Jane Austen (1775-1817) was the seventh child of Reverend George Austen and his wife Cassandra. He looked after a small parish in Steventon, a small village west of London.
The Austen’s house was crowded and noisy, but it was a happy and comfortable place. The Reverend’s library was filled with books and Jane spent a lot of time reading them. The parents also encouraged all children to put on short performances for their entertainment.
Jane enjoyed the busy atmosphere at home as well as her long walks in the countryside. The nature inspired her to start writing. She was dazzled by their cousin Eliza’s life, married to a French count. Eliza’s exciting life gave Jane further inspiration for her stories. Jane was drawn to strong female characters. She didn’t like the silly or sentimental characters. She was also very outspoken, not afraid to speak her mind, and explore it in her writing. She based her stories on people she met and the events she attended. The more she wrote, the better she got at it.
She was twenty-one when she finished writing First Impressions. It was rejected by the publisher, but Jane wasn’t to give up on her dream of becoming an author. Meanwhile, she wrote two more novels.
At twenty-six, with the help of her brother, she found a publisher for one of her novels, Susan. But at the end, the book was never published.
In 1810, at thirty-five, she found a publisher for Sense and Sensibility which appeared in bookstores in October 1811, and received good reviews. By July 1813, all copies were sold. In 1813, Pride and Prejudice was published. In 1814, Mansfield was published. In 1815, Emma was sold to publisher. Northanger Abbey and Persuasion were published after the death of Jane.
This biography illustrates a strong woman who believed in her writing and the characters she portrayed. Despite many rejections, she persisted with what she believed in.
This illustrated biography series for young readers, ages 8-12, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences, and insightful inserts.
Source: Penguin Workshop, 2017
TRENDING
INSPIRATION: Never Give Up believing in Your Talent
Traits:
·
She spent a lot of time reading books.
·
The walks in nature inspired her to start
writing.
·
The exciting life of her cousin gave Jane
inspiration for more stories.
·
She was drawn to strong female characters and
that’s what she portrayed in her stories.
·
She was outspoken, and explored it in her
writing.
·
She based her stories on people she met and the
events she attended.
·
The more she wrote, the better she got at it.
·
She received many rejections before her first
book was published.
“There are people, who the more you do for them, the less they will do for themselves.” – Jane Austen
“There is safety in reserve, but no attraction. One cannot love a reserved person.” – Jane Austen
“We
have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other
person can be.” – Jane Austen
FURTHER INSPIRATION AND RECOMMENDATION:
Jane Austen trusted her incredible mind power which served her very well.
Dr.
Wayne Dyer explores the subject of Mind Power in his book “Wisdom of the Ages,”
where he explains the words of Sir Edward Dyer in his poem. He was an English
poet of the Elizabethan period best known for his lyric beginning, “My mind to
me a kingdom is.”
Dyer
further explains the poet’s words as comfort of detaching from everything,
including body, and being in the kingdom of a quiet mind. Your mind gives you
the power of choice.
“The
need to acquire more than is necessary, to chase after success at all costs, to
consistently pursue approval from others is not imposed on us, it is a function
of how we choose to use that invisible mystery within us, our mind.”
