3.5 stars for charming historical fiction with enough Jane talk to help sustain a fan's interest and enough character-driven development to please readers of post-war period pieces. The little village of Chawton and the estate there (where resides the last of Jane Austen's relatives) are beautifully drawn, and the book is populated with a slightly quirky cast of characters brought together by village life, their love of Austen's writing, and their increasingly urgent need to help preserve something of her history there. I think the blurbs are correct that fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie society would be pleased with this one as well. ⁣
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I felt like there were some pacing issues — the first half in particular progressed very slowly for me — and some realistic dialogue that was just a shade too realistic, tipping into vague at times. It was occasionally like listening from the next room and missing some of those important nonverbal elements that flesh out a full understanding of what's being said. ⁣
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Overall, though, an interesting premise and angle, solid writing, and an enjoyable read. My thanks to @netgalley⁣
and @stmartinspress for a digital ARC.⁣
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Content notes: substance use, addiction, grief, loss of baby, sexual assualt⁣