Review: I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend by Cora Harrison

Title: I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend
Author: Cora Harrison
Published: Macmillian Children's Books (March 5th 2010)
No. of Pages: 342
Grade Rating: B

When shy Jenny Cooper goes to stay with her cousin Jane Austen, she knows nothing of the world of beautiful dresses, dances, secrets, gossip, and romance that Jane inhabits. At fifteen, Jane is already a sharp observer of the customs of courtship. So when Jenny falls utterly in love with Captain Thomas Williams, who better than Jane to help her win the heart of this dashing man?

But is that even possible? After all, Jenny’s been harboring a most desperate secret. Should it become known, it would bring scandal not only to her, but also to the wonderful Austen family. What’s a poor orphan girl to do?
In this delicious dance between truth and fiction, Cora Harrison has crafted Jenny’s secret diary by reading everything Jane Austen wrote as a child and an adult, and by researching biographies, critical studies, and family letters. Jenny’s diary makes the past spring vividly to life and provides insight into the entire Austen family—especially the beloved Jane.

I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend is a sweet, heart-warming tale of love, friendship and ball gowns. Written in diary form, Jenny Cooper reveals her secrets and desires in a book that fans of Jane Austen novels will enjoy!

I really enjoyed reading this book despite not having read anything by Jane Austen before. It picked up from the first page and I was immediately transported back to 1791 in the streets of Southampton. As I live near Southampton and in Hampshire (where the story is set) it was really interesting to see the contrast between the time periods through Jenny's eyes. I loved the additions to the text as well. There were beautifully drawn illustrations accomponying real prints of short stories that Jane Austen wrote. The story progressed nicely at the beginning and towards the end, but I felt a little bit stuck in the middle. The plot never really seemed to be moving forward. I suppose the plot wasn't a key focus in this book, but it would have been nice if a surprise twist occured once in a while, just to spice it up.

I loved Jenny as a narrator. She was shy, kind and just an overall great character. There was nothing particularly unlikeable about her at all. I really liked learning her story and the problems she faced throughout the book. Jane, who was also a main character, was very smart, humorous and witty. She kept the story alive with her sarcastic remarks and zesty attitude. It was nice to see that the author challenged herself by writing Jenny who is quite unknown and mysterious in the life of Jane Austen. I think it worked well as a way for the reader to learn more about Jane's teenage years and of her cousin.

I couldn't help feeling sad when IWJABF ended. I had grown to like Jenny and had to accept that I'd probably never read her again. There is nothing to really tell you about Jenny Cooper except this book itself and when it was over, I felt like I had to say goodbye to her character forever (oh dear, how cheesy). Knowing she was a real person, brought her to life and made you want to learn much more about her.

I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend is a must-read for fans of Jane Austen. It's a great resource to dig deeper in the famous novelist's life with a gorgeous cover to match. It's not for everyone, but I liked it!