Austen Years

By Rachel Cohen,

Book cover of Austen Years: A Memoir in Five Novels

Book description

One of The Globe and Mail's Best Books of 2020

"A thoroughly authentic, smart and consoling account of one writer’s commitment to another." --The New York Times Book Review (editors' choice)

"An absolutely fascinating book: I will never read Austen the same way again." ―Helen Macdonald, author of H is…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

1 author picked Austen Years as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

“About seven years ago,” Rachel Cohen writes at the beginning of Austen Years, “not too long before our daughter was born, and a year before my father died, Jane Austen became my only author.” Weaving together memoir, biography, history, and literary criticism, Cohen draws upon five of Austen’s novels to make sense of her own life and work as she raises young children, moves across the country, and grapples with her father’s death. The result is a brilliant and beautiful reflection upon family and loss, isolation and transcendence, and reading and rereading.

Want books like Austen Years?

Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Austen Years.

Browse books like Austen Years

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in mourning, Massachusetts, and Chicago?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about mourning, Massachusetts, and Chicago.

Mourning Explore 134 books about mourning
Massachusetts Explore 134 books about Massachusetts
Chicago Explore 369 books about Chicago