Dearest Cousin Jane: A Jane Austen Novel
Jane Austen, along with her family, once again feature prominently in Pitkeathley's latest romantic, meticulously researched period melodrama. This time around, Austen's glamorous cousin Countess Eliza de Feuillide (once known as simply Betsy) takes center stage. Suggesting that Eliza made a significant impression on Jane's development as an author, Pitkeathley depicts a spirited woman who certainly made an impact on the entire Austen clan, as well as stole her share of hearts, including her first husband Jean Capot, the Comte de Feuillide, who was guillotined in 1794. Pitkeathley (Cassandra and Jane) explores several impressions of Eliza, who ultimately married Jane's brother Henry, through the various perspectives Austen family members; while Jane's is naturally appealing, Eliza's viewpoint is far more fascinating, especially as she worries about her impending death from breast cancer.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.