The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things: Byrne, Paula

The Real Jane Austen by Paula Byrne is a groundbreaking biography that sheds new light on the life of one of literature's most beloved novelists.

This book offers a fresh, compelling, and surprising portrait of Jane Austen, revealing a well-traveled and politically aware writer who was more complex and modern than previously thought.

By exploring the small things that held significance in Austen's personal and creative life, such as letters, tokens, and scrap of paper, Byrne transports readers to different worlds and events, from the East Indies to revolutionary Paris, and offers a vivid evocation of the world that shaped her.

With a novelist's persistent probing of the evidence, Byrne breathes new life into Austen and her works, revealing a woman of "wonderful exuberance and self-confidence," of "firm opinions and strong passions." This book is an excellent read for anyone interested in learning more about Jane Austen's life and works.