then families talked about poop.

BarkingMadRead πŸ’©πŸ’©πŸ’©I can‘t wait to hear more about this mystery man! 1w
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janeycanuck I‘d rather hear about Mrs. Austen‘s bowels than listen to Mary read any more poetry. 1w
StayCurious @janeycanuck πŸ˜†πŸ˜ 1w
CoverToCoverGirl 🀭 poop happens.. 🀭 1w
suvata That wasn‘t just poop, it was β€œa most frightful evacuation.” But, who is this mysterious and handsome gentleman? I can‘t wait to hear more about this dude. (edited) 1w
julieclair Mrs. Austen has really outdone herself with this conversation! πŸ˜‚πŸ’© 1w
KristiAhlers That poop convo was so funny. And I am glad she's got one less issue. 1w
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willaful
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby

β€œIt is out dearest wish to see you girls both settled before the Lord comes to call us. And with my poor old stomach, that could happen any day.β€œ This was a new hell: a fusion of spinsterhood with the troubles of digestion: β€œThe next time I suffer an evacuation of that magnitude...β€œ

willaful Ack, poor Cassandra! 🀒

And I have a horrible feeling about where the strange gentleman plotline is going to go.... πŸ₯Ί

#pemberlittens
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StayCurious
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#Pemberlittens Ch.12: the fact that Jane is so openly talking about how Mary truly is to her sister shows that everyone had the same opinion of her. The poor Austens! Being kicked out of their home. And Anna - I feel terrible for her. Mary is the wicked stepmother for sure. And then there is Jane‘s revelation - Cassandra was in love - with someone other than Tom!

TheBookHippie It‘s like a soap opera!!!! Just yikes πŸ˜΅β€πŸ’«πŸ€―πŸ˜³ 2w
BarkingMadRead Omg Mary is the πŸ‘Ώ 2w
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suvata I didn‘t realize that Jane was so close with Eliza. Jane really spills the beans in her letters. I love reading them and getting all the gossip. I never thought I was that kind of person but, apparently, I am. 2w
janeycanuck I just can‘t with Mary. How has someone not slapped her yet? 2w
julieclair @suvata LOL! I‘m with you. Apparently I‘m that kind of person too. πŸ˜‚ 1w
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StayCurious
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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#Pemberlittens Ch.11: James, pressured certainly by Mary, basically tells his parents to get gone and make room for the next generation- the nerve! Not once does he think of his sisters or where they should go. Poor Cassandra and Jane - an uncertain future would be so scary!

Librarybelle This just continues to show how terrible Mary is 2w
willaful I think we may be seeing the origins of the half-brother and wife in Sense and Sensibility.... 2w
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suvata James is a bit of an ass himself. And please, no more horrid poetry. 2w
suvata @willaful I think you might be dead on with that idea. 2w
janeycanuck @Librarybelle oh definitely! The bit where she forgot she had a daughter?? Killed me. 2w
willaful I wonder if there's a form of cognitive dissonance going on in the person who becomes more horrible after marrying someone horrible. Or if it's more the echo chamber effect. James was obviously very susceptible to flattery to begin with, so is inclined to listen to anyone telling him how wise and right he is. 2w
peanutnine @willaful definitely got S&S vibes from them! And I agree that Mary is for sure inflating James' self-importance 2w
julieclair I was surprised at how easily their father agreed to the plan. And @suvata … amen about the poetry! πŸ˜† 2w
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StayCurious
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#Pemberlittens Ch.10: Interesting - there‘s a secret liaison in Cassandra‘s past - I don‘t think it was Jane falling for a man by the sea. At least that wasn‘t the impression I got. And then she has the bad manners to get sick - how awfully inconsiderate of her. Do you think Dinah found the letters? Is she a spy for Mary?

suvata Very interesting theory that Dinah may be a spy for Mary. It sounds completely plausible. This chapter has a great quote in honor of β€œNational Women‘s Month: β€œThrough her life, Cassandra‘s happiest moments had been passed in the company of excellent women. They had all, of course, sadly departed. Oh, she missed and thought of them constantly, and of one above all.” 2w
KristiAhlers Oh I never thought of her being a spy for Mary but now that you mention it I could totally see that. 2w
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BarkingMadRead Omg I gasped out loud when the letters went missing. I think it‘s Dinah 2w
julieclair I think it‘s Dinah, too. But it never occurred to me that she might be a spy for Mary. That‘s an intriguing thought. And speaking of intriguing thoughts… a seaside romance for Cassandra? I hope we get all the juicy details! πŸ˜‰ 2w
willaful Dinah is definitely Up to Something, but she does seem pretty devoted to Isobel. This is quite exciting for such a quiet looking novel! 😁

I wondered if the excellent women line was a nod to Barbara Pym, except Cassandra uses it with no irony.
2w
Crinoline_Laphroaig @willaful I didn't catch Excellent Women nod before. Totally fits in! 2w
janeycanuck I think we‘re supposed to think it‘s Dinah but I bet it‘s Isabella. Can‘t tell you why I think that, it‘s just my gut feel. But it‘s getting very hard to listen to only one chapter a day! 2w
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kspenmoll
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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#weekendreads #marchmadness #kindle #libraryfind #theenzofiles #sundaybuddyread #audible #pemberlittens #JaneAdjacent
Plan to read The Critic tonight; Adult Assembly Required tomorrow; Miss Austen in between (So behind!); listen to The Hold Out on & off while cooking.

TheBookHippie πŸ™ƒ good luck! 2w
StayCurious Sounds like a great weekend! 2w
Andrew65 Love the Enzo Files. Have a good weekend. 2w
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willaful
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby

β€œCassandra's happiest moments had been passed in the company of excellent women.β€œ

A hat-tip to Barbara Pym? But Cassandra uses it with no sense of irony -- to her, excellent women bring β€œthe deep, joyful, and satisfying feeling brought by good feminine companionship.β€œ A much pleasanter metric than their usefulness to men.

#Pemberlittens

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StayCurious
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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#Pemberlittens Ch.9: how scary to have your future suddenly gone. To go from fiancé to probable spinster aunt in such a short time. To have all your prospects gone. How scary to be a woman. The only thing I can say is - and don‘t take this the wrong way - at least he died and didn‘t jilt her- or they didn‘t have a falling out. At least this way she garners sympathy and not blame.

BarkingMadRead This chapter was heartbreaking πŸ’” 2w
KristiAhlers Ugh this made me cry. But I totally agree with you. By passing away she won't be a subject of censor or possible gossip. So bright side on such a heartbreaking chapter 2w
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willaful Yes, such a sad, sad chapter. Cassandra's decision to make the best of the situation is somewhat admirable, but also frustrating because life was so unfair to her and she had no other vision for herself. 2w
janeycanuck Agreed, this was a tough one. I also found it sad that Jane seemed resigned to never marrying already, as well. 2w
peanutnine I agree with all said above, but also what is with all the rude, self-absorbed female relations in this family? 😑 2w
julieclair Heartbreaking and terrifying. So sad. 2w
suvata I found it particularly sad that Cassy resigned herself to becoming β€œthe black-clad Tragedy Queen”. Although, I do think that‘s a great name for a band. 2w
Crinoline_Laphroaig @suvata is a great band name. 2w
Crinoline_Laphroaig @peanutnine they were so horrible! 2w
Crinoline_Laphroaig I've always tell people that the reason Jane wrote poor relations so well was because she was one. Also while it's wonderful IRL that Edward did gift them Chawton Cottage, why did he wait so long!? He had plenty of money. He could have given them some place to live long before he did. 2w
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StayCurious
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#Pemberlittens: Ch.8 - wow. Just wow. Mary Austen is evil and mean spirited. First with that tactless poem, then with that letter. Poor Cassandra. And I really feel for Mary‘s daughter too.

TheBookHippie It was certainly over the top πŸ˜΅β€πŸ’«πŸ˜¬πŸ€―. 2w
BarkingMadRead Omg I want to drop kick her so badly! Ughhhh 2w
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janeycanuck I was also moved to tears when Mary read that poem. But mine were tears of pain. I did absolutely laugh hysterically when she was yammering on about how someday everyone would know the name Austen and it wouldn‘t because of Jane. 2w
janeycanuck @BarkingMadRead do you need an assistant for that? I am available. 2w
Librarybelle Mary is absolutely terrible! Grrr… 2w
willaful I'm dying to know whether the poem is real. It definitely seems to have borrowed a lot! 2w
Bklover I am so sorry but I have fallen behind. You can remove me from this list and I will try again next month. (I‘ve been painting my house with my neighbor). Thanks. ❀️ 2w
StayCurious @Bklover not a problem! 2w
suvata That poem was ridiculous. 2w
julieclair Honest to goodness… could Mary actually have been that bad in real life? It seems hard to believe. So self-centered and tactless. 2w
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janeycanuck
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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Oops. This was supposed to be my companion while I listened to Miss Austen for #PemberLittens but I got a little carried away and finished it in just a couple of days. I think I still have one more Jane Austen themed puzzle, though.

#audiopuzzling

BarkingMadRead So cool! 2w
DivineDiana Beautiful! πŸ’– 2w
StayCurious Omg amazing! 2w
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StayCurious
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#Pemberlittens Ch.7 - so Mary, now Mary Austen, is the worst! She‘s the relative everyone dreads seeing. And we now know she‘s the one who will be going through Eliza‘s papers and will be the main antagonist I think when it comes to Cassandra‘s mission. Also, bad news is coming about Tom I think-in the past. How will reliving it affect Cassandra in the present?

BarkingMadRead Ew, Mary is awful! What a horrible human being! 2w
IndoorDame So awful! I‘m feeling worried that Cassandra is such a terrible sneak. I don‘t think she‘ll be a match for Mary 😬 2w
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peanutnine @IndoorDame she is the worst at being sneaky!! 2w
Crinoline_Laphroaig Mary shows up in #JaneAndTheExcellentReadalong as well. She's gone down in history as a dreadful person. 2w
suvata There is one sentence that pretty much sums up the entire chapter. β€œMary Austen had come with a long list of grievances and an ungovernable impulse to air them forthwith.” 2w
KristiAhlers I so feel that meme lol. Mary is just so ick! 2w
janeycanuck Agreed. Mary is awful. But I‘m dreading our next chapter, knowing what‘s coming next… 2w
julieclair @suvata πŸ’―Perfect sentence to sum up the chapter. And about the next chapter, I fear that Cassandra will have a painful time as she relives her memories… (edited) 2w
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willaful
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby

Oooo, quite an ominous ending to yesterday's chapter. And because of the book's structure, it might be two days before we get to what happens next. 😨

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StayCurious
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#Pemberlittens Ch.6 Cassandra is taken back to when she was working hard to match Mary Lloyd with her widower brother James - perhaps not the best idea but hindsight is 20/20. I guess she had to keep herself occupied during Tom‘s long absence. But Mary seems whiney and desperate and a bit mean to her sister and not worthy of becoming an Austen. IMO.

TheBookHippie I agree πŸ’―. 2w
BarkingMadRead I am not a fan of Mary at all 2w
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Librarybelle Mary is portrayed as a very whiny, but also manipulative - the way she converses with James at the ball took a lot of calculation. 2w
willaful I suspect both James and Mary got the spouses they deserved. πŸ˜’ 2w
suvata My goodness, aren‘t the Austen women quite the match-making group. I am happy to see that Jane pretty much stayed out of it. And, James is such a narcissist. 2w
janeycanuck That whole scene was something else! Mary is certainly not for me. 2w
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Crinoline_Laphroaig
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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#Pemberlittens Look at these beautiful #Janeite books author and illustrator Julia Fry gifted me! We follow each other on Instagram but hadn't really engaged, other than a couple of times I commented on her posts. She messaged me after the fire saying she wanted to sent me her books. She autographed them and included the sweetest note. Note card is her design as well. So pretty! Lovely addition to my #AllThingsAusten shelf.

Crinoline_Laphroaig @StayCurious @CrowCAH it's been a busy weekend. Catching up on Miss Austen #JaneAdjacent and #HearthstoneBuddyRead today. πŸŽ§πŸ‘©β€πŸŒΎ 2w
Crinoline_Laphroaig #HeartstoneBuddyRead 2nd time I've misspelled.πŸ€¦β€β™€οΈ 2w
CrowCAH @Crinoline_Laphroaig that is super sweet she sent you those two books and card; they‘re lovely! 😍 2w
BarkingMadRead Awwwww that‘s so nice!! 2w
kspenmoll What a gorgeous collection! So happy for you! 2w
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StayCurious
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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#Pemberlittens Ch.5: Cassandra is awash in memories and Dinah is suspicious of her wandering around the house. And did the maid see the letters on Cassandra‘s bed? Probably. Then Cassandra goes for a walk and sees none other than Isabella meeting someone, a β€œgentleman”. How strange!

BarkingMadRead So much drama in this chapter! Dinah needs to chill out, but who is this mystery gentleman? Can‘t wait to find out! 3w
willaful I think Isabella's comments about.. the doctor, I think?... were rather suggestive. 3w
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IndoorDame I was waiting for the drama! 3w
julieclair Like @willaful , I'm betting it's the doctor. And as for Dinah, she is on my last nerve, always lurking around. I don't trust her 3w
suvata What is up with Dinah, indeed? She definitely is a lurker. πŸ‘€ I, too, suspect that Isabella is meeting the good doctor. 3w
janeycanuck Such mystery and intrigue! I am a bit worried about the whole situation blowing up in Cassandra‘s face, though. It doesn‘t feel like she‘ll cope well if confronted. 3w
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StayCurious
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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#Pemberlittens Ch.4: Cassie goes to visit Tom‘s family after he‘s back for Christmas break and she‘s basically miserable. They seem like such a subdued bunch and she misses her fun loving family. Tom‘s not the same after his experiences at sea and senses that he might not return when he finally leaves on his journey. πŸ‘‡

StayCurious Cassie promises him she‘ll never marry another. Even though she was very recently having doubts as to whether their marriage was a good idea…this is not going to end well. Also - Fulwar is an ass. 3w
Librarybelle Fulwar is terrible! 3w
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IndoorDame He is terrible! On the whole though, I‘m finding the characters really well drawn so far!!! 3w
KristiAhlers Fulwar is the absolute worst. And kudos to the author who can write a character that makes yoh have such a violent dislike. 3w
julieclair I agree this will not end well. And Fulwar... Ugh. 3w
suvata What a boring household Tom lives in. β€œShe looked around at his property: a Bible, old Latin primers, not even one novel.” And Christmas must be a real hoot with β€œNo music. No games. No reading or good conversation!” 3w
willaful Definitely getting the sense that Cassandra dodged a bullet. 3w
janeycanuck And this is why you don‘t agree to marry someone if you haven‘t spent any length of time with their family……. 3w
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wordslinger42
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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Weekend reading πŸ₯°πŸ“š

#SeriesLove2023
#pemberlittens

BkClubCare Whoa - I might have a postcard of that lilac! (Tho, I might not be able to find it LOL) 2w
wordslinger42 @BkClubCare Oh cool! I hope you're able to find it 😊 2w
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LitsyEvents
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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Repost for @StayCurious:

#Pemberlittens our next #JaneAdjacent read has been selected! Please let me know if you want to be added to the daily tag list for the read-along. As always I can be reached here or at pemberlittens@gmail.com with any book suggestions or comments.

Original post:
https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2553315

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StayCurious
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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#Pemberlittens Ch.3: poor Cassie - her fiancé (who let‘s face it, doesn‘t seem like the sharpest tool in the shed) is leaving her for at least a year to seek adventure and find his fortune. All Cassie can do is support his decision because he wouldn‘t ask her permission, of course. No, he made this decision without consulting her. Which annoys her and us but was totally par for the course back then.?

StayCurious I just have a horrible feeling that Tom won‘t be back, and if he does return, he won‘t be the same man she agreed to marry. 3w
IndoorDame @StayCurious I think you‘re right 😬(after all we know she doesn‘t end up marrying him, don‘t we…?) 3w
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Librarybelle Tom is definitely portrayed as not the sharpest! πŸ˜‚ 3w
BarkingMadRead Aw Tom, such a sweet, brainless guy 3w
Bklover I get the impression that they never did get married. 3w
Crinoline_Laphroaig Tom. Bless his heart. πŸ™„ 3w
janeycanuck Tom is such a bumbling fool. He‘s coming from the best of places but dude, stop and think things through for a minute! 3w
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StayCurious
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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#Pemberlittens Ch.2 - after a bit of guilty snooping, Cassandra thankfully finds the letters - before Mary Austen gets in there. Now she has to read through them to find anything that‘s incriminating to protect Jane‘s reputation. What could be in those letters I wonder? Also, poor pathetic Isabella! I feel bad for her actually. Her father sounds like a peach.

TheBookHippie Got book I‘ll be caught up tomorrow ! 3w
BarkingMadRead Poor Isabella, she doesn‘t know how to think for herself at all! 3w
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Bklover @BarkingMadRead She is kind of a mess, isn‘t she! I was glad she found the letters too- all the sneaking around was making me nervous! 3w
IndoorDame @BarkingMadRead I know! I desperately want her to just have an original thought!!! Maybe Cassandra will be a β€œgood” influence… 3w
IndoorDame @Bklover haha, ditto. She‘s the worst spy πŸ˜‚ 3w
Crinoline_Laphroaig I'd forgotten how many great quotes this book had! I think I made graphics when I first read. Will see if I can find them. And as usual Juliet Stevenson narration is perfection! 3w
janeycanuck @Crinoline_Laphroaig I‘m reading the audio, too. The narration is wonderful! I‘ve actually cringed once or twice when Stevenson slips into some of the characters. I love it! 3w
janeycanuck On one hand, I feel terrible for Isabella, being left to all of this work on her own. But on the other, she seems like such a wimp! Just wrap up the dishes!! 3w
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IndoorDame
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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Of all my ridiculous numbers of current reads, this is the only one with a #MCOlderThanYou. It does make you think about the invisibility of older women in our culture… #MarchMagic @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs As an older woman, I agree! Older MCs have a lot to offer in depth and experience ❀️ (edited) 3w
IndoorDame @Eggs they certainly do! I‘ll have to be more purposeful about seeking out their stories since they‘re often my favorites ❀️ 3w
dabbe @Eggs Amen! πŸ€£β£οΈπŸ€— 3w
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StayCurious
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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#Pemberlittens #JaneAdjacent Ch 1: Awkward! Cassandra Austen, who appears to be an old family friend, arrives practically unannounced at the vicarage and receives a truly lukewarm reception. In a time period where hospitality was so important, they practically show her none. But Cassandra has a reason for being there and she doesn‘t intend to leave until she finds the letters she is looking for - despite the chilly feel to the air of the house.

BarkingMadRead They were going out of their way to be rude to Cassandra! Ugh! 3w
StayCurious @BarkingMadRead yes but I kept thinking how I would feel if I was in the middle of moving and an old acquaintance dropped by for an extended stay… 3w
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KristiAhlers I love these memes. I don't understand why people can be so mean. They worked overtime really to be mean. 3w
suvata I already know I‘m going to like this book. I hate unexpected visitors too, but Cassandra was on a deadline. She couldn‘t dillydally if she wanted to find those letters. Favorite quote from Chapter 1: β€œA single woman should never outlive her usefulness. It was simple bad manners.” 3w
julieclair I felt so sorry for Cassandra. I also sympathized with Isabella, as I am not fond of last minute house guests either. But she didn't have to be so rude. 3w
julieclair @suvata Yes! Great quote! 3w
willaful I also feel I'm going to like this. The dry wit is very appropriate. I'm really curious about how things turned out this way for Cassandra and if it was the best thing for her. 3w
Crinoline_Laphroaig Was wondering why I had downloaded Miss Austen on my Audible. Forgot about this Chapter a Day. Will catch-up today while running errands. 3w
Crinoline_Laphroaig It's a Reread for me. Remember loving it. 3w
kspenmoll I plan to catch up this weekend. Could‘t start 3/1. 3w
janeycanuck Started on this today - what a great first chapter to really draw you in and get you invested in the story! 3w
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BarkingMadRead
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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StayCurious Pretty cover! 3w
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IndoorDame
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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How gorgeous are the endpapers in our new #pemberlittens #chapteraday read?!?!

StayCurious Wow you really do miss out sometimes reading an ebook 3w
IndoorDame @StayCurious ebooks are sooo convenient though! I‘ve been trying to read more physical books lately and I almost hadn‘t realized I‘d missed them, but I have a weakness for design so little things like this are helping me remember 3w
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StayCurious
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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#Pemberlittens our next #JaneAdjacent read has been selected! Please let me know if you want to be added to the daily tag list for the read-along. As always I can be reached here or at pemberlittens@gmail.com with any book suggestions or comments.

BarkingMadRead Count me in! 1mo
IndoorDame I‘m in!!! 1mo
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AllDebooks Count me in 😊 1mo
TheBookHippie Yes! 1mo
Daisey You can take me off the tag list for this book. Thanks! 1mo
suvata Yes!!!! I‘m in. 1mo
peanutnine Yay I wanted to read this one! Count me in ☺️ 1mo
LeahBergen I‘ve read this one but I‘ll enjoy following everyone‘s comments! 1mo
KristiAhlers Totally in 1mo
Librarybelle Hooray! I‘m in 1mo
rubyslippersreads Please tag me. 😊 1mo
willaful In! 1mo
Bklover Oh I have this one! Please add me! 1mo
julieclair I‘m in! 1mo
PageShifter I might have to skip this one, I didn't find it but you can tag me! 1mo
erzascarletbookgasm I‘ll sit out on this one. Please tag me for future reads. πŸ’› 1mo
kspenmoll I am in if I can get book from library 1mo
Crinoline_Laphroaig Loved this one! I lost my copy in the fire. Will see if I can get Library copy. 4w
TheAromaofBooks I'm in as long as this one comes in from the library in time!! 4w
kspenmoll I have a copy! Please add me to your list! 3w
JenlovesJT47 Hey I‘ve been AWOL from Litsy for awhile but now I‘m back and ready to join in some buddy reads. I‘ve really missed this place! I saw you were the new PemberLittens host β€” thank you for still doing this and could you please tag me in any future PemberLittens stuff? I‘d really appreciate it. (Along with any other good buddy reads going on that you‘d recommend). Thank you!! πŸ€—β€οΈ (edited) 3w
StayCurious @JenlovesJT47 hey welcome back! I‘ll add you to the master list 😊 3w
janeycanuck Oh, I missed this - can you add me to the list? 3w
63 likes27 comments
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Kazzie
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
Pickpick

Period fiction can be trite and silly, but this story is so well crafted and written. I am at times angry with the protagonist, but she has made peace with her life in such a loving and generous way. And the love between sisters is so palpable

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Bluebird
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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1. Before I had an iphone I used to email myself recommendations from work buddies. Now people text me them, i take a photo of the book or add it directly to my tbr pile in librarything app.

2. I‘m not 100% certain what my next book will be, but I just got notice that my hold for Miss Austen by Gill Hornby is ready for checkout.

Thanks for the tag @EadieB
#two4tuesday

TheSpineView Thanks for playing! Happy Tuesday! 7mo
EadieB You‘re welcome! Thanks for playing! (edited) 7mo
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LeahBergen
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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I‘ve had this book on my TBR for ages and thought I‘d better read it before blindly ordering the author‘s next Austen era book. You know how that goes. πŸ˜†

Karons1 Enjoy ☺️ it‘s a lovely πŸ₯° simple tale 8mo
Cathythoughts Lovely looking book Leah πŸ’œ 8mo
jlhammar I didn't know about Godmersham Park yet. Might have to check that out once it's released. I really enjoyed Miss Austen. Great audiobook. I love the cover on yours. 8mo
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LeahBergen @Karons1 I really enjoyed it! ❀️ 8mo
LeahBergen @Cathythoughts Thanks, Cathy! 😘 8mo
LeahBergen @jlhammar I really enjoyed it! And just ordered Godmersham Park. πŸ˜†πŸ˜† 8mo
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mcctrish
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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Pickpick

I am regretting borrowing this book from the library and not being able to add it to my shrine to JA. It was a lovely fictionalized look at the lives of Jane and Cassandra Austin from Cassy‘s perspective ( quite a few Bigheads in the story to keep it on the JA moral path)

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mcctrish
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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In the NYT article about the new Persuasion movie on Netflix, GH sums up the basic moral issues in Jane Austen‘s work; β€œNobody Likes A Bighead” has me laughing out loud and thinking of the chapter a day of Longbourn going on now with @BarkingMadRun and Mr Collins springs to mind 🀣🀣

BarkingMadRead 🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣 8mo
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mcctrish
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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Fitting in nicely with my prepping for Persuasion on Netflix

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Amandajoy
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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@BayouGirl85 thank you for the book & recipes! I love Jane Austen & Austen adjacent books, so this is lovely. I just walked out to the garden and saw a whole bunch of strawberry blossoms, maybe later I‘ll have fresh strawberries for the galette. πŸ˜ŠπŸ“
Thank you for a fun, low stress #recipeswap @BennettBookworm !

BennettBookworm You‘re so welcome! 10mo
BayouGirl85 I am so glad you like the book and are excited about the recipes. We ended up being away from home yesterday. I will open/post this afternoon after work. 10mo
thegirlwiththelibrarybag πŸ“ yum! 10mo
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Librarybelle
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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In the line of recent publications on other aspects of Jane Austen‘s life and her characters/works, this one is a fictional look at Cassandra, one of Austen‘s most beloved #siblings . Again, one I‘ve recently acquired but have yet to read. I love the cover! #200PnPCovers

jlhammar I really enjoyed this one. Juliet Stevenson does an amazing job narrating the audiobook. 12mo
MaureenMc It‘s a lovely, gentle read. 😊 12mo
Librarybelle Thanks for letting me know, @jlhammar and @MaureenMc ! It sounds like a perfect read! 12mo
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KristiAhlers Oh! Now I need to go to the bookstore and look for this one! ❀️ 12mo
CrowCAH That‘s is a pretty cover. Glad her sister gets some attention! 12mo
mabell Such a pretty cover! 12mo
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squirrelbrain
Miss Austen | Gill Hornby
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Pickpick

As you said @Caroline2 , this was a lovely cosy read. Perfect for evenings by the fire!

I just had to share the fabulous back of the cover, which I hadn‘t even noticed until @LeahBergen pointed it out!

I‘m using this for #booked2022 #makeyourownprompt, which is #giftedbyalitten. This was my Blind Date with a Book from @CGainor3 when we had our Litsy meet-up #readingretreat at the end of last year -thank you Catherine!

Mitch That‘s really sweet 14mo
LeahBergen I was mightily impressed by it. πŸ˜† 14mo
CGainor3 Very true, it's a lovely cosy read! 😊 14mo
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