Category: Blog

A Little Motherly Advice from Jane Austen’s Mothers

Jane Austen never had children of her own, and she never wrote a conduct manual for mothers, but her novels certainly speak volumes about her opinion on the state of motherhood in 18th-century England—and specifically that of the landed gentry. In her novels, the majority of Austen’s mothers can be broken down into three general… Continue reading A Little Motherly Advice from Jane Austen’s Mothers

Regency walking dresses and broken hearts in Persuasion

Regency Gown, Jane Austen's Persuasion

This is an 1815 print of “a young woman in an autumnal walking dress taken from La Belle Assemblee…” (123). It appears in an annotated edition of Persuasion that I have on loan from one of my students. This dress is described as a “jaconet muslin high dress… with a long sleeve, prettily and tastefully… Continue reading Regency walking dresses and broken hearts in Persuasion

An English Wedding at Sherbourne Park

Sherbourne Park, a Grade II Georgian Estate in Warwickshire.

“…you want to hear about the wedding; and I shall be happy to tell you, for we all behaved charmingly.” –Emma My husband and I were invited to a family wedding in England. The venue: Sherbourne Park, a Grade II Georgian house on a large estate dating back to 1730, just a few miles from… Continue reading An English Wedding at Sherbourne Park

Captain Wentworth’s Umbrella

"A Wet Sunday Morning" by Edmund Blair Leighton.

A crowded shop scene in Jane Austen’s Persuasion causes spectacular tension between Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth on a rainy day in Bath. (It’s worth re-reading here if it’s been a while.) Anne and the others in her party step into Molland’s to escape the rain. There, Austen drops a subtle hint about Captain Wentworth’s feelings… Continue reading Captain Wentworth’s Umbrella

Emily of New Moon

Last year, the L.M. Montgomery Institute blog held an Anne of Green Gables read-along; it was so popular that they decided to hold an Emily of New Moon read-along this year. It’s currently in full swing and readers from around the world gather to read a chapter and a related blog article each week. It’s great fun! I reread the entire Emily… Continue reading Emily of New Moon

Celebrate small victories.

When I think of victory, I usually think of complete, ground-into-powder-under-my-heel types of victories. TOTAL victory. But more and more, I find myself rejoicing in the small victories all around me. Being kind to myself as a mom and wife. That it’s not all perfect, but there’s some great stuff happening in the midst of… Continue reading Celebrate small victories.

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