Plot Overview:

I’m afraid I will not do this work justice, but here we go:

The late 18th century, a day and age when most women care for little but to catch hold of a wealthy husband - that is, unless they are the Dashwood sisters. Elinor and Marianne, as different as two siblings can be: Elinor - sensible, caring, reserved, and Marianne - frank, emotional, impulsive, are turned out of their family estate (along with their mother and younger sister) when it passes to a male relative. Settling into a cottage far in the country among unfamiliar new neighbors, the two sisters must endure love, secrecy, jealousy, and heartbreak - and all the while hold the hand of the other.

Critique: I’m not very good at summaries, so I’ll do my best to express down here how much I loved this book! Whenever I am sick and bored from inability to do anything active (as I was this weekend), I often look to writers like Jane Austen as a pastime, but this novel topped my expectations. Due warning: it is focused on romance and told from a very “feminine” perspective, and with the language of the time period (we love our olden-day vocabulary and sentence structure :). The mellow style only complemented the great character development and well-integrated plot-twists, a combination of which was exactly what I needed to keep me engaged but not over-excite my nerves. If you have long been thinking about engaging some satirical romance (seriously - when this book was first published, the cover page simply read “By a Lady” :), this book is your way to go.

Star Rating: 5/5

More from Ms. Yang: I love that you mentioned Jane Austen's satirical voice! So often the focus is on the romance, but she definitely had views on the society she was part of. Back then publishing novels, i.e. writing for money, was not considered respectable so that's why the author is only listed as "By a lady" btw, let's wish Jane Austen a happy 245th! It was her birthday on Dec. 16. So amazing that her work is enjoyed by so many after all that time.