January 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. But her mother has died and she desperately needs an independent income if she is to survive.

For her new charge, twelve-year-old Fanny Austen, Anne's arrival is all novelty and excitement.

But Anne is keenly aware that her new role is an awkward one: she 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 her instant dismissal.

She has just begun to settle into her position when dashing Henry Austen and his younger sister Jane come to stay.

Both take an immediate interest in the pretty, clever governess who quickly becomes drawn into the above stairs life of the Austen family.

Despite her best endeavours, Anne finds that she is beginning to fall in love. But has her survival at Godmersham Park just become a good deal more precarious?

This started so very slow!
Only in the middle it became more interesting. And I must admit that at the beginning I didn't like Anne Sharp at all.
She didn't "grew" on me but I kind of accepted her.
I did like the description of the way of life in these days and her connection to Jane Austen. I wasn't aware of this friendship.
Since Anne Sharp's beginning lies in the dark I think G Hornby has found a very satisfying possibility how it could have been!

ray!!
1. penelopewanders (F/ EU+UK)
2. Ythan (Scotland)
3. Soozreader (Fin)

On its way to France!
Happy Travelling....

This arrived while I was away from home for about ten days... I'll try to get to it soon but have some busy times ahead. Thanks so much for making this available and for sending.

This novel is a spin-off from Fanny Austen's daily journal, and focuses on her governess, Anne Sharp. Fanny is Jane Austen's niece, and eventually Anne Sharp and that branch of the Austen family meet.
It's an interesting hypothesis as to how this young woman came to find herself in the Edward Austen household.
Initially the self-imposed limits and restrictions set by Anne, aiming to become the ideal governess, are rather irritating, but eventually we get a better sense of who she is (or who she might have been), and the story is increasingly enjoyable. Her situation makes the precariousness of women at the time very real. It's extraordinary and heartening to read (in the Author's Note) how far Anne managed to go as a single woman at the time.
Here as a bookcrossing ray, this should head to Scotland next, and I suspect there might be a reader for it in Finland after that.

This Austen adjacent story now leaves central France and heads to Scotland, thanks to Kiki's bookcrossing ring.
Enjoy!

Arrived safe and sound. Thanks very much.

Got a few other books to read before this but will get to it soon.

I found this book to be a combination of fast and interesting to slow and repetitive in the first half, then the same again in the second half. I'd be interested in reading Fanny's diaries as some point.

On its way to Finland.

Thank you very much for the book! It has arrived safely to Finland!