Jane of Austin: A Novel of Sweet Tea and Sensibility

by Hillary Manton Lodge
Hennepin County Library paperback 308 pages
genre: Christian romance

This clever little retelling of Austen's Sense and Sensibility had lots of fun surprises in store! When I first saw the title, I couldn't figure out why she misspelled the famous author's name. But it's Austin (in Texas) not Austen (Jane).

The protagonist, Jane Woodward, has an older sister Celia and younger sister Margot. Their mother has died and their father has had a major financial and career crisis.

Page 63 - "I'm not saying we should go back. We can't afford it. I just . . . I don't like it. I don't like limbo." Jane to Celia - and I can so relate! I struggle with the unknown. I like to have a plan and a to-do list. I'm learning to trust God and not try to figure everything out.

Page 90 - There are recipes at the end of the chapters. Most of them are things I know I would never make, though I'm sure I'd love to eat them! (Most of the scones . . . ) But the fancy coleslaw recipe intrigues me. I don't usually like to mix sweet and spicy (pineapple and jalapeno), but I think I might really enjoy this one. I won't blog it here, but it's worth checking out!

Page 106 - Each chapter also has a quotation at the start. Many of them relate to tea. I tagged this one to send to my friend Mary. She is my favorite tea-drinker in the world! "If you are cold, tea will warm you. If you are too heated, it will cool you. If you are depressed, it will cheer you. If you are excited, it will calm you." - William Ewart Gladstone

Page 182 - Unbelievable! What a snake. I see why Katie said, "There's a good old-fashioned villain in the story." Yep. Poor Jane!

Page 238 - I knew beyond a shadow of doubt what would happen for the rest of the book. My thinking about Austen's Sense and Sensibility was completely "on" here. Why did it take me so long? I think because Jane is clearly the protagonist in this story and I like her a lot. In S and S, Elinor is my favorite and I kind of despise Marianne, the middle daughter.

Page 281 - When Celia asks Jane if she's happy, I love her response! "I like this. I'm good at it. It's not what I would have chosen at nineteen. It's good to have dreams. But sometimes dreams change, or take different forms, or you go down a path and realize that while it's not the beach, you really like the forest."

I enjoyed this book and look forward to discussing it at book club in two weeks!