I've read a few Jane Austen biographies over the years, and this one quickly became my favorite. I read it in just a few short days and definitely recommend it to others interested in Jane Austen's life or in the lives of Georgian- and Regency-era women.

At first glance, the organization of the book by the homes that Austen lived in seems a bit contrived — it's basically just chronological order by another name, right? — but it's a contrivance that I 100 percent buy into. Home, and the precarious living situation of women, is a theme in Austen's work that always stands out to me, so the closer look at her own precious and precarious home life provides a meaningful framework here.

The details of Austen's life aren't particularly accessible, but the author's writing style is, and the research seems solid (and owes much to previous biographers, which is acknowledged). I'm not familiar with the author's other books or television work, but I've seen her writing style criticized, for this book in particular, as being a bit "breathless" (overly enthusiastic and star-struck). I thought it was fine. It's chummy and appreciative, but not fawning and overly eager. There is a bit more speculation than I need (I don't care to guess whether infant Jane Austen was swaddled or not) and some of the wide brushstrokes used to paint a scene for which little relevant information remains are sometimes too obvious and distracting. And I would have appreciated a family tree to reference, since the extended Austen family is somewhat sprawling and it's easy to lose track of the friends and family that are mentioned throughout.

Those are minor complaints, however, for a book that I enjoyed and certainly recommend.