Recommended for those interested Austen's life or the lives of Georgian- and Regency-era women. The organization of the book by the homes that Austen lived in seemed a bit contrived — it's just chronological order by another name, right? — but it's a contrivance I buy into. Home is certainly a theme in Austen's work, so the closer look at her own precious and precarious home life provides a meaningful framework here.

This was a sweet and beautiful tale with some teeth to it. And the book cover is gorgeous and fitting. You'll find strong female characters, a girl with black curls and black eyes and skin like polished amber, a universal fairy tale setting with a touch of magical realism, interesting creatures, magic-entwined nature, warm and witty wisdom, the power of stories and truth and remembrance, the inevitable coming of age, and loss and reclamation.