Title: The Austen Girls
Author: Lucy Worsley
Genre: Historical fiction
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication: 20 July 2020
My rating: 3/5

Lucy Worsley, in her new novel The Austen Girls, takes us to the Georgian England and best portrays the 18th century lifestyle, rigid class system, love and marital expectations on women. Like in most Austen’s novel, marriage is the central theme here. Fanny Austen of Hampshire comes from a wealthy family and her cousin Anna Austen of Steventon comes from a lower economical background. Both the girls were pressurized by their families to find a suitable match as they came of age.

I enjoyed reading this fictitious take on Jane Austen’s life especially through the eyes of her cousins. Worsley did justice to the character Jane Austen by presenting her as Fanny’s and Anna’s wise and intelligent aunt who provides guidance and advice to her young and beautiful nieces on love, marriage and most importantly making them realize that life has so much more than just husband-hunting.

The book also portrays the rigid class system and how it played a major role in marriage in the Regency era. We can see how Fanny was necessitated by her mother Elizabeth Austen to court only men of same/ higher social status. We can also see Fanny’s struggle between her parent’s expectations and her own feelings for Mr.Drummer. The thought of their disapproval alone prevented Fanny from expressing her feelings to Mr Drummer.

I find Worsley’s writing quite engaging even though there isn’t any major twist or thrilling events in the book. Unlike Austen’s novel, there isn’t any romance to root for. Fanny and Mr Drummer’s love story is something that didn’t see the light of day and that really was a disappointment. If you are a fan of Jane Austen and would love to read her life and family then give this one a shot. You might enjoy it.