Rachel Dodge's Blog, page 11

My new book The Little Women Devotional: A Chapter-by-Chapter Companion to Louisa May Alcott’s Beloved Classic is now on sale worldwide!! You can order HERE. (See the list below for more retailers.)

This book has a devotional entry for every chapter of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. You can read a chapter of Little Women and then read the corresponding devotional entry, going through the book one chapter at a time. Writing this book was a huge growth process for me as I prayed and labored over each entry and theme. It is my prayer that God will use this book to speak to your heart in a personal way.

Special thanks to the art department at Barbour Books for this beautiful design and the lovely artwork! I also want to thank my amazing literary agent, Janet Grant, for helping to make this dream a reality.

Devotional Inspiration from the March Family

The Little Women Devotional offers lovely inspiration that explores the themes of faith, family, contentment, wisdom, and joy in the classic Louisa May Alcott novel, cherished by generations of readers.

Each reading corresponds with a chapter from the book and invites you to embrace God’s guiding hand in your life as His cherished daughter. This beautiful chapter-by-chapter devotional includes original artwork throughout, and each reading includes examples from the novel, scripture, life application, and prayers that are perfect for groups, book clubs, or personal reflection.

Please share this with all your bookish friends!

Grace and peace,
Rachel

“Now, my little pilgrims, suppose you begin again, not in play, but in earnest, and see how far on you can get before Father comes home.” —Marmee March

Coming December 1, 2021
from Barbour Books
Order your copy today! Delivers Worldwide to over
160 countries

The post The Little Women Devotional appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

My new book The Little Women Devotional: A Chapter-by-Chapter Companion to Louisa May Alcott’s Beloved Classic is now on sale worldwide!! You can order HERE. (See the list below for more retailers.)

This book has a devotional entry for every chapter of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. You can read a chapter of Little Women and then read the corresponding devotional entry, going through the book one chapter at a time. Writing this book was a huge growth process for me as I prayed and labored over each entry and theme. It is my prayer that God will use this book to speak to your heart in a personal way.

Special thanks to the art department at Barbour Books for this beautiful design and the lovely artwork! I also want to thank my amazing literary agent, Janet Grant, for helping to make this dream a reality.

Devotional Inspiration from the March Family

The Little Women Devotional offers lovely inspiration that explores the themes of faith, family, contentment, wisdom, and joy in the classic Louisa May Alcott novel, cherished by generations of readers.

Each reading corresponds with a chapter from the book and invites you to embrace God’s guiding hand in your life as His cherished daughter. This beautiful chapter-by-chapter devotional includes original artwork throughout, and each reading includes examples from the novel, scripture, life application, and prayers that are perfect for groups, book clubs, or personal reflection.

Please share this with all your bookish friends!

Grace and peace,
Rachel

“Now, my little pilgrims, suppose you begin again, not in play, but in earnest, and see how far on you can get before Father comes home.” —Marmee March

Coming December 1, 2021
from Barbour Books
Order your copy today! Delivers Worldwide to over
160 countries

The post Cover Reveal: The Little Women Devotional appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

I’m pleased to share my review of a beautiful new book by Jasmine A. Stirling that is sure to delight the hearts of Jane Austen fans of all ages entitled A Most Clever Girl: How Jane Austen Found Her Voice. This exquisitely illustrated, full-color book traces Austen’s writing journey from her younger years at Steventon, to her “quiet” years in Bath after her father died, and finally to her years of astonishing creativity at Chawton. This is a book you’ll want to read for yourself, give as a gift, and display on your coffee table.

Cover: A Most Clever Girl

The writing by Jasmine A. Stirling and the illustrations by Vesper Stamper truly make this book a feast for the eyes and the heart. As a lifelong Austen fan, I found myself swept up in Stirling’s writing style. Her exploration of Austen’s talent, her heart, and her genius brought me new-found joy. This book vividly captures Austen’s experiences as a writer and shows us why her writing still endures today.

Jasmine and I connected on social media several months ago, and I was intrigued by her book because it is a fictional telling of what I and many others have noticed about Austen’s writing career: that she found her perfect time and place to write when she came to Chawton. (You can read my article on this topic here: New Beginnings at Chawton Cottage.)

JANE AUSTEN’S LITERARY JOURNEY

Jasmine’s book explores the early foundations of Austen’s literary upbringing, the depth of character that Austen’s life experiences produced, and the intriguing set of circumstances that allowed Austen to discover her unique writer’s voice at Chawton.

I highly recommend A Most Clever Girl to any Austen fan of any age. I especially like the idea that I can give this book as a gift to my friends and family members who have younger children so that their children can be exposed to Jane Austen at an early age and be inspired to follow her example as a person and as a creative.

Please continue reading below for the book details, purchase links, and details for a lovely giveaway contest which includes a Jane Austen-themed picnic basket and a hardcover copy of A Most Clever Girl autographed by Jasmine A. Stirling!

ABOUT THE BOOK

A Most Clever Girl: How Jane Austen Found Her Voice
Written by Jasmine A. Stirling
Illustrated by Vesper Stamper
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Release date: March 30, 2021

Publisher’s Synopsis: Witty and mischievous Jane Austen grew up in a house overflowing with words. As a young girl, she delighted in making her family laugh with tales that poked fun at the popular novels of her time, stories that featured fragile ladies and ridiculous plots. Before long, Jane was writing her own stories-uproariously funny ones, using all the details of her life in a country village as inspiration.

In times of joy, Jane’s words burst from her pen. But after facing sorrow and loss, she wondered if she’d ever write again. Jane realized her writing would not be truly her own until she found her unique voice. She didn’t know it then, but that voice would go on to capture readers’ hearts and minds for generations to come.

PURCHASE LINKS:
Amazon
Bookshop.org

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jasmine A. Stirling is the debut author of A Most Clever Girl: How Jane Austen Discovered Her Voice, a picture book biography of Jane Austen about persistence and creative mastery. Jasmine lives on a cheerful street in San Francisco with her husband, two daughters, and their dog. From a young age, she loved to write poems and stories and worked her way through nearly every children’s book (and quite a few for grownups, too) in her local library. When she’s not writing, Jasmine can be found hiking in the fog, singing songs from old musicals, and fiddling with her camera.

Jasmine A. Stirling, author of A Most Clever Girl

Jasmine first fell in love with Jane Austen as a student at Oxford, where she read her favorite of Jane’s six masterful novels, Persuasion. A Most Clever Girl is her dream project, done with her dream team—award-winning illustrator Vesper Stamper and Bloomsbury Children’s Publishing. Jasmine also has a YA/New Adult history of the women’s suffrage movement out soon, titled We Demand An Equal Voice.

Visit www.jasmineastirling.com to get a free Jane Austen paper doll kit with the purchase of A Most Clever Girl. While you’re there, enter to win a Regency tea party gift basket!

Follow Jasmine on Instagram and Facebook @jasmine.a.stirling.author where she posts about kidlit and life with two young girls.

JANE AUSTEN GIVEAWAY + BOOK TOUR

To follow along with the book tour and enter for a chance to win a glorious Jane Austen-themed picnic basket, including a hardcover copy of A Most Clever Girl autographed by Jasmine A. Stirling, click here.

RACHEL DODGE teaches college English classes, gives talks at libraries, teas, and book clubs, and writes for Jane Austen’s World blog and Jane Austen’s Regency World magazine. She is the bestselling author of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional: A Chapter-By-Chapter Companion for Kindred Spirits and Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. You can visit Rachel online at www.RachelDodge.com.

The post Jane Austen: A Most Clever Girl Book Review appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

Do you trust God with your dreams?

I went to a women’s conference with my church several years ago and heard Joanna Weaver speak (the bestselling author of Having a Mary heart in a Martha World). She was AMAZING! I will never forget the talks she gave that weekend.

A few weeks later, I went to Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference for the first time and got to meet her in person! She took a genuine interest in me and my writing right when we met — and we hit it off from the start. It was like I’d always known her and it just clicked!!

Joanna became a mentor to me and guided me through the process of finding an agent and putting together a proposal and sample chapters for my Praying with Jane devotional book. She even endorsed it!

There is SO much more to that story…and the story of how I started down the path to Christian writing after decades of doing other types of writing, teaching, and editing. But fast forward a few years, Joanna invited me to be on her podcast, The Living Room!

In the interview, we talk about all kinds of wonderful things, including personal dreams — and what to do when you don’t know what to do and are struggling to find your purpose. It’s a topic that is close to my heart.

I hope you’ll listen in and be encouraged!

Grace and peace,
Rachel

Gift Ideas for Kindred Spirits

If you’d like to purchase a signed copy of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional or Praying with Jane, Praying with Jane, a prayer journal, or signed book plates for someone special, please visit my online Gift Shop!

The post The Living Room Podcast with Joanna Weaver appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

My dad, the greatest dad ever in my humble opinion, has been a tireless cheerleader and encourager of Daughter Dearest (that’s me) since forever — and especially in terms of my personal writing journey. He is always my first reader for my devotional books and always the first to share (and brag) about all my writing projects. Now it’s my turn!

He (George Beckman) just released his very first novel called Members of the Cast! He started drafting it many moons ago (in the late 70s) and picked it up again several years ago. It’s out now and ready to order! If you love period novels, coming-of-age stories, and clean reads, you’ll enjoy this book.

Book Description

––Finding yourself when secrets fall away.

In 1959, Margo’s parents break their promise, leaving her behind for another archaeological dig. She is sent to California to spend her junior year with a great uncle she’s only met once. Her parent’s interests remain buried in ancient ruins, but Margo begins to discover herself beneath a lifetime of family secrets. For the first time, she has a close circle of friends, a budding romance, and an academic future. But a struggle between herself, the past, and her parents test all she has learned.

Enter into Margo’s world and experience the “California Dream” feel of 1950s Southern California. Members of the Cast is a wholesome book for all ages—you could give it to your granddaughter or grandmother.

Graestone: My parents’ home in Northern California.My parents, George and Ruth, on their 50th wedding anniversary.My Review of Members of the Cast

Members of the Cast is set in the late 1950s and I felt like I was stepping into the past! It gave me a taste of what it was like when my parents were teenagers. The story is set around a girl who comes to Pasadena to live with her uncle during her junior year in high school. She learns to come out of her shell, speak for herself, and make friends.

I really enjoyed how much the main character grew up and got to know herself as the story went on. Throughout her life, her parents moved her around a lot and she never had a lot of support or love from them. With her uncle, she finds a wonderful father figure and finally starts to feel at home. Many of the secondary characters are warm and funny. I enjoyed the plot twists and turns the author put in as well.

There are a lot of great details from Southern California during that era – the clothes, the cars, the houses, and the music. And there’s just the right touch of romance. A very enjoyable nostalgia read for all ages!

Members of the Cast is available in print and on Kindle. You can order your copy HERE.

About the Author

George Beckman grew up in Southern California and lives in Northern California, in an old stone house. He spent his life teaching elementary school and loved to teach kids to write.

Members of the Cast was started in 1975, but was put aside for years. George’s creativity didn’t stop, and for almost 30 years he programmed, marketed, and supported grade book software for elementary teachers. Members of the Cast is George’s first book, but there are more to come. You can visit him at Graestone Writer or on Twitter.

I hope you’ll check out Members of the Cast and help support an indie author who has also been the uncontested recipient of the Beckman family Dad of the Year Award every year since 1977.

Grace and peace,
Rachel

Order Your Copy Today!

The post New Book: Members of the Cast by George Beckman appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

This week, my literary agent sent me an email to let me know that The Anne of Green Gables Devotional is on the February ECPA Bestseller List* for new releases! My sweet little devo is right there at #24 of 25 books.

When I read these words, I almost stopped breathing: “Congrats! Anne is now officially a best-selling book!”

But here’s the really fun part: Her email came just as I was just getting ready to send off my manuscript for my next devotional book! (More info coming soon.) When I got the email about the Anne Devo, I was so keyed up and excited that I almost couldn’t breathe. It was all I could do to stay focused, breathe evenly, finish up my new book, and send it off.

The list includes a lot of well-known names in Christian publishing, so it was remarkable to see my book there among them. But mainly, I keep thinking about all the people who have read it in the past 3 months…and it brings tears to my eyes.

I want to thank ALL of you who have bought the book, told your friends about it, and helped to launch it. So many of you have supported me along the way and prayed for me on my writing journey.

I hope you’ll raise a cup or glass of your favorite beverage with me and say, “To many more books that draw people closer to Jesus!”

GIVEAWAY!!

To celebrate this great news, I’m giving away one (1) copy of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional here on the blog. This is open to U.S. mailing addresses (or any country where Book Depository delivers).

To enter to win, please comment in the comment section and tell me your favorite character from Anne of Green Gables and why you relate to that character!

Details:
Contest closes Friday, March 12th at 11:59 p.m. PST.
Must be 18 years of age or older to participate (or have permission from your parent/guardian).
For more entries, please share this with someone else and let me know in the comments how many people you shared it with.

*The ECPA Bestsellers Lists rank the bestselling books published by ECPA members from the previous month, as reported to NPD BookScan (formerly Nielsen Bookscan) by these reporting retailers.

Gift Ideas for Kindred Spirits

If you’d like to purchase a signed copy of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional or Praying with Jane, a prayer journal, or signed book plates for someone special, please visit my online Gift Shop!

The post The Anne of Green Gables Devotional – ECPA Bestseller! appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

Captain Wentworth’s letter to Anne Elliot at the end of Jane Austen’s Persuasion has long been heralded as one of the most romantic letters—and moments—in English literature. But does Wentworth’s letter live up to today’s standards of a really well-written love letter?

If you look up how to write the perfect love letter on the Internet, quite a lot of interesting information comes up. One article that might be of particular interest to a man like Captain Wentworth is this one: “How to Write a Love Letter” by Brett and Kate McKay from the web site, The Art of Manliness.

First, the article states that, “A handwritten letter is something tangible that we touch and hold and then pass to another to touch and hold. And they are preserved and cherished in a way that text messages or email never will be.” Captain Wentworth’s letter certainly meets this criteria. He writes his letter to Anne by hand, folds the paper “hastily,” and writes a “hardly legible” direction “to ‘Miss A. E.— ’” on the outside. (As to whether his letter will be preserved and cherished, I’ll leave that up to your excellent imaginations.)

Next, there is the mode of delivery. For lovers who are separated by miles, an envelope and a stamp do the job nicely. Others might choose to leave their letters under a door mat, on a bedside table, or beside a dinner plate. As for Wentworth, he prefers the rather intense (and covert) personal delivery system for his letter to Anne:

[Wentworth] drew out a letter from under the scattered paper, placed it before Anne with eyes of glowing entreaty fixed on her for a time, and hastily collecting his gloves, was again out of the room, almost before Mrs Musgrove was aware of his being in it: the work of an instant!

Jane Austen’s Persuasion

Finally, we must consider the contents of the letter. Wentworth hastily writes his letter at a writing table as he listens in on Anne and Captain Harville’s conversation about love and constancy. But does his hurried letter check all the boxes of a first-rate love letter?

The Art of Manliness suggests that every good love letter much include six major elements. Let’s go through the checklist and find out if Wentworth’s letter to Anne makes the grade:

“Placed it before Anne.” Illustration by C.E. Brock, 1909.Six Keys to a Good Love Letter

1. Start off by stating the purpose of your letter. Captain Wentworth certainly doesn’t waste any time getting to the point and stating his purpose. There is no question that this is a passionate love letter right from the start:

“I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago.”

2. Recall a romantic memory. Though their past is painful, Wentworth lets Anne know that his memories of her—and his love for her—have never faded, no matter what has happened between them or what he has tried to do to heal and forget her:

“Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant.”

3. Tell her all the things you love about her. For Captain Wentworth, every word out of Anne’s mouth is like water to his thirsty soul. He knows her voice better than anyone else and hangs on her every word:

“I can hardly write. I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice, but I can distinguish the tones of that voice when they would be lost on others. Too good, too excellent creature! You do us justice, indeed.”

4. Tell her how your life has changed since meeting her. Wentworth could probably write a whole book about this (indeed, Austen did), but his letter checks this box in a rather dramatic way as he reveals that Anne is the only thing he cares about and that she is the sole focus of all his thoughts and plans:

“You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone, I think and plan. Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes? I had not waited even these ten days, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine.”

5. Reaffirm your love and commitment. Wentworth declares his love several times in this letter and has no trouble expressing his commitment to Anne. He clearly asks for her hand in marriage:

“I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago.” He declares his love in absolute terms: “I have loved none but you.” And after listening to her conversation with Captain Harville, he closes his letter with another affirmation of his fervent and undying love for her:

“You do believe that there is true attachment and constancy among men. Believe it to be most fervent, most undeviating, in F. W.”

6. End with a line that sums up your love. One might actually think Captain Wentworth was a contributing writer for The Art of Manliness because he accomplishes this task with an eloquent post script, asking for one word or look from Anne to seal his fate:

“I must go, uncertain of my fate; but I shall return hither, or follow your party, as soon as possible. A word, a look, will be enough to decide whether I enter your father’s house this evening or never.”

Captain Wentworth’s Letter by TurtleDoves.The Right Response

Wentworth’s letter certainly seems to satisfy the most important aspects of an eloquent love letter, but the true test of any romantic letter is the addressee’s response. For that, we must go to Anne herself for her reaction to the letter:

Such a letter was not to be soon recovered from. Half an hour’s solitude and reflection might have tranquillized her; but the ten minutes only which now passed before she was interrupted, with all the restraints of her situation, could do nothing towards tranquillity. Every moment rather brought fresh agitation. It was overpowering happiness.

Jane Austen’s Persuasion

Indeed, Wentworth’s letter is a complete success. When they meet in the street, Anne returns his pointed look and the “cheeks which had been pale now glowed, and the movements which had hesitated were decided.” There, in the street, they exchange “again those feelings and those promises which had once before seemed to secure everything, but which had been followed by so many, many years of division and estrangement.”

Truly, “such a letter” is not to be “soon recovered from.” By Anne or by us.

The sky’s the limit with letter writing. And love letters are never to be outdone by “newsy,” handwritten letters that fly back and forth between friends. But if you do write a love letter, make sure you take some pointers from Captain Wentworth.

For more information about the digitized version of Captain Wentworth’s Letter by TurtleDoves on Etsy (pictured above), click HERE.

Works Cited:

Austen, Jane. “Persuasion.” The Project Gutenberg E-Text of Persuasion, by Jane Austen, 2019, http://www.gutenberg.org/files/105/105-h/105-h.htm.

McKay, Brett and Kate. “30 Days to a Better Man Day 28: Write a Love Letter.” The Art of Manliness, 2 Oct. 2020, http://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-28-write-a-love-letter/.

This article originally appeared on Jane Austen’s World blog. Shared with permission.

RACHEL DODGE teaches college English classes, gives talks at libraries, teas, and book clubs, and writes for Jane Austen’s World and Jane Austen’s Regency World. She is the bestselling author of Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen and The Anne of Green Gables Devotional: A Chapter-By-Chapter Companion for Kindred Spirits. You can visit Rachel online at www.RachelDodge.com.

The post A Captain Went-worthy Love Letter appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

Somehow I was quoted in The Sunday Times about Jane Austen! The article is titled, “By Georgian! Needlework and piano keep lockdown Lizzies busy” — how fun is that? Such a clever name for Janeites.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Jane Austen would practise the piano early in the morning before a leisurely breakfast at 9am. Rachel Dodge, a contributor to Jane Austen’s Regency World magazine, said the author ‘wrote newsy letters, played the pianoforte, prayed with her family, sewed beautifully, and loved brisk walks’ during a typical day. In the evenings, she would read.

Rachel Dodge, The Sunday Times

Have you picked up any Regency-style home projects this past year, my fellow Lockdown Lizzies??

For an excerpt, see below. To read the full article in The Sunday Times, click HERE. Special thanks to my friend Tim Bullamore of Jane Austen’s Regency World Magazine for finding this and sending it to me!

Hooray for Jane Austen and the Lockdown Lizzies!!⠀⠀⠀

Hobbies familiar to Jane Austen heroines are making a comeback as families swap screens for cross-stitch⠀

To fill the long days spent at home, the heroines in Jane Austen’s novels mastered the arts of needlework, painting and playing the pianoforte. For Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, knowledge of music, singing, drawing and “extensive reading” was the definition of an accomplished woman.

Fast-forward 200 years, and the enforced confinement of a third national lockdown is making many of us feel like we’re living in an Austen novel ourselves.

Retailers report that Britons are buying needlework kits, acrylic paints, novels and even pianos to pass the time. Fatigued by endless video conferences, home schooling and family Zoom chats, a growing rebellion against screen time has also fuelled the nation’s love of physical books as they seek out tech-free hobbies.

To continue reading this article in the The Sunday Times, click HERE.

Let’s keep in touch:

Subscribe to my blog
for articles on literature, faith, and my writing adventures!

Signed Books:

Order signed books here on my web site!
Each autographed book comes with a matching bookmark.

The Anne Devotional Praying with Jane Double Devotional 2-Pack Signed Bookplates

⠀⠀

The post “Lockdown Lizzies” appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

In my article in Jane Austen’s World this month, I consider the reasons Jane Austen’s writing may have slowed so drastically from 1801-1809 and why she suddenly burst forth with creativity once again at Chawton Cottage. Enjoy!

As we enter a new year, it’s intriguing to think about the power of a fresh start. Jane Austen herself seems to have entered into a new season when she came back to the Hampshire countryside in 1809, after leaving Steventon for Bath with her family in 1801.

During her time away from the Hampshire of her youth, Austen’s writing activity slowed and she experienced a period marked by loss and change. But once she and Mrs. Austen and Cassandra moved into the cottage on her brother Edward’s property in Chawton, she started writing prolifically—revising earlier manuscripts, drafting new ones, and beginning her publishing journey.

An Unsettled Season

There are many thoughts on why Austen didn’t write as much during those years, but it’s important to note two important factors. First, not only did Austen move away from her childhood home, but she also experienced grief, including the loss of her dear friend Mrs. Anne Lefroy (December 1804), her own beloved father Reverend Austen (January 1805), and her sister-in-law Elizabeth Austen (1808).

Second, after the Reverend Austen’s death, the Austen women stayed on in Bath, moving several times. They then moved to Southampton in 1806, living first with Francis and Mary Austen and then in Castle Square. The Austen women remained unsettled for quite some time.

As many of us know firsthand, losing a loved one is at the top of most stress charts. Moving to a new home is thought to be highly stressful as well. It’s possible that the combination of grief and frequent moves may have impacted Austen’s creativity.

Sydney Place in Bath where Austen lived 1801-1804 (photo by Rachel Dodge)

A Fresh Start

After living away from the quiet of the Hampshire countryside for so many years, and having moved houses several times, moving to Chawton must have been a relief for the Austen women. It also seems to have provided just the right time and place for Austen’s writing to flourish. Almost as soon as they settled into the house there, Austen began revising and writing at a terrific pace.

It’s also interesting to note that when Austen moved to Chawton she picked back up her manuscript for Sense and Sensibility (originally titled “Elinor and Marianne”), a story about a recently widowed woman and her daughters who go to live in a small cottage on the property of a male relative. The Dashwood women, in need of a fresh start, find their new beginning in Barton. The Austen women found theirs in Chawton.

This intriguing quote from Sense and Sensibility almost seems as though it could have been written from the Austens’ point of view:

The Dashwoods were now settled at Barton with tolerable comfort to themselves. The house and the garden, with all the objects surrounding them, were now become familiar, and the ordinary pursuits which had given to Norland half its charms were engaged in again with far greater enjoyment than Norland had been able to afford, since the loss of their father.

Sense and Sensibility, Ch. 9

To view an image of a contemporary watercolor of Chawton Cottage, as Austen may have known it, you can see it here on the JASNA site, in a fascinating Persuasions article entitled “Chawton Cottage Transfigured” by Joan Austen-Leigh (1982).

At Chawton, Austen revised and published Sense and Sensibility (1811) and Pride and Prejudice (1813); wrote and published Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1815); reacquired Northanger Abbey and wrote Persuasion (both of which were published after her death in 1817); and started “Sanditon.”

St Nicholas Church at Chawton (photo by Rachel Dodge)

Storing Up Inspiration

It seems that Austen’s time away from her beloved Hampshire countryside actually played an important role in her writing journey. Even if she didn’t write as much during those years, she was evidently storing up experiences, people, places, and inspiration all along the way. Coming “home” to the countryside and settling down sparked new creativity.

There are many factors that may have led to Austen’s fresh spurt of writing at Chawton, but here are a few that come to mind:

Feeling at home and settled in their own houseTime and space to walk, think, and listenSlower pace and quieter surroundingsFamiliar scenery, sounds, and walksExtended family, nieces and nephews, and friends nearbyNew experiences and settings for inspiration (Bath, Southampton, Godmersham, and Lyme Regis)New books to read (at Chawton House and Godmersham Park)The society of local families

One might say that Austen herself was living in her own ideal setting at Chawton: As she wrote to Anna Austen in 1814, “You are now collecting your People delightfully, getting them exactly into such a spot as is the delight of my life;—3 or 4 Families in a Country Village is the very thing to work on” (emphasis mine).

For Austen, perhaps a country village was not only the perfect thing to work on but also the perfect place in which to work. That setting—the “delight” of her life—seems to be where she worked best.

It’s heartening to consider new beginnings like these. After difficulty and heartache, light dawned once more for Austen. And the unsettled years certainly weren’t wasted; they provided Austen with new experiences and fresh inspiration.

Let’s keep in touch:

Subscribe to my blog
for articles on literature, faith, and my writing adventures!

Signed Books:

Order signed books here on my web site!
Each autographed book comes with a matching bookmark.

The Anne Devotional Praying with Jane Double Devotional 2-Pack Signed Bookplates

The post A New Beginning at Chawton Cottage appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

In my article in Jane Austen’s World this month, I take a close look at the people who take care of Marianne Dashwood when she’s ill. If you’re looking for a heart-warming story this season, Jane Austen never disappoints. Enjoy!

“Look with compassion upon the afflicted of every condition, assuage the pangs of disease, comfort the broken in spirit.” —Jane Austen, Prayers

This time of year—especially during 2020—many people are in need of comfort and compassion. I find it particularly touching that Jane Austen’s own timeless novels and prayers provide messages of hope that never seem to fade or wear out.

When Marianne Dashwood falls ill in Sense and Sensibility, she is “afflicted” in both body and heart. She doesn’t just need the physical “pangs of disease” assuaged; she needs comfort for her broken spirit. Sick at heart, she also lies sick in bed. It is during these difficult days that we see family members and friends coming to her aid to provide the love and care she needs.

First, Elinor spends her days “attending and nursing” Marianne and “carefully administering the cordials prescribed” (ch. 43). When Marianne worsens on the evening of the third day, Elinor notices her altered condition and stays with Marianne while Mrs. Jennings goes to bed, “knowing nothing of any change in the patient.” Anxious to see Marianne rest quietly, she resolves “to sit with her” as she sleeps. When Marianne’s pulse becomes “lower and quicker than ever,” and she suffers hours of “sleepless pain and delirium,” Elinor anxiously calls for the apothecary, sends Colonel Brandon for her mother, and never leaves her bedside.

This example of sisterly love is similar to the type of care Jane and Cassandra Austen provided for their own family members when they were unwell. When their brother Henry became suddenly and severely ill during one of Jane’s visits to him in London, Jane and Cassandra both helped to nurse him. Caroline Austen provides this detail in her memoir, My Aunt Jane: “Aunt Cass. stayed on nearly a month, and Aunt Jane remained some weeks longer, to nurse the convalescent.” And when Jane herself fell ill, Cassandra, along with Mrs. Mary Austen (née Lloyd), to “take a share in the necessary attendance,” went with her and cared for her in Winchester.

Even once Marianne begins to improve, Elinor stays by her side, “with little intermission . . . calming every fear, satisfying every inquiry of her enfeebled spirits, supplying every succour, and watching almost every look and every breath” (ch. 43). It is only when Elinor is absolutely sure that Marianne is peaceful and sleeping soundly that she can “silence every doubt” and finally quit her post.

Sir John Middleton (Robert Hardy) and Mrs. Jennings (Elizabeth Spriggs)

Mrs. Jennings, “with a kindness of heart which made Elinor really love her,” also provides as much comfort and practical help as she can during Marianne’s illness: She sends for the Palmers’ apothecary and endeavors, “by her own attentive care, to supply to her the place of the mother she had taken her from.” Elinor quickly finds Mrs. Jennings “on every occasion a most willing and active helpmate, desirous to share in all her fatigues, and often by her better experience in nursing, of material use.”

 The morning after Marianne’s long, difficult night, Mrs. Jennings greets Elinor “[w]ith strong concern, and with many reproaches for not being called to their aid.” Austen tells us “[h]er heart was really grieved.” She is “struck” with concern for Marianne’s life, one who “had been for three months her companion, was still under her care, and . . . was known to have been greatly injured, and long unhappy.” She imagines the “distress” Elinor feels and is awakened to the fact that Marianne must be to Mrs. Dashwood what her own daughter Charlotte is to her: and “her sympathy in HER sufferings was very sincere.”

Elinor Dashwood (Emma Thompson) and Colonel Brandon (Alan Rickman)

Finally, Colonel Brandon helps the Dashwood family by staying close at all times and volunteering to bring Mrs. Dashwood to town when Marianne becomes delirious and asks for her mother. When Elinor goes downstairs to the drawing room to ask his advice, “her difficulties were instantly obviated, for with a readiness that seemed to speak the occasion, and the service pre-arranged in his mind, he offered himself as the messenger who should fetch Mrs. Dashwood.”

The entire Dashwood family is greatly relieved by Colonel Brandon’s help:

“The comfort of such a friend at that moment as Colonel Brandon—or such a companion for her mother,—how gratefully was it felt!—a companion whose judgment would guide, whose attendance must relieve, and whose friendship might soothe her!—as far as the shock of such a summons COULD be lessened to her, his presence, his manners, his assistance, would lessen it.”

Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen

Again, during Marianne’s recovery, Colonel Brandon is never far away. He stays in town, visits often, and only returns home when Marianne is well enough to travel back to Barton Cottage with her family.

True to Jane Austen’s style, this portion of the novel also provides us with a message of hope. It’s not just that Marianne’s health improves; it’s also the idea that the long night of anxious waiting doesn’t last forever. That dark hour for Elinor and Marianne does pass. A new day dawns, their mother arrives, and Marianne heals in body and in spirit. Back at Barton Cottage, she once again finds great delight in music and books, walks and nature. And she is eventually able to move forward, finding a deeper, truer love in her marriage to Colonel Brandon than she previously thought possible.

As we enter into this holiday season, perhaps we can find inspiration and hope in the example set by Austen and her characters. Though things look a lot different this year for many of us, we can still provide comfort and compassion in a variety of creative ways. Like Elinor, we can check in and keep careful watch over those who are vulnerable or lonely. Like Mrs. Jennings, we can sympathize and provide for others with genuine concern and generosity. Or, like Colonel Brandon, we can anticipate needs and jump in to help wherever we’re needed.

This year more than ever, we have the opportunity to help those around us, provide care where needed, and extend small kindnesses. We can write, we can call, and we can meet online. We can send gifts and treats and little surprises. And we can share with others those things which give us the most comfort—whether it be a handwritten card, a prayer, a poem, a verse, a piece of music, a handmade gift, or a copy of one of Austen’s beautiful novels.

Gift Ideas for Kindred Spirits

If you’d like to purchase a signed copy of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional or Praying with Jane, a prayer journal, or signed book plates for someone special, please visit my online Gift Shop!

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