SPOTLIGHT ON ... THE MARRIAGE OF MISS JANE AUSTEN - VOLUME TWO + GIVEAWAY

Book Overview  -- Volume II: The Marriage of Miss Jane Austen Trilogy

Jane Austen lived a solitary life of a writer … Or did she?

The Marriage of Miss Jane Austen tells a spirited, affecting love story during an exciting, turbulent time. Set in the “lost years” of her twenties – a period of which historians know virtually nothing – the trilogy reveals the story of a talented, passionate woman fully engaging with a man who is very much her equal. The series resolves the biggest mysteries of Austen’s life:

·        Why the enduring rumors of a lost love or tragic affair?

·        Why, afterward, did the vivacious Austen prematurely put on the “cap of middle age” and close off any thoughts of love?

·        Why, after her death, did her beloved sister destroy her letters and journals?

Hewing to the known facts of Austen’s personal life and the broader history of war-torn England, The Marriage of Miss Jane Austen sets the protagonist on what one reviewer calls “an imaginative journey of the soul” in which “fascinating people step off the pages in lifelike form.”

In this trilogy, Austen’s intelligence and charm earn her a man’s deepest admiration and regard. Together they take on every challenge of a complex and sometimes hostile outside world.

Her story will resonate with every woman seeking respect, opportunity -- and love.

About Collins Hemingway

Collins Hemingway in Bath , Septermber 2016 (centre)

Collins is a graduate of the University of Arkansas, Phi Beta Kappa, with a major in English Literature and a minor in science. He has a master’s degree in English literature from the University of Oregon, with concentrations in Eighteenth Century Literature, Renaissance literature, and modern literature. 

While his high-tech career gave him a practical understanding of science and business, Hemingway also carried on his passion for the art of storytelling, for the rich history of Georgian-Regency England and the Napoleonic wars, and for Jane Austen’s literature. His own fiction is shaped by the language of the heart and an abiding regard for courage in the face of adversity.

Published books: The Marriage of Miss Jane Austen, Volumes I and II: Business @ the Speed of Thought, with Bill Gates; Built for Growth, with Arthur Rubinfeld of Starbucks; What Happy Companies Know, with Dan Baker and Cathy Greenberg; Maximum Brainpower, with Shlomo Breznitz; The Fifth Wave, with Robert Marcus.

READ AN EXCERPT

The Marriage of Miss Jane Austen Trilogy: Volume II  

 Excerpt description

Jane walks in the woods near Winchester, some months after her marriage.

 Chapter 12

… The affect-effects of her sickness subsided quickly. It was a fine morning, with fair-weather clouds scattering across the sky like schoolgirls in white frocks out for a lark. Today was a great improvement over the drizzle of the afternoon before. The rain meant that they shopped less on College Street, giving them more time to browse books at Bourdon’s. The rain also drove them inside to make an impromptu inspection of the Winchester school, which had the cold, damp, and musty scent of age. She had dashed off a note to Edward about her overall positive impression, as this is where he expected to send his boys in a couple of years. “And ours, perhaps, down the road,” Ashton had whispered, patting her hand.

Feeling better with each step, Jane walked briskly through the fern-filled heath, crossed a pheasant preserve, and made a loop around to the rear of the manor, its original Tudor design attractively adapted to the modern. Beyond the house, the slight gain in elevation coaxed the heath into giving way to the mix of woodlands, fields, and meadows more typical of the area. Everything glistened from last night’s rain. To Jane, trees expressed personalities, and she attributed their shapes and stance to behavior. The leaves of the beech changed inconstantly from green to silver-blue as if the trees could not settle on the color for the day. Willows draped their petticoats over a stream, contemplating a dip. The leaves of the birch trees vibrated in eager gossip. The only lack of cordiality involved the walnut tree, which stood proud and aloof from the others, like Aunt Perrot at a party with her nieces. You would be more willing to mingle, Jane thought, if you understood the risk of being cut down for muskets. You might rather prefer to hide among the other girls.

Jane had every physical reason to trust that her pregnancy was proceeding as it should. The only obvious change (beyond the sickness) was the ache in her breasts. Whenever she was alone, she crossed her arms under her chest and lifted to ease the pressure. Otherwise she felt healthy and strong. The women in her family, as well as her in-laws, had a tradition of bearing healthy broods. Her sister-in-law Elizabeth’s prodigious output could supply the troops for half the British army. But Jane was carrying on something of an internal vigil. On the one hand, without the swelling abdomen that was definitive proof of pregnancy, she felt that her situation was uncertain, treacherous. She was afraid that she was a victim of a trick and she would soon be exposed as being … without child. On the other hand, every sniffle, every hint of indigestion, triggered a fear of catastrophe.

Fear, anxiety, depression: All of these feelings emerged with the thought that before too long a helpless new being would emerge, totally dependent upon her. Recognition that these anxieties were likely a part of every first pregnancy did not make them any less worrisome. She needed every ounce of the strength and soundness of her body, and the fresh air and naturalness around her now, to palliate the apprehension that gnawed at her constantly. 

Critics Praise The Marriage of Miss Jane Austen

Hemingway … [places] a very human Jane into a vibrant, turbulent England that is seeking new ideas but also fighting the Napoleonic Wars. … He captures the energy of the times, while also writing with the irony and sly humor of Austen herself. … Truly a worthy addition to the Jane Austen legacy.

—Blueink Starred Review

A skillful portrayal of an early nineteenth-century literary icon takes this historical romance on an imaginative journey of the soul. … These fascinating people step off the pages in lifelike form.

—Foreword CLARION Reviews, 4 stars

Hemingway has a talent for witty banter and wry observations that would make Elizabeth Bennet proud. An enjoyable first novel in an imaginative, well-researched series.

—Kirkus Reviews

Hemingway, with the lightest touch, builds up a thoroughly convincing alternative history for Jane. … [A] thoughtful re-imagining of Austen’s love life.

—Jane Austen’s Regency World

How could someone change history so significantly as to marry off our wonderful, but spinster author? But I was in fact pleasantly surprised and amused by this well written and interesting book.

—Jane Austen Society of Australia Chronicle

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