Just as fire was the centerpiece of most evening gatherings in Jane Austen’s time, candles also played a vital role in Regency life and culture. Today, family members work or read in separate rooms in the evening and go to bed at different times (due to the advent of electricity), but people in Austen’s day… Continue reading The Glow of Candlelight in Jane Austen’s Novels
Category: Literary
Heat and Light in Jane Austen’s Novels (Part 1): Fire
At the heart of every household in Jane Austen’s time, a fire burned. Fires provided a fixed source of heat and light, around which people gathered and moved, cooked and cleaned, lived and socialized. And while it’s lovely to imagine that families in Austen’s day gathered together in the evening simply because they enjoyed one… Continue reading Heat and Light in Jane Austen’s Novels (Part 1): Fire
3 Reasons You Should Read The Blue Castle
“Rebellion flamed up in her soul as the dark hours passed by – not because she had no future but because she had no past.” –The Blue Castle, L.M. Montgomery I love these gorgeous new paperback editions of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s books! I have The Blue Castle, Mistress Pat, and Pat of Silver Bush so… Continue reading 3 Reasons You Should Read The Blue Castle
Exploring Jane Austen’s Prayers
As we reflect this month on the beautiful written treasures Jane Austen left behind her in this world, we also celebrate the wonderful life that she lived. Though she has been gone 200 years now, her novels are a continual gift we can enjoy again and again. And though we never knew her personally, we… Continue reading Exploring Jane Austen’s Prayers
Pride and Prejudice
“I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.” –Pride and Prejudice Name that character…?? I’m sure it’s not difficult! It’s only one of the most romantic lines… Continue reading Pride and Prejudice
Little Women
The June roses over the porch were awake bright and early on that morning, rejoicing with all their hearts in the cloudless sunshine, like friendly little neighbors, as they were.” – Little Women This was the #book my mother handed to me and said, “it’s the best book of all, but it’s the book that… Continue reading Little Women
Visiting Jane Austen’s Home: Celebrating 200 Years in Hampshire
“Ah! there is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort.” This line from Mrs. Elton in Emma is quite humorous, but the quote itself holds an eternal truth for most of us. There really is no place like one’s own home. For Jane Austen, “home” was in Hampshire, a lush, green county in the… Continue reading Visiting Jane Austen’s Home: Celebrating 200 Years in Hampshire
Greetings and Gestures in Austen’s Novels
Understanding the subtle nuances behind formal introductions and customary greetings during Jane Austen’s lifetime is a lot of fun, and it can provide a unique level of insight into her books. The reason: Austen uses breaches of etiquette and manners as commentaries on her characters. In her book Those Elegant Decorums, Jane Nardin says, “In… Continue reading Greetings and Gestures in Austen’s Novels
Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret
“From two to four A. M. was the time he usually gave to prayer; the time when he could be most sure of being undisturbed to wait upon God. That flicker of candlelight has meant more to them than all they have read or heard on secret prayer; it meant reality, not preaching but practice.”… Continue reading Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret
Heidi
“I’ll always say my prayers…and if God doesn’t answer them at once I shall know it’s because He’s planning something better for me.” -Heidi I thought it might be nice to do a Throwback Thursday book today. I loved this book as a girl! I read Heidi probably four or five times all the way through,… Continue reading Heidi