Synopses & Reviews
Jane Austen has become our patron saint of romance, our goddess of happy endings. Her name is synonymous with romantic sighs, period costumes, and the ideal of what love should be. But if she could give us advice about life and love, what would she tell us? What would she make of Match.com, of our Real Housewives, or of our obsession with finding The One?
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Austenand#8217;s stories give us relationship advice that still works today, but her life offers us so much more wisdom than just that pertaining to love. In our fame-obsessed culture, itand#8217;s refreshing to think that Austen preferred to remain anonymous. Ironically, Jane Austenand#8212;master of love storiesand#8212;never married and can teach us something about being single. She also endured many painful circumstances and managed them with grace and humor.
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In this light biography and guide, author Lori Smith surmises about Austenand#8217;s sensible advice for twenty-first-century womenand#8212;on everything from living our dreams, being a woman of substance, finding a good man, managing money, and much more.
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As such an astute student of human nature, Austen can teach us an awful lot about ourselves and about what it means to live well.
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Review
and#8220;Jane Austen has been my life coach since I first discovered Pride and Prejudice thirty years ago. After reading Lori Smithand#8217;s lovely The Jane Austen Guide to Life,
I now understand why. Part Austen biography, how-to-guide, and all heart, this engaging book will sensibly explain the mysteries of relationships, life,
and love that Jane Austen so excelled in on the page and in her own life.and#8221;
and#8212;Laurel Ann Nattress, editor, Jane Austen Made Me Do It and Austenprose.com
and#8220;Highly engaging. . . . Lori consults Jane Austenand#8217;s novels and letters and allows the authorand#8217;s sparkling wit, straight moral compass, and wise words to guide us in the 21st century. At times I could almost hear Jane speaking directly to me.and#8221;
and#8212;Vic Sanborn, Jane Austenand#8217;s World blog
and#160;Praise for Lori Smith's A Walk with Jane Austenand#160;and#8220;A lovely, intimate read.and#8221;
and#8211;Karen Joy Fowler, best-selling author of The Jane Austen Book Cluband#160;and#8220;Lyrical and questioning...perfectly pitched.and#8221;
and#8211;Emma Campbell Webster, actress, author of Lost in Austen, and founder of lostinaustenblogspot.com
and#8220;With wit, charm, and rare honestyand#8211;of which I have to believe Jane Austen would have thoroughly approvedand#8211;Lori Smith weaves her personal life experiences throughout her journey into the life that was Janeand#8217;s. Infused with faith, romance, loss, and a search for self, A Walk with Jane Austen makes for that rare book that keeps popping into oneand#8217;s thoughts and beckoning one back.and#8221;
and#8211;Tamara Leigh, author of Perfecting Kate and Splitting Harriet
Synopsis
Jane Austen's Guide to Life playfully and poignantly examines Austen's life andand#160;novels for the timeless advice that still applies for today's women. Austen may not understand texting or tweeting or platform heels, but as an astute student of human nature, she can surely teach us an awful lot about ourselves--and we might just be surprised by what she has to say.
Synopsis
Jane Austen has become our patron saint of romance, our goddess of happy endings. Her name is synonymous with romantic sighs, period costumes, and the ideal of what love should be. But if she could give us advice about life and love, what would she tell us? What would she make of Match.com, of our Real Housewives, or of our obsession with finding The One? Austen's stories give us relationship advice that still works today, but her life offers us so much more wisdom than just that pertaining to love. In our fame-obsessed culture, it's refreshing to think that Austen preferred to remain anonymous. Ironically, Jane Austen--master of love stories--never married and can teach us something about being single. She also endured many painful circumstances and managed them with grace and humor. In this light biography and guide, author Lori Smith surmises about Austen's sensible advice for twenty-first-century women--on everything from living our dreams, being a woman of substance, finding a good man, managing money, and much more. As such an astute student of human nature, Austen can teach us an awful lot about ourselves and about what it means to live well.
About the Author
Lori Smith is an adorer of Jane Austen and a member of the Jane Austen Society of North America. She is the author of A Walk with Jane Austen, which received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Smithand#8217;s writing has also appeared in Washington Post Book World, Publishers Weekly, Beliefnet.com, Skirt! and Todayand#8217;s Christian Woman. Visit her online at www.writerlorismith.com or at the Jane Austen Quotes blog, www.austenquotes.com.