Cassandra & Jane

July 28, 2008
Following Jane Austen's untimely death in 1817 at age 41, her “most beloved sister” destroyed most of their correspondence; in her first novel, House of Lords peer Pitkeathley attempts to fill in the gaps through the eyes of Cassandra, Jane's closest confidante and sharpest critic. Cassandra tells of the Austen family's precarious position on the lowest tier of Hampshire's aristocracy, Jane's early attempts at “scribbling” and the crushing romantic disappointments of the two. Throughout, Cassandra's detailed look at her younger sister showcases not only Jane's literary accomplishments and “the low spirits, the anger, even the bitterness in her,” but also her indefatigable romanticism. Cassandra's voice is perfectly pitched, true to Austen's England, and jam-packed with Austen trivia. Descriptions of known events in the sisters' lives, however, tend toward the didactic, especially compared to Pitkeathley's imaginative leaps regarding the sisters' secrets; as such, the seams between actual and imagined history are entirely too visible. Ardent Austen devotees will be undeterred by the uneven narrative, but casual fans may want to pass.

September 15, 2008
While Jane Austen is recognized the world over as one of the greatest storytellers in the English language, in this fictional work, the talent does not extend to her sister. This first novel by Pitkeathley imagines the relationship between the sisters Austen, as told from Cassandra's first-person point of view. Unfortunately, Cassandra is a dullish narrator, wringing her hands and denigrating herself throughout the book. The character may indeed have been an early model for "Sense and Sensibility"'s Elinor Dashwood (as Pitkeathley seems to imply), but she has none of the sparkle, wit, or drollery of Miss Dashwood, instead possessing an abundance of prudery and simpering judgment. From Cassandra, we get only the merest glimpses of the secret side of Jane that her sister claims to know better than any other. Accuracy aside, the novel fails to entertain with the story of Austen's life. Originally published in the United Kingdom in 2004, the book appears to be releasing Stateside to capitalize on the popularity of recent Austen biopics. Recommended for Austen completists.Amy Watts, Univ. of Georgia Lib., Athens

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2008
Written several years before the movie Becoming Jane, which detailed Jane Austens romance with penniless Irishman Tom Lefroy, Pitkeathleys lively novel about the Austen sisters is newlyavailable in the U.S. The Lefroy flirtation occupies only a few pages here; the focus is Jane and Cassandras sisterly bond. Writingfrom Cassandras point of view, Pitkeathley limnsthe complex relationship between the sisters, whileimagining what might have been in the letters that Cassandra famously burned toward the end of her life. The only girls born to the large but impoverished Austen family, Cassandra is much quieter and more reserved than her vibrant, outgoing younger sister, Jane. The Austen girls grow up under enormous pressure to marry, but their love lives are rife with tragedy. Cassandra is engaged to a young clergyman who diesat sea, while Jane has several disappointments in love and receives a proposal from a man she has no affection for. It is in the writing of her novels that Jane finds joy and hard-won success. A must-read for Austen fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)