Do you mean to say, that if I believe in your story as you have told it, then it is as good as if it were true?
- from The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James
What if Jane Austen’s long lost memoirs were waiting to be discovered, tucked away behind an attic wall at Chawton Manor House? What if Austen’s romantic heros were inspired by someone who was dear to her? That is the premise behind Syrie James’s beautifully written, fictional memoir. Carefully weaving together details from Austen’s letters and novels, as well as early biographical accounts of Austen’s life, James makes the reader believe that this tale of love found and lost really was written by Austen herself in the months leading up to her untimely death.
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I’m in a bit behind on school work at the moment, so this review is shorter than most.
The Lost Memoirs was a truly engrossing read and made me yearn to re-read Sense and Sensibility after reading about Jane’s struggle to edit what would be her first published novel. I was eager to read this book after reading The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë and I was just as pleased with James’s treatment of Austen’s memoirs as I was with Brontë’s diaries. Overall, a great tribute to the life of Jane Austen and a worthy addition to any collection of Austenesque works.
Tags: austenesque, historical fiction, jane austen, regency, syrie james
I just saw that you were reading The Savage River Valley…I saw it on Barnes n Noble website and thought it looked good. Did you finish it? What did you think?
Hi Luisa,
I just finished it today
. It starts off slow, but picks up after the first chapter. It’s interesting, a little bit of mystery and history. If you’re into historical fiction about Native Americans, you might enjoy it.