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LIBRARY OF LUMINARIES

JANE AUSTEN

L I B R A R Y O F L U M I N A R I E S

An Illustrated Biography

Zena Alkayat & Nina Cosford

$16.95 U.S.

Jane Austen is one of history’s greatest novelists. This beautifully illustrated biography celebrates the woman

behind some of literature’s most beloved classics, including Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma. Chock-full of delightful details—from Austen’s failed

romances, to how much her fi rst novel sold for, to her love of music and people watching—and featuring excerpts from Austen’s personal letters and diaries, this intimate portrait chronicles the inspirations and experiences that infl uenced

her most celebrated works of fi ction.

For more in the Library of Luminaries series, visit www.chroniclebooks.com.

AlkayatCosford

LibraryOfLuminaries_CVR_Mechs.indd 1 9/24/15 2:45 PM

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First published in the United States in 2015 by Chronicle Books LLC.Text copyright © 2016 by Zena Alkayat.Illustrations copyright © 2016 by Nina Cosford.All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.

ISBN: 978-1-4521-5021-5

Manufactured in China.

First published in the UK by Frances Lincoln Ltd.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Chronicle Books LLC680 Second StreetSan Francisco, CA 94107

www.chroniclebooks.com

b y Z e n a A l k a y a t a n d N i n a C o s f o r d

J A N E A U S T E N

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“ “ Wh ich of all my important noth ings

shall I tell you first ? ' '

Letter, 1 8 0 8

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J A N E A U S T E N W A S B O R N O N

D E C E M B E R 1 6 , 1 7 7 5 , I N S T E V E N TO N ,

H A M P S H I R E . S H E L I V E D I N T H E

V I L L A G E R E C TO R Y W I T H H E R F A T H E R ,

G E O R G E , A N D M O T H E R , C A S S A N D R A .

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T H E R E C TO R Y W A S A L S O A

W O R K I N G F A R M , C O M P L E T E W I T H

C O W S , C H I C K E N S , A N D D U C K S , A S

W E L L A S W H E A T , B A R L E Y , A N D H O P S .

J A N E G R E W U P W I T H S I X B R O T H E R S

A N D O N E S I S T E R .

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The A usten Family Tree

James Austen

George Austen

Edward Austen

Francis ““ Frank''A usten

JaneAusten

CassandraAusten

Henry Austen

CharlesAusten

Cassandra Le igh Rev. George Austen

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S O J A N E W A S U S E D TO

B E I N G A R O U N D M A L E C O M P A N Y -

A N D L O T S A N D L O T S O F B O O K S .

J A N E ' S F A T H E R W A S A P A R S O N A N D

A F A R M E R , B U T TO S U P P L E M E N T

H I S F A M I L Y ' S I N C O M E , H E A N D M R S .

A U S T E N T U R N E D T H E R E C TO R Y I N TO

A S M A L L B O Y S ' B O A R D I N G S C H O O L .

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A S Y O U N G C H I L D R E N , J A N E A N D

C A S S A N D R A W E R E I N S E P A R A B L E .

T H E S I S T E R S W E N T TO B O A R D I N G

S C H O O L TO G E T H E R W H E R E T H E Y

L E A R N E D S P E L L I N G , F R E N C H , M A T H ,

N E E D L E W O R K , A N D D A N C E .

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W H E N J A N E W A S E L E V E N , H E R

C O U S I N E L I Z A C A M E TO S P E N D

C H R I S T M A S A T S T E V E N TO N . E L I Z A

W A S M YS T E R I O U S A N D S T R I K I N G ,

A N D H E R L I F E W A S A S F A N T A S T I C A L

A S F I C T I O N . S H E W A S M A R R I E D

TO A E U R O P E A N C O U N T , S P O K E

F L U E N T F R E N C H , A N D W O R E

C O N T I N E N T A L F A S H I O N S .

H E R G L A M O U R C A U S E D A S T I R : T H E

A U S T E N B O Y S F L I R T E D , A N D J A N E

F O U N D A L I F E L O N G F R I E N D .

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T H E A U S T E N S L O V E D TO

P U T O N P L A Y S .

T H E Y I N V I T E D F R I E N D S TO T A K E O N

R O L E S A N D P A I N T E D S E T S A N D P R O P S

F O R T H E I R P R O D U C T I O N S .

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T H E Y A L S O L O V E D TO W R I T E .

J A N E ' S M O T H E R W R O T E V E R S E ,

A N D H E R B R O T H E R J A M E S W A S

A S K I L L E D P O E T . J A N E P R E F E R R E D

P R O S E A N D F I L L E D N O T E B O O K S

W I T H W I L D A N D W I T T Y S TO R I E S .

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J A N E H E A R D H O W C O U S I N E L I Z A

W A S B O R N I N I N D I A A F T E R H E R

M O T H E R W E N T T H E R E D E T E R M I N E D

TO F I N D A H U S B A N D A M O N G

T H E E N G L I S H T R A D E R S .

A L L A R O U N D H E R , P E O P L E W E R E

G E T T I N G M A R R I E D . A N D T H E S U B J E C T

O F M O N E Y W A S N E V E R F A R A W A Y .

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