Monday, May 18, 2015

Young Jane Austen: Becoming a Writer...Giveaway...International!


Winner Announcement:


The 10th person to comment, Silver De, is the lucky winner of Young Jane Austen: Becoming an Author.  She has sent me her address and the book will be mailed to her shortly.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by my blog, read the review, and left a comment!


Like the subject of her book, Lisa Pliscou's Young Jane Austen: Becoming a Writer is short and sweet.  It provides a fictional account of Austen from birth to twelve years old, when Pliscou states that Austen was on the brink of launching herself as an author, having had the luck to be born into a family that nurtured her natural gifts.

The chapters are very short--sometimes little more than a paragraph or two--written from the point-of-view of a child describing her world as it slowly comes into focus and expands and contracts with the flow of life and the life of the family.Not much is known about Austen's early years, and so Pliscou uses modern psychological thinking to thoughtfully speculate on how Austen might have responded to the few known circumstances of her life as a child, given her later works and words.

While I was expecting to see young Jane putting pen to paper with her Juvenilia, in ending where she does, Pliscou makes the point that Austen's earliest years put her firmly on the path to literary prowess.

The book is beautifully constructed, with lovely simple drawings of Jane and her family dotting the pages.  It is a quick read, even when you read the annotations and biographical details, and bibliography.  I read it on a short flight between Denver and Phoenix, and found it satisfying.  Covering familiar ground but also providing insights into why and how Austen was able to tap vast reservoirs of creativity to become the Austen we know and love.


The author has graciously provided me with a second copy to give-away on my blog --the first copy will be shared with my JASNA group in Denver/Boulder.  For more info on the book, visit Lisa Pliscou's website.


If you would like to enter the giveaway, please leave a comment below and provide your contact info.  The giveaway is open internationally, and I will accept entries through 8 pm MT on Sunday, May 24.

16 comments:

  1. This does look like an such an aesthetically pleasing book. It is also sounds like the actually writing is very imaginative.

    Jane Austen never ceases to fascinate.

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  2. Knowing nothing about her childhood it should be an interesting read even if it is fictional

    meikleblog at gmail dot com

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  3. I would la la LOVE to win and read this!
    heatheranne99 at gmail dot com

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  4. This looks a lovely book. I've read two biographies of Jane Austen - one short by Carol Shields and a longer one by Claire Tomalin which is much more detailed - both very good. Your post has reminded me I keep putting off reading Jane Austen's Letters - it's such a long book in a small font!

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  5. I'm a huge Jane Austen fan, would love to read the book.
    sushart4[at]gmail[dot]com

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  6. LOVE IT dark_chii_18@hotmail.com

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  7. What a beautiful book. Love Jane Auste. Xx
    Jurga_kaya@yahoo.co.uk

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  8. AnonymousMay 20, 2015

    its really fantastic.
    Email : billano_kawaii@yahoo.com

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  9. This looks so promising. Thank you for this chance! :) (Contact at: jillianraei27@yahoo.com)

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  10. AnonymousMay 21, 2015

    Oh i'd love to win ♥ *.*

    ( self.portrait@hotmail.com )

    Twitter : @DeAutumnOo

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  11. This sounds very interesting. Can't wait to read it.
    bonniewcarlson@gmail.com

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  12. Thanks for the giveaway :)
    celeste_257@hotmail.com

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  13. It would be fascinating to imagine what her life was like.

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  14. I would love to win it
    elspeth[dot]n[dot]flood[at]gmail[dot]com

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  15. Although most of my books are ebookd this, due to the artwork seems to one I must have in paperback. Thank you douvh for the generous give away. skamper25 (at) gmail (dot) com

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  16. Lovely! Wish I'd seen this sooner to share the active giveaway (sorry!). Some lucky person will really enjoy this one, I know.

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