Just Jane by Nancy Moser drew me in right away. Although this is not what the typical reader would describe as suspenseful, for me it was a page turner as the human drama unfolded: What will she do? Will she speak her mind? Will he be okay? Also, since it is about a well-known figure, the reader knows what is to come, so we are anxious to find out how and when it comes to be, which heightens the suspense.
Nancy Moser has written a novelization of Jane Austen’s life. The afterward offers an explanation of Nancy Moser’s sources and process in writing a bio-novel. Moser delightfully recreates Austen’s voice without simply imitating it, so that Just Jane reads like a lost Jane Austen novel. If you’ve read all her works and hunger for more, this is definitely a book that you would enjoy. This year I have read (or re-read) a couple of Austen’s novels. As I read about the genesis of many of her well-known characters, that background added to my enjoyment of this book. But whether or not you are familiar with her novels, this book will still interest you if you crave hearing about the heart and life of a writer or reading biographies or historical fiction in general. This is simply the story of a young woman growing to the point where she can stop focusing and dissecting the many roles in her life–aspiring writer, husband-seeker, dutiful daughter and sister–to be just Jane.
The characterization is clear and colorful with an easy delineation of the various friends and family members that we grow to love (or at least understand). If you read this book, you will grow to love the heroine and will probably want to delve into more of Jane Austen’s or Nancy Moser’s skillful prose.
Bethany House is giving one reader (in U.S. or Canada) a copy of Just Jane AND the Pride and Prejudice Insight Edition which features the complete original text by Jane Austen, as well as trivia, notes, and inspiration from Jane Austen’s own writings. To win both books, leave a comment by Sunday. The winner will be announced next week here at 5 Minutes for Books.
The winners of Beyond the Mommy Years are
Beth at Sportsmomma and Steph at Adventures in Babywearing
Ooh, I LOVE anything Jane Austen! Thanks for the chance to win.
Liz was here. 😉
Pride and Prejudice is my all time favorite book!!
LOVE EVERYTHING jANE aUSTEN
Please enter me.
count me in also !!!
great prize! love jane austen.
Nice
AWESOME I WOULD LOVE TO WIN
Just the name has me so intrigued. I would love to win and read this!
Sounds like a great book!
Cool beans!
5 minutes. that seems to be all I have anymore
I’d like to read the book!
This sounds great. Count me in!
Jane Austen is my favorite!
Sounds great.
I would love to win this; I love Jane Austen.
I would love to read these!
I have always wanted to read Jane Austen
ooo gimme gimme
Lovely – sounds like just what I need to have a moment for me!
Great prize!
I love Jane Austen, too.
Love Jane Austen – would love to read Nancy’s perspective.
Please count me in also.
Throw my name into the hat!
I would love to read this (and have it sitting out for my husband to see).
I could really use some time to relax this would be awsome.
Jane Austen was a fascinating woman, independent and ahead of her time.
love to have it!
Please pick me!
I would love to read this book as I love anything on Jane Austin
sounds great, would love this one
I’d love to win this…thanks so much!
I’d love to read this book.
Plain Jane
Hope I win.
Sounds wonderful! The book looks great!
sounds like a good book!
I could use some Good Reads!
sounds interesting
Count me in!
This looks like a great book!
I want to win!
Please enter me thanks!!
I’d love to read both of these 🙂
I love JAne Austin
Jane Austin always makes me laugh and put my life in perspective.
Awesome! I would love to read this.
My mom got me into reading Jane Austen. I would love to win this. Thank you fo having his contest.
I am a huge Jane Austen fan and would love to read these books.
Can’t stop reading… Need Help…
Need MORE books!
i heart Jane! : )
Oh, enter me please!
Jeanne
Sounds good…enter me too please!! 🙂
Here is my entry.
Hurray for moms.
O, I would really like this one!! I’m in.
I want in on it.
Please enter me . Thanks.
I would love to read this book!
i love anything having to do with jane austen please enter me
I would like to win
After seeing “Becoming Jane” this book sounds awesome!
I’d love to win.
What a great book. We’d love to add it to our library.
Looks like a great book!
Let me win !!!
hope that everyone would be a winner. Love the intro and perspective.
My daughter has read everything Jane Austin ever wrote and I know she would absolutely love to read this one also.
-Kathyb
I love Jane Austen…Count me in.
I love Jane Austin, can’t tell you how often I re-read her books. It is like going on a wonderful vacation and meeting interesting people without ever leaving your home. Please enter me.
I love P&P. My SIL and I watch it on knitting dates.
Thanks for the chance to win.
Sounds really interesting!
I always need new reading material.
I’d love this!
It’s great to be a reader…would love to read these!
Ooooh, count me in!!
I’m excited! I haven’t read the Jane Austin books.
I’m a book addict!
LOOKS LIKE A GOOD READ.
Sounds fun–sign me up, please
Please count me in! Thank you!
Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors – I’d love to read this book!!
I’d like to win this!
thank you for another giveaway!
*crosses fingers*
i’d love to win this!!
Lovely contest. I would enjoy reading the book.
Thank you & please enter me.
Both books sound great, count me in.
Good contest, hope I can win
I would love to win this for my daughter!
Great contest! I hope I win
WOULD LOVE TO HAVE IT!
would like to win
My wife loves to read.
I would love to be entered to win these books!
I love Jane Austen, and would love to win this.
Yes please!!!
Please enter me – I LOVE Jane Austen!
I want these! Please enter me. Thank you.:)
My daughter would love this!
I really want this !!
I would love to get it!
This looks great!
This is one book I would make time for!
Would like to have these books because I love to read.
I want to read about Jane’s life!!
hope I win.
Thanks 4 the contest
enter me please, i need some new good reads 🙂
I’d love to win !
Jane Austen is my favorite author !!
I would like to enter for this book too.
What A nice way to spend my me time on the front porch in the swing reading a good book!
Please enter me!
love jane
Great books
I love to read, count me in!
A good book is a real gift.
Sounds like a good read!
great :0)
sounds cerebral and just what i need.
As a Jane Austen groupie, I must win this
Sounds Great! Count this Drama Mama in!
Wow! Great books!
That’s a lovely pair of books. I can imagine cuddling up in winter with one of these.
enter me!
Nice.
Has there ever been a “just” jane?
Count me in
Jane Austen is super-hot right now. Thank you for this giveaway!
Count me in
I would love to win this for my daughter. She is a big fan of Jane Austen.
Jane Austen is one of my all-time favorite authors, and P&P is one of my favorite books. Please count me in, and thanks for the review!
I would love to have this to read. Thanks for the great book.
Love to read anything by Jane Austin and really enjoy her movie that is coming
Please enter me – thanks!
please! id love to read these!
Looks great! Thanks for the chance… !
A great book to sit and read.
reading is my hobby
I don’t have too much time to read but would love to start again.
Sounds like a really good read! Thanks!
I WOULD LIKE TO READ THIS.
This would be great.
i’d love to win this one.
This sounds great! and I loved the movie too.
One of my favorite authors….would love to win this one
I’d love to win!
I’d like very much to read these books and share them with my daughter and granddaughters. It’s been a long time since I’ve read Jane Austen.
this is a book i’d love to share with my students
I just returned from a trip to Bath, England where they have the Jane Austen museum… it was wonderful. I’m a huge fan, I’d love to add these books to my collection!
ooooh! I love Jane Austen!
I love love love jane austen …she was a modern woman in a victorian age.
Thanks
Wow!!
what a great opportunity to be able to win this
love austen! thanks for the opportunity!
Love Jane Austen, love to read…would love to win!
Jane Austen’s books are just the right read for the girls growing up now to see the struggle women had to go thru to get to the 21st century! Go Girls!
Hope I win!
Looks very nice.
this sounds great.
I’d be delighted to win this…thanks for the chance:)
would love the opportunity to read these!
Wow. Awesome. I love Jane Austin. I just finished Austenland, actually, and it was wonderful. Count me in =)
i’d love to win
I have heard great things about these, and I would love to have them, please count me in!
I’m in need of a new book – this would be perfect!
Count me in!
I’m such a bookworm – I’d love to add this to my collection
sounds wonderful – please enter me in the giveaway!
I would love to win this!
I would love to win this!!!
great prize
I love to read and I would love these books.
I’ll take it!
deal me in
I love to read! Enter me please!
nice
this is so cool i’d really really lov to win this
I would really like these!
I’m an Austenholic, please enter me!
I absolutely adore everything Jane Austen!!
Jane Austin is my favorite! Thanks for offering these!
I’d love these and they’d make great gifts too!
ahhh books!! i love good books!
Quiet moments and a good book – priceless.
sounds like a great book – I’m always looking for new reading material.
Great contest!
I love to read!
I would really like to read these!
Love to read.
I love Jane Austin’s books
That is definitely something I’d like to read!
Would love to have these!!
What a great women and would be great reading about her.
Omg I need these books
i want to win this to put in my gift box for my oldest daughter who loves Jane Austen!
I don’t know ANYTHING about Jane Austen and would love to learn! 🙂
Those both look reaaly great!
Just saw “Being Jane’ and it was awesome!
Oh, I’d love this! I love Jane Austen’s books!
Classics by which we set the standards—would make a wonderful addition to my library.
Please enter me! Jane Austen’s works are fabulous!
Jane Austen: great writer.
jane austen is super!
I’d like to win this!
I have a bumper sticker that says, “I’d Rather Be Reading Jane Austen.” Fingers are crossed.
I love to read- thank you
I have been reading a lot lately and it has been so wonderful… I would love to add this to my list of recently read books! Thanks!!
Thanks for the giveaway!!
I love Jane Austen!
Please count me in.
Wonderful
Please enter me! I LOVED Nancy Moser’s “Invitation” series as well as her “Mozart’s Sister.” I would LOVE these books!
What a cool giveaway1 Sign me up, TY!
I would like to win this.
Ooo! That’s a fun giveaway! Thanks!
woohoo! i’ve been an austen fan since before it was mandatory!
Sounds like a great book! Count me in on the giveaway!
I would love to win!
Wow…now this is something I’d love to win! 🙂
Toss my name in the hat will ya!:-) Please. Thank you, Cory
Sounds good. 🙂
Sounds fun–sign me up, please!
I’m a huge Jane Austen fan, so I would love to win!
Count me in!
That sounds awesome. I love Jane Austen.
This sounds great!
ooh, ooh, count me in!
Wow..sounds like a great book – count me in for the drawing as well!
Count me in too please.
i’d love to win!
I really want to read this book so please count me in the contest.
Sounds interesting…count me in!
Sign me up! I’d love to win these!
These both sound absolutely wonderful, especially the Just Jane novel.
Please count me in!
Count me in! Sounds like something I would like to read.