Peter James Bowman

The Austen connection touted on the cover is really a tenuous (some parallels with Anne Elliott.)

Apart from that, this biography of a sussex baronet's daughter in the early 19th century, who faces family opposition to her choice of husband, is moderately interesting. It's not about historical celebrities - at one point, her landlord is Shelley's father, at another, she goes to a ball attended by Jane Austen's brother - but it uses heavy quotation of letters and diaries to bring ordinary show more regency/early victorians to life.

The classism was intense and the horror of mesalliance alienating to the point I hated the read so that is also an aspect of the book. show less