Godmersham Park: The Sunday Times top ten bestseller by the acclaimed author of Miss Austen

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In its moments of celebration, each family did reveal its true self. The Austens, she saw, were entirely contented unto themselves. There were no unsettling cross-currents of feeling, no signs of individual rancor or preference. They were all bound together by custom, tradition and an even, simple affection: united in their felicity.” (168) a b Hasted, Edward (1798). The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent. Vol.7. Canterbury: W Bristow. pp.319–32.

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. I was caught up in the novel immediately, as Anne was informed of her loss of income and change in status by a shady lawyer, but that part of the story was not really explored to its fullest. Since this is historical fiction, I would have liked the author to give us some real closure there. Anne's time at Godmersham was fairly short, as she only spent two years there. The best parts of the book were her interactions with Jane and the glimpse into the Austen family dynamics. Se concentra en ella y en Henry Austen, una especie de Henry Tilney que parece que se sintió atraído por la joven, aunque aquí no podía haber cuento de hadas, pues Henry estaba casado. También habla de la amistad de la institutriz con Jane, que era como la otra cara de la moneda de Henry, ambos agradables, interesantes, buenos y seductores. Y aquí es donde la ficción aparece, pues aunque sabemos los hechos, y aunque se respeta a los personajes, hay ficción en como se expresan estas relaciones.Beizsley, Daniel (11 October 2019). "Revealed: Farage's Brexit Party chairman facing questions over offshore tax haven links". openDemocracy . Retrieved 6 July 2020. A beautifully written though slightly melancholy book that imagines the life and circumstances of one of Jane Austen's most beloved friends... the shadowy, elusive governess Anne Sharp.

Jane Austen is my girl. She has been my girl for more years than I’m able to count, and I can’t think of a day where she will not be, in fact, my girl. I was desperate to read this book for its dip into Jane’s life through the eyes of Anne Sharp, the governess of her family’s children. Already miffed at her drastic change of circumstances, Anne is desolate when she realises that being a governess is akin to being invisible, 'She was neither a guest deserving of especial courtesy, nor a servant to be treated as a friend'. Things begin to look up when she becomes with Henry and Jane Austen, 'within the walls of that splendid, unforgettable park - her heart had been captured by both.' But could her connection to them, a triangle of sorts, ruin her chances to support herself as a governess? ANNE SHARP Gill Hornby proves herself adept in Austen's world through immense research and imagining, creating a phenomenal story that is about a woman who is clever enough to play the game of survival that is required of women in the Regency period. I enjoyed the pace of the story as well as learning about the family.The more peripheral characters, namely the other Austen family members and servants, are also worthy of praise. They are fleshed-out the ideal amount for secondary characters and contribute to the story in meaningful ways, avoiding the pitfall of so many ancillary characters – superfluity. Elizabeth Austen is a particularly well-penned character, exemplifying the expected behavior of a lady of the house. She is courteous to her servants, Anne included, but ultimately, she is their superior in rank, a fact which underlies her every interaction with them. I enjoyed Hornby’s previous novel Miss Austen, which imagines Cassandra Austen’s life after Jane’s passing. I was quite transported by Godmersham Park, which often feels as if from Austen’s own pen, perhaps melded with a less Gothic version of Charlotte Brontes’ Jane Eyre. In Hornby’s imagined tale, Sharp is abandoned by her father for mysterious reasons after the loss of her mother. Single and without much income, she’s forced to marry without affection or become a governess.

Then there’s Jane Austen. Hornby brings her to life with ease! Even though Austen doesn’t appear till about halfway through the book, she becomes a significant person in Sharp’s life – even more so than Henry.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 I first heard about Godmersham Park and that the story was about Anne Sharpe, a governess that worked with the Austen family, I was all over this book. I was so fascinated in learning about every facet of Jane Austen's life, that books like these have me intrigued and excited to read. More than that, I enjoy learning about the role of women in the early part of 1800's, that tells the story about the complexities of societal class, position, friendships, and matters of the heart. The book has slowly and gently built to two crisis points: Anne’s discovery of the truth about her father and her past as well as Anne facing facts about her feelings for charming Henry and Jane Austen. She soon finds herself employed by Mr. and Mrs. Edward Austen, governess to the 12-year-old Fanny Austen. RELATED: ‘Bloomsbury Girls’ Book Review: A Beautiful Tribute to Booklovers 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.