Dear Jane Austen: A Heroine's Guide to Life and Love: Patrice Hannon

There has been a recent and rather surprising upswing in the popularity of Jane Austen. Not only have her own books become favorites again but books themed around her own are becoming popular. One might attribute this rising interest to the rather appalling lack of manners that has become the norm in the new century. In Dear Jane Austen: A Heroine's Guide to Life and Love, Patricia Hannon answers questions from modern would-be heroines in the voice of Jane Austen, bringing her sense of style and subtlety to the women of today.

The book is written in an epistolary style as a series of letters from would-be heroines to Jane Austen. She answers them, across the void if you will, with knowledge of their modern situations. She expounds on everything from love and money to appearance and society. She counsels her correspondents about how far is too far to go in pursuit of a man, will living together definitely lead to marriage, and whether men really care about inner over outer beauty. She fills her replies with anecdotes regarding her books and the characters, and heroines therein. There are also journal style pieces of conversation between interupting but well-meaning sister, Cass, and brother Henry.

This definitely isn't a hefty piece of reading. It's a sweet little fluff book that you can take with you and devour at the beach or while wasting a few hours on a Sunday. For the devoted Jane Austen fan I would say it's probably a must have piece for the library, cute and light, but guaranteed to not hurt your brain.
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Paperback: 156 pages
Publisher: Plume (June 26, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0452288940
ISBN-13: 978-0452288942
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