Your online source for Jane Austen and her legacy
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress:Â After a bleak and snowy winter season at Blue Willow Cottage, I am all anticipation of warmer weather and the fabulous new historical fiction books releasing in March, April, and May. Â I pawed through many new releases to narrow my list down, so if you are in... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Happy New Year Dear Readers! 2022 proved to be a fabulous year in the historical book arena. Of the 51 books that were reviewed here last year by our dedicated staff, several were outstanding and will remain favorites. Here is a list of our highest-rated and most cherished... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Jayda B. Justus: I am a huge fan of Little Women and read it multiple times as a child and adult, laughing and crying along with the March sisters (and desperately longing for sisters like them!). Marmee is a new novel retelling of the story from the point of view of... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Did you know that for several centuries Venice was one of the main stops during a British gentleman’s “Grand Tour” of the continent? The ancient city of islands and canals in northeast Italy is renowned for its beautiful architecture, artwork, and a fascinating history. Setting her new historical... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Few novels have touched and inspired young readers as profoundly as Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888). Originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869, it is a remarkable coming-of-age story of four sisters with distinctive, endearing personalities set during the American Civil War, and after.... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Rachel McMillan: “A drop of love sometimes brings an ocean of tears.” (137) After learning that Lynda Loigman’s forthcoming book was about a matchmaker in 1910s New York City, I begged her for any early PDF file. She was kind enough to oblige. After all, I had quite enjoyed the emotional... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Since watching the 1943 movie, So Proudly We Hail, I have always been interested in the story of military nurses in the Pacific during WWII. There are so many movies and books based on the Battle of the Philippines (1941-1942) from the male perspective that I was thrilled... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Theresa Smith: “You,” Elisabetta breathes, maliciously, almost delightedly. “You will be blamed. So be careful, Lucrezia. Be very, very careful.” In The Marriage Portrait, O’Farrell gives us a fictional retelling of the short life and marriage of Lucrezia de’ Medici (1545-1561), third daughter of Cosimo l de’ Medici, Grand Duke of... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Rachel McMillan: I first discovered Molly Greeley’s forthcoming novel Marvelous in a Publisher’s Lunch deal memo. Knowing Greeley was a fan-favourite after her two deliciously engaging re-imaginings of Jane Austen’s world (The Clergyman’s Wife, and The Heiress) I would read anything she wrote. The true story behind the couple from the... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Tracy Hickman: Natalie Jenner’s debut novel The Jane Austen Society was an international bestseller and one of my favorite books of 2020. Would Ms. Jenner’s latest novel, set in post-war literary London, hold up under the weight of public expectation and comparison with her accomplished first effort? Would the Bloomsbury Girls... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress:Â Happy Friday, dear readers. Spring is finally here in my neck of the woods. It is time of renewal, flowers, and new books! I am pleased to have a special guest with us today. Author Tessa Arlen has a new historical fiction novel arriving in July that immediately... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress:Â My tulips are sprouting! Spring is on its way here in the Pacific Northwest along with a great selection of new historical novels. Here is a curated list of my favorites for March, April, and May. The range of stories and settings are diverse: Georgian, Regency, WWII, and... Continue Reading →
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