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What's your favorite fandom? I definitely have a lot of favorite fandoms,
but one of my top fandoms is Jane Austen.
I love all things Austen.
I was excited to be on the book tour for the new novel
Godmersham Park by Gill Hornby. I enjoyed
Gill Hornby’s previous book Miss Austen about Jane’s sister, Cassandra. Godmersham Park is set at the estate of Jane’s
older brother, Edward, and is focused on his family’s governess Anne
Sharp. Edward was adopted by the Knight
family and inherited a great estate. He
also married Elizabeth Bridges and ultimately had eleven children, so a
governess was well needed. Who was Anne
Sharpe? That is the mystery of this novel. The novel starts with Anne being told that
her father has cut her off after her mother’s death and that she has to move
out of her house. Her father’s attorney has
recommended her as a governess to the Austen family. Anne starts in her new position
at the estate and gets to know its workings and the family. Through flash backs, the reader learns of the
life she lived before, which seems to be of a lady with means. What happened
that set her on the path to becoming a governess? Will she find success and happiness at her
new position?
I enjoyed reading Godmersham Park. I love reading about governesses and find them
intriguing. They are educated women of
some standing that are neither servant nor part of the family. They have to find
a way to find that fine line within their household. I loved how the story of this novel slowly
unraveled showing how Anne Sharpe ended up in the position that she was in and
who exactly she was before she was a governess.
The callous way that her father abandoned her after her mother’s death
was distressful. Anne didn’t want to marry,
but I think her mother was just trying to project her by pushing suitors her
way. I also loved seeing members of
Austen’s family such as her beloved niece Fanny and brother Henry. Henry is everyone’s favorite and is charming.
Jane Austen is first introduced via letters
until the reader finally meets her when she visits. She is delightful and becomes fast friends
with Anne. Anne unfortunately does not
have the best of times at her position.
Anne suffered from debilitation headaches, and I wasn’t
sure how to feel about the “help” that she received from Elizabeth. She pushed cures on her until she has a horrific
surgery. Was she just helping her
because she cared or was, she just helping her to keep a good governess? Regency era medicine was not the best.
There is an excellent author’s note at the end of the
novel that explains what happened to Anne Sharpe after her two years at
Godmersham Park. Jane Austen and Anne
Sharpe remained friends until Jane’s passing.
I loved the detail that an original copy of Emma was recently auctioned
that was dedicated by Jane to Anne Sharpe.
Anne Sharpe was able to have a successful life after her time with the
Austen-Knight family.
Overall, Godmersham Park is a great portrait of the
Austen family and the life of a governess during the Regency era. Both Anne Sharpe and Jane Austen found themselves
in positions that they couldn’t control due to being poor single women of the
era.
Review Copy from author Pegasus
Books as part of the Austenprose Book Tour.
Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions
expressed in this review are completely my own.
QUICK FACTS
·
Title: Godmersham Park: A Novel of the
Austen Family
·
Author: Gill
Hornby
·
Genre: Historical Fiction, Biographical
Historical Fiction, Austenesque
·
Publisher: Pegasus Books (November
1, 2022)
·
Length: (416) pages
· Format: Hardcover,
eBook, & audiobook
· ISBN: 978-1639362585
·
Tour Dates: October 24 – November 13,
2022
BOOK DESCRIPTION
A richly
imagined novel inspired by the true story of Anne Sharp, a governess who
became very close with Jane Austen and her family by the #1 International
bestselling-author of Miss Austen.
On January 21, 1804, Anne Sharpe arrives at Godmersham Park in Kent to
take up the position of governess. At thirty-one years old, she has no previous
experience of either teaching or fine country houses. Her mother has died, and
she has nowhere else to go. Anne is left with no choice. For her new
charge—twelve-year-old Fanny Austen—Anne's arrival is all novelty and
excitement.
The governess role is a uniquely awkward one. Anne is neither one of the
servants, nor one of the family, and to balance a position between the
"upstairs" and "downstairs" members of the
household is a diplomatic chess game. One wrong move may result in instant
dismissal. Anne knows that she must never let down her guard.
When Mr. Edward Austen's family comes to stay, Anne forms an immediate
attachment to Jane. They write plays together and enjoy long discussions.
However, in the process, Anne reveals herself as not merely pretty, charming,
and competent; she is clever too. Even her sleepy, complacent, mistress can
hardly fail to notice.
Meanwhile Jane's brother, Henry, begins to take an unusually strong interest in
the lovely young governess. And from now on, Anne's days at Godmersham Park are
numbered.
ADVANCE PRAISE
"This is a deeply imagined and deeply moving novel. Reading it made me happy and weepy in equally copious amounts…I read it straight through without looking up.”— Karen Joy Fowler, author of The Jane Austen Bookclub
· Hornby’s skillful mix of fact and fiction captures the complexities of the Austens and their era, and her crisp, nimble prose sparkles throughout. Best of all, Hornby genuinely channels the sentiment of 19th-century English literature. Janeites aren’t the only readers who will relish this smart, tender tale."— Publishers Weekly, starred review
· “…a well-written and delightfully observant novel…an excellent read.”— The Historical Novel Society
PURCHASE LINKS
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& NOBLE | BOOK
DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP | GOODREADS
AUTHOR BIO
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