Spill the Tea: Lyon’s Tea + Non-Austen Reads for Austen Readers: The Secret Adversary

I have mentioned in my previous posts, I have been wanting to take a “real” vacation, (not just a couple days and not for family reasons) for a looong time but I haven’t been able to these past few years for various reasons. I was finally able to in September 2023, as my sister and I purchased a cruise trip around Ireland. 

It however did not go according to plan. To begin with the waves were extremely rough with the ship rocking nonstop. But I was willing to put up with that, we were on a cruise after all. But when we got on the island all seemed well with us in Cork.

However, we discovered that our “rough weather” we faced was a lie perpetuated by the Norwegian Cruise Line; it turned out Ireland had been attacked by Hurricane Agnes. The Captain planned to take us up to Belfast to shelter off the coast, but he warned us that we might not be able to get off the ship until we reached Southampton for the final disembarkation

We spent three days stuck on the ship, but we were able to make our stop in the Killybegs’ port. We spent the day climbing Sliabh Liag, visiting Studio Donegal, and hanging out in Killeybegs.

The next day we went to Belfast and spent the day at the Titanic museum. 

Our last day in Ireland we had planned to go to Dublin, but as it took us hours to tender to port, we decided to stay in Dún Laoghaire. We walked all over the city, taking a stroll on the Dún Laoghaire Pier.

We managed to finally have some Irish tea in Dun Laoghaire at the historic People’s Park.

The other thing we had hoped to achieve, now that we knew the cruise line wouldn’t toss our tea, was to purchase some loose leaf tea. However we couldn’t find a single tea shop, just coffee shops or coffee roaster shops.

Sigh!

Ireland is number two in the world for most tea consumption, but we couldn’t find a tea shop in Killeybegs, Belfast, or Dun Laoghaire. Belfast might have had some, but we had been far too busy with the Titanic Museum we didn’t get to spend a lot of time in the city.

Oh well…

We did ask one of the shopkeepers at the Irish Design Studio and she recommended going to SuperValu in the mall to pick some up or another convenience store. That was something that I found a bit of a culture shock in Ireland, so many malls had grocery stores or thrift stores. We headed over there and were given many choices of tea, but I wanted something that was distinctly Irish or only something I could get in the United Kingdom.

The shopkeeper had suggested either Lyons Tea or Barry’s, Barry’s being her favorite; but as soon as I saw Lyons Tea I decided on it as they mention it in one of my favorite books, The Secret Adversary.

Lyons Tea was started earlier in England, but began their Irish business in 1902 in Dublin. They were also known for their tea shops all over England and Ireland from 1894 to 1981. I was excited to try it out.

According to an article I had read in Teatime Magazine Irish tea is strong; “so strong a cup can stand straight up in the cup”. Most are made with Assam and have a strong taste and are dark in color, often being compared to coffee. It is recommended to be served with sugar and cream/milk.

I have never enjoyed the Irish tea in the states, and was excited for this one. It took a long time but I was able to find a loose leaf version of the original blend. When we were home I tried it and loved it! It is so good and just like how I like my tea.

A few years back I was given a collection of five teas, A World of Teas. As I was about to try them out, I started thinking: which books would best suit these teas? After all, nothing goes together better than a good book and a delicious cup of tea.

Of course I had to pair the tea with the book I always associate with Lyons, The Secret Adversary.

The Secret Adversary (The Adventures of Tommy and Tuppence #1) by Agatha Christie

I’ve been wanting to review this book ever since my book club read it back in 2020, as it is one I recommended for the Non-Austen Read for Austen Readers List.

This book is one of Christie’s mystery/adventure stories/thrillers. It different from her Poirot or Marple stories as there is the mysterious element but with a focus on the adventure side. Tommy and Tuppence are two of my favorite Christie detectives, in fact I wish she had written more stories with them as they are a delight.

Mystery, you say?

The mystery begins with an ill fated sea voyage, (something I can relate to more after my Irish experience and another reason why this tea and book go together); the sinking of the Lusitania in May 1915. When people start moving to the lifeboats, a man approaches Jane Finn, an ordinary American girl who was traveling to become a nurse and assist in WWI. The man asks her to carry some secret papers as she is much more likely to get on a lifeboat than him, and as the USA was a neutral country at the time. Being a patriot for the cause, she agrees and takes the packet; changing her life forever.

Five years pass and we are introduced to our main characters, old friends Lt. Thomas “Tommy” Beresford and Miss Prudence “Tuppence” Cowley. The two haven’t seen each other in three due to WWI. Both are down in the dumps as they have no work, have not been successful in finding any, and are growing near to their last coin. They decide to treat themselves to tea at Lyons, where they share their WWI adventures and Tommy mentions how he overheard two men mention a name “Jane Finn” the other day, he remembers the name as he finds it very odd.

Tuppence decides they need to find a way to make money as the two have no hope of inheriting it or marrying into it.

She comes up with the idea that the two could start their own business- The Young Adventures, Ltd.-and that they should run an advertisement.

Two young adventurers for hire.

Willing to do anything, go anywhere.

Pay must be good.

No reasonable offer refused.

They part ways, but then Tuppence is approached by a man with a job offer. They meet the next day and he offers £100 for her (he doesn’t want Tommy) to travel to Paris, speak in an American accent, and pretend to be Edward Whittington’s ward. Tuppence is cautious about it and decides to give a fake name (as she doesn’t want to cause a scandal for her parents), deciding on “Jane Finn”. As soon as she utters them name, everything changes. Mr. Whittington is angry, accuses her of trying to play him, and questions who could have squealed-Rita? Tuppence “blackmails” £50 out of him, hears him talk to a “Mr. Brown” and agrees to meet him the next day for further payment. However, when she returns with Tommy, Mr. Whittington has disappeared.

Tuppence is not about to lose this big fish and the opportunity and has Tommy to put in a new advertisement:

WANTED:

Any information respecting Jane Finn

Apply Young Adventurers, Ltd.

They end up receiving two replies. The first is Mr. Carter who Tommy recognizes as a member of the OSS, who reveals to them how they had an operative on the Lusitania with the draft of a secret agreement, by various countries. When the boat was sinking the operative passed the documents to a young girl-Jane Finn-and he did not survive, but no one knows what happened to the girl or the documents. The girl was listed as a survivor, but she has completely disappeared. They need the documents as if they were to go public today in 1920, it would be disastrous. Agreements made in war do not always do well in times of peace and lately there have been unrest, lead by the elusive and villainous mastermind, “Mr. Brown”.

Tuppence is able to put the pieces together and concludes that Mr. Whittington wanted her to pretend to be Jane Finn, that is until it seemed she knew all about their plan. The call from “Mr. Brown” was probably one of warning and that is why the group vanished.

Mr. Carter hires them and the two start investigating. They begin by meeting the second person who answered their advertisement: Julius P. Hersheimmer. Julius is Jane’s cousin and a millionaire, who has been searching for her. He brought a picture to give to Scotland Yard but it turns out “Mr. Brown” tricked him out of it.

The three team up together as this case takes ups and downs and twists and turns. Kidnapping, imprisonments, mistaken identities, red herrings, Bolshevisks, amnesia, spy games, etc.

This is one of my favorite books and one I often reread. I love the story, the characters, the pacing, the reveal, etc.

I think it goes perfect with the tea as the characters are strong and I enjoy both of them the more I have them.

Now why for Jane Austen fans?

I recommend it for Jane Austen fans as first of all Tuppence reminds me a lot of Emma Woodhouse. She’s a strong character who believes she knows best, and while most of the time her intuition is correct she also has a hard time listening to other people. Besides being a strong capable person; she also loves adventure and watching/reading adventure stories. This reminds me of Catherine Morland, especially how she enjoys how quickly things are moving, along with not taking the consequences as seriously; believing it is all like a book and will work out.

Tommy has his own imaginative tendencies, like Henry Tilney, but tends to spend most of his life as calm collected and trying to keep Tuppence from going overboard; very similar to Mr. Knightley. Like Knightley, Tommy has to rein in some of Tuppence’s more extreme ideas.

The characters completely balance each other out; just like Catherine Morland and Henry Tilney and Emma Woodhouse and Mr. Knightley. The started off as friends so they have a more joking relationship similar to Knightly and Emma; or much like how Tilney and Catherine started. Also like Knightley and Emma it’s obvious to many that the two have feelings for each other; but it takes time for them to realize it.

Julius is a genial guy but had been raised rich, believing he can just use money to take care of anything. He doesn’t always think, but reacts; his blunt and charge ahead attitude reminds me of Frank Churchill and Mr. Willoughby; this young men who have always lived wealthy lives with little responsibilities. Although Julius is nicer than them, like Frank he too doesn’t see the harm in a mild flirtation.

Like the Austen novels, our characters fall victim to trusting someone they shouldn’t because they appear to be someone who is good and strong, but secretly rotten, and luckily they discover the truth before something too terrible happens.

From Clueless

A great read!

For more tea posts, go to Spill the Tea: People’s Park Café

For more Ireland posts, go to Trying Not to Pull a Louisa Musgrove: Walking the Dún Laoghaire Pier 

For more on Agatha Christie, go to Miss Marple and Jane Austen: You Can See Human Nature From Anywhere in a Small Village

For more Non-Austen reads for Austen Readers, go to Someone to Wed

For more mysteries, go to Catherine Morland’s Reading List: Dangerous to Know (Lady Emily Ashton Mystery #5)

For more spy stories, go to Undeceived: Pride & Prejudice in the Spy Game

Non-Austen Reads for Austen Readers: Someone to Wed

Someone to Wed (The Westcotts #3) by Mary Balogh

Non-Austen Reads for Austen Readers is something I started a while back for fans of Jane Austen who after reading all her works are looking for something new to read.

There are numerous variations of Jane Austen’s works, but while those adaptations are fun, sometimes you don’t always want to read the same story. Sometimes you want Austen-like works, but not exactly the same as Austen’s works. But what can you read instead?

That’s why I started this series. I will be reviewing books that have components of what we love about the Austen novels, but are not just another retelling, but their own unique story.

I was gifted book four, Someone to Care, in the Westcott series years ago and always meant to read the rest of the series but just hadn’t gotten around to it. When I spotted book one available on the Libby app I decided to give it a try and found it to be something I would recommend to Jane Austen fans.

This is a regency historical fiction romance that does have some spicy scenes. It’s very mild so if spice isn’t for you, you can easily skip those pages and move on to the rest of the book without losing too much of the plot, or if you are a fan of a spice in your romances this will easily satisfy you.

In the first book it turns out that the late Earl of Riverdale, the Westcott patriarch, never divorced his first wife making his marriage to Lady Viola and their three children by her completely illegitimate. Not only that, but his daughter, Ana, from his first marriage, which he deposited in an orphanage, inherited everything. His daughter, Ana, comes into society and has a lot to learn along with trying to bond with her newly discovered family.

Wow!

Book two, Someone to Hold, is from the point of view of the second eldest Westcott, Camille, who has been rendered illegitimate, has lost her fiancé, been sent from her home to her grandmother’s in Bath, and has just been hired to be a teacher in the very same orphanage that Ana grew up. I didn’t care for that book and decided not to include it.

This brings us to book three, Someome to Wed. When the Westcott children were determined to be illegitimate, the heir Harry lost the title of Earl and it was instead transferred to their cousin Alexander.

Unlike Pride and Prejudice, Alexander is described as a Prince Charming lookalike. Alexander did not want to become the Earl as he finally managed to get his home and property in order as when his father died he inherited a ton of debts and problems. Now saddled with even more tenants and property ignored by the former Earl, he is uncertain on how he will deal with them.

Sigh!

Wren Hayden is in her thirties and tired of living alone; having lost her aunt and uncle who were her adopted parents. Being the very, very wealthy heiress of a glassware company she is determined to find a husband and have children. The only problems, she never leaves her home. Born with a large birthmark on her face and told by her mother she was hideous, a mother who also locked her away in a room; she believes herself to be a monster on the level of The Phantom of the Opera.

Her uncle and aunt tried to convince her otherwise but Wren never lets any but those two see her face and wears a veil or veiled hat whenever she goes out.

But money can buy lots of things and she goes shopping for a man who needs money and would agree to a marriage of convenience.

When Wren propositions Alexander she has no idea what she is getting herself into. Alexander isn’t just a man to just take any wealthy woman; after working so hard to get himself out of debt and take care of his tenants; he’s been hoping to marry someone that he cares, respects, and loves. At first he is disgusted by the way Wren treats him, making him feel ashamed for his lack of money to fix the Earl’s debts; but when he gets to know her more and realizes this image she has of herself, that she has built a wall around herself, something reaches into his heart and he wants to help her, see if they suit each other, and possibly marry her.

Wren knew the moment she saw this handsome fairytale prince of a man she never should have continued her plan. How could someone who looks like him want her? But after they spend time together she starts falling for him and realizes that she can’t have him on the terms she had proposed. He deserves to be married to someone he loves. She releases him from the agreement and is determined to never see him again.

However, Alexander’s invitation to come to London for the season has made her curious l to go see the different things she has read about. The two run into each other and once Alexander has her back in his life he will not let her go, dterkined ones to marry her and help her see herself for who she truly is.

A cute story that I really enjoyed and anyone who has ever had body image issues will be able to relate to Wren.

So why would I recommend it to Jane Austen fans? First of all the character of Wren is capable, determined, and stubborn; reminding me of Emma. Like Emma, Wren has been in charge of her home (and the family business) and it has given her a sense to fully charge ahead and causes her to not easily listen to others when she believes she is right.

Alex is her perfect match being her Mr. Knightley trying to help Wren see the truth of who she is, not the lies her mother told; and helps her become a full person instead of the half type recluse she has become.

A terrible parent who makes things difficult for their children is something that these characters also have in common with the Austen characters. None of the Austen characters had a mother as terrifying as Wren’s mother; but Mr. Dashwood, Mr. Bennet, and Sir Walter Elliot are similar to the type of parent that Alexander grew up with. Like the Dashwood sisters, Bennet sisters, and Elliot sisters; Alexander has had to deal with his father’s poor planning.

Alexander also reminds me of Mr. Darcy as he loves his sister and would do anything to keep her safe; having sheltered her when her late husband was abusing her. He also puts his tenants first, sacrificing his plans and trying to make sure they are taken care of and self-sufficient.

Definitely worth a read for Austen fans.

For more by Mary Balogh, go to Someone to Love

For more Non-Austen reads for Austen Readers, go to Land of My Heart

For more historical fiction, go to Dangerous to Know (Lady Emily Ashton Mystery #5)

For more books set in the Regency Era, go to Sense and Second-Degree Murder

Four’s Dislike of Nine is just like Emma’s Dislike of Jane Fairfax: Comparing Characters in Emma to those in The Lorien Chronicles

As I have mentioned in my previous posts on Books, Tea, and the Trinity; (my book club/Bible study) we read books and meet weekly discussing how the book series relates to Christianity. We originally started with The Chronicles of Narnia, and after we completed the series we moved on to The Lorien Chronicles; a series chosen by one of our members. While The Lorien Chronicles isn’t Christian based, our friend felt there were a lot of themes that we could pull out of it that are related to Christianity.

One thing that struck me reading this series, particularly The Rise of Nine, was how similar to Four/John and Nine are to Emma Woodhouse and Jane Fairfax.

I know they sound like two completely different things, but I will give you a brief summary on The Lorien Chronicles and hopefully you’ll see my point of view. The Lorien Chronicles follows a group of teens who have been sent to Earth to save themselves from being destroyed when their planet was decimated. Most people of Lorien are born with special abilities; and in this utopian planet everyone’s life is chosen, with those who have no abilities being seen as lower in society. Setrákus Ra wants everyone to have powers so all can be equal, but ends up going about this noble thought in a very ignoble way; leading to a mutation of a species and then destruction of the Lorien planet. Nine children and their mentors travel to Earth to hide themselves, develop their powers, and to one day save the universe. Each one has a protection spell to keep them safe, but when they are together it makes their protection weaker.

The first book follows John, number Four, who wants nothing to do with his Lorien life. He wants to be normal and have normal teenage experiences, his mentor having to cajole him into trying to learn about Lorien and see what abilities he has been gifted with. However, his idyllic life in Ohio is stopped when they are discovered and hunted down by Setrákus Ra’s cronies. They have to flee, eventually joining up with number Six.

In The Rise of Six, they have to split up with John/Four and a friend going Southwest to find one of Setrákus Ra’s hideouts and the special Lorien chests stolen from the fleeing Loriens; and Six going to Europe as she is on the trail of two other members of Lorien. When John/Four finds the hideout and rescues items he also finds, Nine, who had been kidnapped and tortured. John frees him, they reunite with Six and the others, eventually track down the rest of the Lorien people, train together, get betrayed, discover the secret of Lorien chests, and not only fight Setrákus Ra, but completely change the fate of Earth forever.

These two works of fiction do not have a lot in common, except for Four and Emma; and Nine and Jane Fairfax. Both Emma and Four have been raised with opportunity, privilege, and abilities; but instead of applying themselves to anything they have only given a half-hearted effort at things.

For Emma she is passable at drawing and playing the piano, never really attempting to try and do well at it. With reading, she makes many lists of what books she will accomplish, but never follows through. She is talented and has run the household from a young age; but she never applies herself in the things important to her education as a person, things that other characters wish were available to them. Her father dotes on her and never pushes her, her governess is more friend than mentor and also never tries to have her apply herself more; the only one who attempts at having her develop more as a person is Mr. Knightley, and she tends to ignore him.

As daughter of the leading man in her community, Emma feels confident in who she is until Jane Fairfax is mentioned.

Jane is literally a poor orphan who has had a few privileges, (nothing like Emma), but has surpassed Emma in all accomplishments. When Jane returns to Highbury Emma feels completely inadequate next to her, as Emma has no reason to not be at a similar level except her own lack of motivation.

“Emma was sorry;—to have to pay civilities to a person she did not like through three long months!—to be always doing more than she wished, and less than she ought! Why she did not like Jane Fairfax might be a difficult question to answer; Mr. Knightley had once told her it was because she saw in her the really accomplished young woman, which she wanted to be thought herself; and though the accusation had been eagerly refuted at the time, there were moments of self-examination in which her conscience could not quite acquit her.”

Emma by Jane Austen

She reasons away her feelings by saying she does not like Jane because she is cold and reserved, when in reality she has not made any real effort and does not want to try as she is jealous and does not like feeling inferior.

“But ‘she could never get acquainted with her: she did not know how it was, but there was such coldness and reserve—such apparent indifference whether she pleased or not…and she was made such a fuss with by every body!—and it had been always imagined that they were to be so intimate—because their ages were the same, every body had supposed they must be so fond of each other.’ These were her reasons—she had no better.

Emma by Jane Austen

Emma is very rude to Jane (in a civil way outwardly), not enjoying her company when she can make fun of her with Frank Churchill and speculate about her imperfections; thus depriving herself of real friendship.

John/Four reacts the same way with Nine. Before meeting Nine John/Four, was the only male Lorien and and has always felt special as he has spent his time around humans. He also has a rare legacy, Lumen, can can bring light or fire;along with being able to talk to animals. As I mentioned before he has never really wanted to work hard at his legacies or train; like Emma he was fine just coasting by; and unlike other characters he hadn’t had a need to until he was much older. He also had a bit of the chosen one complex-as he has his special abilities and has been better than the humans he has been surrounded with. He later meets Six who helps him train and develop his powers but he never sees her abilities or strengths as a threat to him.

Everything’s chill.

That is until Four meets Nine. While John/Four has always been seen as a good looking guy, in the last two books he had quite a few ladies interested in him; Nine is taller and more muscular, very secure in who he is, and a bit a. flirt. Unlike Four, Nine has been taught survival training, how to hunt for food, create defensive protection, has knowledge of the items in his Lorien chest, has his powers completely under control, and is a great fighter. While also sharing the ability to speak to animals (John’s ability no longer being unique) he also can create an anti-gravity field and has enhanced strength, speed, hearing, and agility.

Wow!

While Nine should be a great ally for John/Four, the two being friends that can help strengthen and train each other; just as Jane would have made Emma a great friend; both Emma and John/Four don’t see it that way. Like Emma, John/Four feels threatened by Nine and immediately dislikes him and finds fault with everything Nine does. Instead of trying to work, learn, or utilize Nine; like Emma John spends most of his time complaining and making fun of him. John/Four likes to blame the lack of connection and comradeship on Nine’s outgoing and bold personality; the truth of it is that just like Emma he is jealous.

YEEEEES!!!!!!

Like Emma, John/Four has no reason not to be as good as rival as he has the ability, time, a willing mentor, and his own chest. The only one he can blame for not him being as well versed in Lorien knowledge or fighting skills, is himself as he never was willing to try and really train at it.

When Emma plays the piano at the Cole’s party she does well, but compared to Jane, Emma feels completely inadequate-with only herself to blame.

“…and at the same moment Mr. Cole approaching to entreat Miss Woodhouse would do them the honour of trying it [the piano]…and as, in every respect, it suited Emma best to lead, she gave a very proper compliance.

She knew the limitations of her own powers too well to attempt more than she could perform with credit; she wanted neither taste nor spirit in the little things which are generally acceptable, and could accompany her own voice well…They [Emma and Frank Churchill] sang together once more; and Emma would then resign her place to Miss Fairfax, whose performance, both vocal and instrumental, she never could attempt to conceal from herself, was infinitely superior to her own.

With mixed feelings, she seated herself at a little distance from the numbers round the instrument, to listen.

Emma

Like Emma, John/Four has a similar experience when he gets bested by Nine in a fair fight. Believing himself to be a strong fighter, he discovers that his lack of motivation in improving himself coming back to bite him.

Eventually, after much time and trials, both characters grow as people and realize their mistakes, and in the end retire the word rival for that of friend.

Have you ever read a book and thought the character reminded you of a Jane Austen figure? If so, comment below. I would love to check it out for myself.

For more Emma, go to Being Trapped on a Cruise Ship Full of Passengers Ages 60+ for Three Days Due to Hurricane Agnes, Gave Me More Insight to the Character of Emma Woodhouse and Why I Would Never Travel Norwegian Cruise Line Again

For Non-Austen Books that make me think of Jane Austen, go to Non-Austen Reads for Austen Readers: Someone to Love

Jane Austen Word Search (Brain Games)

I was gifted this word search years ago as a Christmas gift, I always meant to use it but had misplaced it in my last move. I found it and decided to crack it open and try it out.

The book is a collection of word searches, but not just word searches, with some pages having passages from Jane Austen texts, to having you solve anagrams to find the words to search for, answer trivia questions, fill in quotes, etc.

The word searches run from easy passages with an average collection of words to very difficult ones with large passages from Austen’s novels and with tiny printed word searches.

You might need one of these.

It is a fun diversion, and there are only two things I didn’t like. The last word search in the book was on Austen adaptions and has questions about actors, screenwriters, and directors. My complaint is that they got one of the names wrong, listing Jeremy Northam as Jeremy Thompson.

What??

Probably a printer’s error.

The other thing I disliked is that it is spiral bound and my kittens keep trying to bite the metal. I have to shelve it pages out to keep them from it.

But I otherwise found it a fun and diverting thing to do, especially with these past rainy days.

To purchase your own copy, click here!

For more word searches, go to Ireland Cruise: My Jane Austen Travel Must Haves

For more Jane Austen stuff, go to Clueless Party Game: Ugh As If! Edition

Am I the Only One Who Didn’t Enjoy the Book the Jane Austen Society?: Book and Audiobook Read by Richard Armitage Review

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner

I have a google alert for Jane Austen so I always get any Jane Austen related news. I might not post on it right away-but I always get read press right away.

I read press surrounding this book when it was first published as you know I am interested in anything Jane Austen related.

When this book was added to my libraries collection, I was the first to check it out, but didn’t get a chance to read it in the time allotted. It happened several times with me checking the book out and returning it, while I saw people post about how much they enjoyed it on instagram.

I saw the audiobook on libby and decided to borrow it especially as I saw that Richard Armitage was narrating it.

I started listening to it and quickly became confused. There seemed to be a lot of time jumps and then some of the characters they introduce they don’t give a name to immediately? And time seemed to go so fast! The war just started and then it was ended? Was it because it I was listening to it?

Where is everyone?

I then checked out a physical copy but continued to dislike the book. I’m not sure why so many people enjoyed this book and promoted it.

On the dust jacket it describes the book as:

With the winds of change blowing through the country in the postwar days and the cottage’s future now in the hands of fate, a group of disparate individuals fight to preserve both Austen’s home and her legacy for the world. These people- a farmer, a young war widow, the village doctor, an employee of Sotheby’s, a Hollywood star, a local solicitor, the anticipated heiress to the estate, and a precocious house-girl could not be more different, and yet they are united in their love for the works and words of Austen. As each of them endures their own quiet struggle with the loss and trauma of war and other tragedies, they find solace, connection, and hope in rallying together to create the Jane Austen Society.

I thought this book was going to be about them becoming the society, but they don’t even begin the start of it, or even “thinking about it”, until 200 pages in, that’s 2/3 of the book! In fact for a book called The Jane Austen Society, there is very little Society and as a Society they do very little at all; meeting like only three times, publishing an ad in the paper, and buying books from the estate. I expected a lot more from this book.

The story is also a bit of a mess as it is a bunch of tangled tales of different people living in a postwar England (with one American) that the author seems to tentatively tie together within the last very few pages.

Hmm…

The Jane Austen Society plot which doesn’t enter the chat until page 200 is that Chawton House is supposed to stay in the Knight family but the father is a terrible jerk and misogynist who has written his only child out of his will as she is a girl and he decides to give everything to his next male relative, with Fanny, his daughter, having the cottage until she dies unless the whole estate is sold. While this is happening the society has just formed and was hoping to purchase the cottage for a new museum. The new heir is a wastrel that wants money for gambling and prepares to sell the whole estate to a hotel/golf chain, but unbeknownst to everyone one of the Society members is actually the real heir to the estate. Should he take his inheritance and save Jane Austen’s home; or just purchase the books and risk the loss of this famous estate being destroyed?

I’m going to go through the character threads one by one, working through them as they are introduced on the dust jacket.

Farmer

So each character kind of “follows” an Austen plot. Adam is a local farmer and groundskeeper of Chawton who has never been interested in Jane Austen until he helps an American find the path to Jane Austen’s house. The American later turns out to be a famous actress, but at the time she was just a symbol to Adam of hope beyond the war with her sweetness. After she encourages him to read Jane Austen, Adam does so and becomes a giant fan, with Pride and Prejudice being his favorite.

We don’t get a lot of development with him other than his thoughts about Jane Austen and being thankful for Mimi, the actress, bringing Jane Austen to his notice. I thought he was going to turn out to be Elinor in Sense and Sensibility with the engaged Mimi being his Edward Ferrars. However, the author decides to throw in the last minute that he is actually the real heir to Chawton as his mother and James Knight, Fanny’s father, had an affair. Instead of claiming his inheritance and saving tbe house and cottage, making it a museum as he wanted; as he was the one who initially came up with the idea of the society. He decides to put the idea of claiming his inheritance to the society for a vote and for some convoluted reasoning they decide that it is better for him not to claim his inheritance as the the gossip will be too much for such a “shy” person and he will regret the story of his birth???

What? Yeah some people might talk, but a lot of a people would also kiss up to him being the new heir, new community leader, and not to mention he will be able to achieve his dream of the Jane Austen museum, and get to save the house from being knocked down to make a hotel and golf course. Like doesn’t that solve all their problems?

But no, he decides to do nothing and instead this “so shy guy” who can’t be the “center of attention” and doesn’t want to make a choice that will cause the “whole village to talk about him”; decides to instead be openly gay and buy a farm and live with a man. For someone who doesn’t want to be the talk of the village; how does choosing to be openly gay in a time when it was against the law, a less talked about option than claiming your Knight and Austen inheritance?

None of that makes any sense to me. I also thought Adam’s relationship with Mr. Yardley was kind of out of left field for me as he wasn’t with or seems interested in anyone; except he did think about Mimi and there were several references and callbacks to the scene that Adam helped Mimi. But that turned out to be a red herring. Instead he ended up being Julia Bertram, with Mr. Yardley his Mr. Yates; a union that you didn’t see coming.

War Widow & Village Doctor

The young war widow, Adeline, is tied up in the same storyline as the Chawton village doctor, Dr. Gray; our Emma and Mr. Knightley. Dr. Gray’s wife passed away years earlier when she fell down the stairs. The doctor has never remarried but has feelings for Adeline that are obvious to everyone but him and Adeline. Adeline was the local teacher, often butting heads with Dr. Gray who is on the school board, leaving her job when she married a local boy before he went off to war. Her husband passes away and she also ends up losing her baby; but we later find out she never really loved her husband that way, instead marrying him under the pressure of war and because he loved her.

She and Dr. Gray discuss books and are obviously in love; but have a weird fight where she gets angry and yells at him for no reason. I reread the chapter and listened to the audiobook and was like did I miss pages, did it accidentally skip? I have no clue why she is so upset and after I reread it, it still didn’t make any sense.

Where is everyone?

First Adeline is angry that he assumes she quit him as a doctor because “he lost her baby”; but what is he supposed to think when she suddenly drops him as a doctor after losing her baby? She doesn’t even give him a reason just says she prefers a new doctor over an hour away (it is really is because she has feelings for him). Then when he tries to admit his feelings for her she gets angry and accuses him of just trying to be with the first woman that is available. Like what? He’s been single for many years and serval women are after him, but if he was looking fnor the first available woman he wouldn’t pick you, there are plenty other he could get his kicks with. I don’t know what the author was doing here, nor did I enjoy it. It felt like contrived drama although they end up together, obviously.

I call them the Emma and Knightley as the doctor is older than Adeline and has known Adeline since she was young, he also took on that role of trying to help navigate her when he was on the school board. Unlike Emma, Adeline and been in love with the doctor for a long, long time.

An Employee of Sotheby’s

Mr. Yardley works at Sotheby’s and is the least developed character in the whole book. We know he loved Jane Austen, works at an auction house, is gay, and has a dream of being a “farmer”, i.e living on a farm while someone else takes care of the actual farming. That’s it that’s all we know of him, not what brought him to Austen, what he thinks of her works, how the war affected him, why does he dream of being a farmer, what about his family, etc. He and Mimi discuss his love life and how it’s hard for him to date as he could end up in jail so I had a momentary feeling they would pair him up with another guy in the society, but as both Forrestor and Gray were spoken for, that only left Adam who I thought was going to get with Mimi. I wish they had done more with Yardley; but instead he was just a piece of the scenery. Like I said before, the two make me think of Julia Bertram and Mr. Yates.

A Hollywood Star

Mimi Harris is an American actress and the daughter of a judge. Her father was the one to introduce her to Jane Austen and the two loved to read through all the books. She ends up going to Chawton running into Adam and encouraging him to read Jane Austen, opening up a love of the author. Later she becomes a stage actress, eventually moving to Hollywood. In Hollywood, Mimi meets Jack, an American businessman and producer (who feels like the author copied Markam V. Reynolds from The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society). Jack is a narcissist who wants Mimi as she is not initially into him, and won’t sleep with him right away. He buys her all kinds of Jane Austen things and agrees to make a Sense and Sensibility film starring Mimi as Elinor. Jack is a terrible person who always puts himself and needs/desires first; a Willoughby through and through-always going to sacrifice anything for his bottom dollar. Mimi is assaulted by a studio head and Jack beats the guy up getting her out of her contract; but is later willing to sacrifice her dignity by using said studio head to finance the Sense and Sensibility movie; dumping Mimi as the lead actress because the studio head who assaulted Mimi won’t give him money for the film unless Mimi is out.

Clearly Wontagby

He also has the Wickham’s mercenary heart as he is a part of the group planning on taking down the Chawton home to create a hotel/golf course. With a few pages to spare Mimi finally realizes the terrible guy he is and dumps him, turning him into the feds.

Mimi’s feelings

I thought it was odd that the studio head would attack Mimi with her father being a judge, but then they drop that he committed suicide near the end of the book. And that was another issue I had with the novel, the author liked to do these bombshells of character history/development but moved so fast that as you try to wrap your mind around it, she’s already moved on. It’s like emotional whiplash.

Local Solicitor and the Anticipated Heiress to the Estate

Fanny Knight is our Eleanor Tilney/Anne Elliot. She has an abusive controlling father, has become gray from living under his thumb, loses everything with grace (not even trying to fight for her inheritance) and ends up with the man she her once loved and was secretly engaged to; solicitor Andrew Forrestor.

Andrew Forrestor has loved Fanny for a long, long time; but was unable to stand up to her father. He then turned himself to work and built up his practice, staying the solicitor to the Knight family so that he can still be connected to Fanny. When Mimi calls off her wedding, he proposes to Fanny and they walk down the aside getting their happily ever after.

precocious House-Girl

Evie is a village girl who’s dreams of more ended when her father was injured in a farm accident and she was sent into service to the Knight Family. She reads every night and begins cataloging the Chawton library. She is observant but has an overactive imagination, the “Catherine Morland” of the book. I wish we had more of her character but that’s mostly it.

That’s my biggest problem with the book, only half the characters are actually developed. It feels like these are just outlines instead of fully developed people/figures. It’s not a length issue as the book is 300 pages long, and I have read books of the same and shorter that had more development. I think Jenner had an idea, but just wasn’t able to fully complete it, maybe she should have just focused on one character or two instead?

Richard Armitage reads it well, but even he couldn’t save the book for me. I did not enjoy it but would be interested in why others liked it or disliked it. Please comment below and let me know your thoughts.

For more fictional books based on Jane Austen, go to Just Jane

For more audiobooks, go to Jane Austen, the Secret Radical Audiobook Narrated by Emma Bering