We are so spoilt this year for wonderful books celebrating the life, legacy and work of Jane Austen. I was so excited to discover that Helena Kelly had written a new book: I have waxed lyrical before about her book Jane Austen: The Secret Radical, which I recommend all the time.

Her new book, The Worlds of Jane Austen: The Influences and Inspiration Behind the Novels, is a comprehensive, fascinating and enchanting trip through the period Jane Austen lived in.

Out today, I am so honoured to share a review here, and thank Quarto Press for giving me a copy.

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One of the messages that I really took away from Helena Kelly’s book The Secret Radical is how important understanding the context of Jane Austen’s life, relationships, influences and the history that she lived through is to appreciating her work.

Building upon this, through her new, beautifully illustrated book, Kelly takes us on this journey. From the rectory at Steventon, to the impact of the French Revolution, journeying between city and countryside, to exploring the empire and slavery, this is an approachable and well-researched history of the period.

Austen’s life was sadly very short: she was born in December 1775, and passed away at the age of forty-one. However, so much happened and changed. Its a history you think you might know, but there are complexities to it that Kelly’s handling of are so impressive in this format.

Particularly fascinating to me was her exploration of seaside resorts, including a dive into Sanditon. I often wonder where this novel would have gone if Austen had the chance to finish, and Kelly examines the people, businesses and health benefits of seaside resorts during this period. As an avid Austen fan, it is also always learn more about the world of Austenmania, from festivals, to global Austen fandoms and the introduction of the term “Janeite”.

I also greatly appreciated that the opening page of the chapter on the countryside featured this stunning photo of Lyme Park, which featured as Pemberley in the 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice – my favourite.

In all seriousness, this is the kind of history treasury that will please not only any Austen fan, but anyone who has a fascination for what made this period so unique in not only British, but global history.

All of these influences poured into Austen’s pen, and by learning more about it, we can not only enjoy Austen’s work more, but have a greater appreciation of what she was trying to do. It also helped me understand exactly why I find her work so magnetic. As Kelly wrote in her final chapter, “It doesn’t matter that there are things we don’t know about her. It doesn’t even matter that we have no real idea what she looked like. She is whatever we want, or need: the glue that has brought people together, a teller of timeless stories, a guide and comfort, a route back into thinking about the past and a mirror to the present.”

This will sit alongside Kelly’s other book on my shelf, and I’ll enjoy returning to it for years to come. Published today by Quarto Press, I hope it will find its way into your Austen library too.

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Thank you Quarto Press for gifting me a copy of the book in exchange for review.