Jane says that if I am to be the heroine of this story, something will throw a hero in my way . . .
I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend
and over 1.5 million other books are available for Amazon Kindle . Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. Learn more. |
Book Description
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
Book Description
Based on real events, I WAS JANE AUSTEN’S BEST FRIEND is the secret diary of Jenny Cooper, Jane Austen’s teenage friend and confidante. Their evenings are a blur of beautiful dresses, balls, gossip and romance; their days are spent writing about them - Jenny in her diary, Jane in her first attempts at fiction. When Jenny falls utterly in love with a handsome naval officer, obstacles stand in their way. Who better to help her than Jane herself, who already considers herself an expert in love and relationships?
About the Author
Cora Harrison worked as a headteacher before she decided to write her first novel, and she has since published twenty-six children’s historical novels and many books for adults. Cora lives on a farm near the Burren in the west of Ireland.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
This is a fictionalised narration of a few months in the life of Jane Austen when she was a teenager. It takes the form of a diary written by her friend and cousin Jenny Cooper who lived with the Austen family for a time. It gives an interesting insight into the life of young girls at the end of the 18th century. The book is aimed at children but it can equally well be read by adults. I found it fascinating and I think it would lead many people reading it to go on and read Jane Austen's novels. Many of the characters who appear will be familiar to anyone who is familiar with Austen's writing.
What is most interesting about the book is that `Jenny' Cooper did exist - though her real name was Jane. I found the love stories featured in the book touching and poignant and the relationships between the members of the Austen family were well drawn. The author says she took her information from letters between the various members of the family to make them authentic and to me the characters were completely believable.
I enjoyed this book and thought the line drawings scattered throughout the text helped to bring it to life. Life for respectable, but not wealthy, families is well described and this book would be a good way to absorb an accurate picture of what it was like to live in a large family with few servants at the end of the 18th century. The book shows how girls with no personal fortunes had to do their best to marry someone who was at least reasonably well off or they faced a dismal future as a governess.
What is most interesting about the book is that `Jenny' Cooper did exist - though her real name was Jane. I found the love stories featured in the book touching and poignant and the relationships between the members of the Austen family were well drawn. The author says she took her information from letters between the various members of the family to make them authentic and to me the characters were completely believable.
I enjoyed this book and thought the line drawings scattered throughout the text helped to bring it to life. Life for respectable, but not wealthy, families is well described and this book would be a good way to absorb an accurate picture of what it was like to live in a large family with few servants at the end of the 18th century. The book shows how girls with no personal fortunes had to do their best to marry someone who was at least reasonably well off or they faced a dismal future as a governess.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Although this book is aimed at the YA age group it is satisfying enough to appeal to older Janites too, I feel. I have been a long term fan of Jane Austen and found this book is a fun tale of how the teenage Jane Austen might have been. It is told through the eyes of Jane Austen's cousin Jenny (Jane) Cooper and some of it in diary form.
Nicely written and it had me getting a bit misty eyed in places. The addition of little sketches throughout the book also added to it. Capt Thomas Williams is a worthy hero of Jenny's affections and I liked the little incidences peppered around that made reference to Jane's future stories. A satisfying read. A nice book for the younger Austenites in the family, but the older ones might be in danger of borrowing it too!
Nicely written and it had me getting a bit misty eyed in places. The addition of little sketches throughout the book also added to it. Capt Thomas Williams is a worthy hero of Jenny's affections and I liked the little incidences peppered around that made reference to Jane's future stories. A satisfying read. A nice book for the younger Austenites in the family, but the older ones might be in danger of borrowing it too!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Sophie
Format:Hardcover
I thouroughly enjoyed this book. Light-hearted and easy-going I found this book the perfect read to fit into a busy life stye and to relax with after a long day. I loved the way the author described what life was like for young girls in the 1700's and how different it is today. As all the characters in this book are true, I was intrigued to read on as I knew that this story had actually happened. Very enjoyable and cheered me up. Reccomended for teenage girls who enjoy history as well as a romantic girly read.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see the review
5.0 out of 5 stars
Was this review helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Fun and frivolous
A fun and frivolous book for those who love Jane Austen - obviously not up to the standards of that wonderful author, but a nice gift for the Austen-lover in your life. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Simon Thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Simply Brilliant"
I loved it from start to finish, a simply brilliant book. Cora Harrison spins a web of romance and mystery, which makes the book hard to put down. Read more
Published 12 months ago by K. Scior
5.0 out of 5 stars
wow what a book!
i had heard about the book but had forgotten all about it until recently. i was delighted to find that there was a sqeaul to it too. Read more
Published 13 months ago by mitcjl
4.0 out of 5 stars
An attractive book, but perhaps for a limited audience.
I do wonder if the best thing about this book isn't the lovely artistic cover.
Our girls both read straight through the book, so it was certainly accessible, but it has... Read more
Our girls both read straight through the book, so it was certainly accessible, but it has... Read more
Published on 21 April 2011 by Prof TBun
3.0 out of 5 stars
It's fine
Review by my teenage daughter: I read this while doing work experience at the house where Jane Austen wrote many of her works, though not the one she lived in at the time of this... Read more
Published on 4 Mar 2011 by A. Key
5.0 out of 5 stars
Charming, a dose of girly Austen fun for teenage girls
I first saw this book under suggestions that Amazon had generated for me to read and fell in love with the beautiful cover. Read more
Published on 29 Oct 2010 by Judith Hill
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not sure who it was aimed at
I'm not entirely sure who this book was aimed at: it was about falling in love and marriage etc but the language was something more akin to a 11/12 year old. Read more
Published on 24 Jun 2010 by Boof
4.0 out of 5 stars
Girlie Charm
I have always been a big fan of Jane Austen and her novels so when I heard about this novel by Cora Harrison I was interested to read it. Read more
Published on 16 Jun 2010 by Essex Girl
2.0 out of 5 stars
Lessons, not lost, in Austen
I so did not like this book, and that was a shame because I thought I would. I found it cumbersome and heavy and I think it could have been a very light and delicate story. Read more
Published on 22 April 2010 by J. E. M. Kneale
5.0 out of 5 stars
A junior Pride and Prejudice!
When I received this book I was a little surprised that rather than adult fiction, it was aimed at young teenagers. Read more
Published on 18 April 2010 by Miss
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Children's Books > Fiction > Romance
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
