In the small town of Steventon, Hampshire, one of the world’s most important authors was born.Jane Austen is a luminary of the global literary canon and is adored for her wit, social observation & insight into the lives of women. But behind the books is a life largely unknown, with an idyllic childhood, a busy social life & an affectionate family circle. Elizabeth Jenkins’ account of Austen’s story not only brings to life the country gentry of Regency England, but also illuminates the character and mind of one of the most unusually perceptive and gifted writers the world has ever known.