[Jane Was Here]: A Review

Hi y’all!

Hope you are enjoying these first days of summer. We have had hot weather this week so it sure feels like summer. Bring on the swim suits and popsicles!

Today I am excited to share my review of Jane Was Here: An Illustrated Guide to Jane Austen’s England by Nicole Jacobsen, Devynn MacLennan, and Lexi Nilson. This delightful travel guide was recommended to me by a good family friend. She knows one of the authors. I am so glad I picked this one up. It was a fantastic Austen inspired travel guide that has me itching to go back to England!

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According to Goodreads, “Jane Was Here is a whimsical, illustrated guide to Jane Austen’s England – from the settings in her novels and the scenes in the wildly popular television and film adaptations, to her homes and other important locations throughout her own life.

Discover the stately homes of Basildon Park and Ham House and the lush landscapes of Stourhead and Stanage Edge. Tread in Jane’s footsteps as you explore her school in the old gatehouse of the ruined Reading Abbey; her perfectly-preserved home in her Chawton cottage, where she spent the last eight years of her life; or her final resting place in Winchester Cathedral.

Whether you want to take this book as your well-thumbed guide on a real Austenian pilgrimage of your own, or experience the journey from the comfort of your own living room, Jane Was Here will take you – with a tone as wry as Jane’s itself – on an enchanting adventure through the ups and downs of the world of Jane Austen.“

I loved this illustrated travel memoir (that’s what I’m calling it anyways) that was such a fun escape for Austen nerds like myself. As I don’t often read much less review such books, I thought I would share some of the reasons I enjoyed this change of pace.

Great illustrations and detail pictures throughout. The paintings of landscapes are beautiful. And I loved the drawings of Austen characters, wallpaper patterns, colors in the sunset, the different foods they ate and more. There are no photographs in this book, just beautiful illustrations.
Loved the combo of book locations and movie filming sites. They do a good job of grouping these sites by location and explaining why they are including on this Jane inspired voyage. So fun to hear about the many places to visits for Jane fans of all sorts. And all their favorite spots to eat along the way! Makes me homesick for British food, Haha! I would have loved even more book inspired sites rather than all the movie houses.
Loved the inclusion of quotes from the books and facts about Jane’s life. We get quotes about why they like Bath, why they like books or dancing, and even instructions for how to play whist! I also liked the background on Jane including on her siblings and the places she lived and wrote.
Quick, engaging read. This took me less than a day to read and it was a really fun read that was outside my usual genres!

I think you will enjoy this book if…