Jane Austen: Daddy’s Girl: The Life and Influence of The Revd George Austen

Zöe Wheddon

May 2024 · Pen and Sword History

About this ebook

Jane Austen Daddy’s Girl: The Life and Influence of the Revd George Austen is a poignant and pertinent examination of a relationship which became the cornerstone of Jane’s life, the bedrock of family and faith as she knew them. Our epic journey through the life and times of the Reverend George Austen will lead us from his early childhood and humble beginnings as an orphan, through his schooldays and on to Oxford University, and beyond. We will follow his career in the Church of England and as master of his own boarding school, as well as peek into his marriage and home life. Dovetailed in with this revealing biography is a thorough interpretation of fatherhood as a theme, as outlined in Jane’s novels, with scrutiny of the fathers of all her most beloved fictional families. Chapter by chapter we will understand more about Jane’s own view on fatherhood and how the Reverend Austen, as her father, colored and created that view. As we draw George and Jane’s relationship closer to us, we understand anew the many layers of clever meaning that Jane Austen interlaced within her stories. Through an examination of this unique father-daughter bond, Jane Austen fans everywhere can pull up a footstool in George’s library and become further united in spirit with their beloved novelist.

Ratings and reviews

This revealing biography explores the pivotal father-daughter bond that shaped Jane Austen’s life and writings. Delving into Reverend George Austen’s journey from orphan to family man and clergymen, it examines how his roles and experiences influenced Jane’s portrayal of fatherhood in her novels. An interesting, well-researched, and easy-to-read book, it’s a gem for Jane Austen fans. Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

About the author

A native of Jane Austen's beloved county of Hampshire, Zöe Wheddon has been married to Matt, (a stationery salesman, who keeps her supplied with post-it notes and gorgeous notebooks) for 30 years. They live in a North Hampshire village, on the outskirts of the town that they both grew up in, with their three grown up children and cat Princess Leia. A perfectly imperfect local historian and aspiring writer, as the writer of her blog Zöe writes articles and book reviews on matters relating to friendship, self-compassion and personal development at mrswheddon.wordpress.com. When she is not researching or writing she can be found in the classroom teaching Spanish and French or singing ABBA songs loudly in her kitchen.