"Why I feel the sudden urge to relate, in pen and ink, a relationship of the most personal nature, which I have never before acknowledged, I cannot say. Perhaps it is this maddening illness which has been troubling me now and again of late - this cunning reminder of my own mortality - that compels me to make some record of what happened, to prevent that memory from vanishing into the recesses of my mind, and from there to disappear for ever from history, as fleeting as a ghost in the mist." - Syrie James
Syrie James writing is reminiscent of Jane Austen's style, expertly weaving fiction with non-fiction. In fact, it is sometimes difficult to tell what is fact and what has been invented. The premise of the book is a secret love affair, revealed through letters found in an old sea chest, belonging to one of Jane's brothers. Many details of Jane's life are accurate, including information about her writing. The author did extensive research, consulting biographies, scholarly works, letters, movies, the internet and her novels and unfinished works. Her goal was to be true to as much of Jane's history as possible. Thus, Jane Austen's voice comes through clearly in this memoir of her life.
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