What would my life have been without Jane Austen?I sat down to answer this question, thinking it would take just a few minutes. That was before I started to really think about what it means, what it is really asking of me. I found that I had no easy answer.
The thought of not having read Jane Austen’s wonderful novels, of not knowing and loving Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, Captain Wentworth and Anne Elliott, the Dashwood sisters and their beaus and more is beyond my comprehension, they are so much a part of me and who I am, not just as a writer but as a person.
Jane Austen’s wit and humour, her delightful characters and her heart-warming stories have much to teach us about how we conduct ourselves and how we treat those around us. She does not preach, but she has a deft hand with the pen and conveys the lesson with spirit, warmth and a delicious sense of irony, all of which hold us enthralled whilst simultaneously instructing us on how to be better people. This is something that I try to embrace every day. No matter how old I grow, I am still striving to be a better person, to be kinder, more patient, more understanding and tolerant of others. Some days, I don’t do so well at this, but I recognize it, and the next day, I start again with my efforts.
Add to that the one most incredible thing that knowing and loving Jane Austen has given me – a wonderful group of friends across the world with a shared love of this incredible woman’s talent and character – and I have to say that, without her in my life, I fear I would find it a lonelier, less fulfilling place.
So thank you, Jane (if you will forgive the informality) and happy birthday you dear, lovely, wonderful woman! Cassandra
About the author
Cassandra Grafton has always loved words, so it comes as no surprise that writing is her passion. Having spent many years wishing to be a writer and many more dreaming of it, she finally took the plunge, offering short stories to online communities. After that, it was a natural next step to attempting a full-length novel, and thus A Fair Prospect was born.
She currently splits her time between North Yorkshire in the UK, where she lives with her husband and two cats, and Regency England, where she lives with her characters.
Cassandra Grafton at Amazon.com - Author Page
Website: http://www.cassandragrafton.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/CassGraftonFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/cassie.graftonAusten Authors: http://www.austenauthors.net1. Cassandra Grafton is giving away a full set of A Fair Prospect (3 volumes), either ebook or paperback edition. Check it out in the rafflecopter form below!
