Jane Austen was born in Steventon rectory on 16 December 1775. Her family later moved to Bath, then to Southampton and finally to Chawton in Hampshire. She began writing Pride and Prejudice when she was twenty-two years old. It was originally called First Impressions and was initially rejected by the publishers and only published in 1813 after much revision. She published four of her novels in her lifetime, Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1816). Jane Austen died on 18th July 1817. Northanger Abbey and Persuasion were both published posthumously in 1818.

Francesca Segal is an award-winning writer and journalist. She is the author of two critically acclaimed novels, The Innocents (2012) and The Awkward Age (2017), and a memoir of NICU motherhood, Mother Ship (2019). Her writing has won the 2012 Costa First Novel Award, a Betty Trask Award, and been longlisted for the Women's Prize.

Segal says: 'Writing this novel was a deliberate reaching out for joy. The world can feel very bleak, and bringing Tuga to life became my own magical portal to wide beaches, crystal seas, endless sunshine, and most vitally, to a warm, eccentric community of good people mostly just trying to do their best. Tuga de Oro was a refuge for its first settlers, and I hope will offer refuge for readers, too.'

Jane Austen is the pinnacle to which all other authors aspire--

Jane Austen is my favourite author--

The technique of [Jane Austen's novels] is beyond praise.... Her mastery of the art she chose, or that chose her, is complete--

The wit of Jane Austen has for partner the perfection of her taste--

I am a great admirer of Jane Austen--

Who needs eReaders when book publishers are repackaging classic tales in beautiful covers like these? ... Perfect for fans of the author--Bella

Beautifully designed... Perfect collectable gift for Austen fans and design devotees--So Darling

These might be the loveliest editions of Jane Austen's novels we've seen in a long time--A Little Bird (blog)

Publisher: Vintage Classics

Pub date: 2014-09-09

Length: 448 pages