THE REAL JANE AUSTEN

Who was the real Jane Austen? A retiring spinster content with quiet village life? Or a strong-minded woman who chose to remain unmarried and to fashion herself as a professional writer? Bestselling biographer Paula Byrne uses objects that conjure up a key moment in Austen's life and work _ a vellum notebook, a topaz cross, a writing box and a bathing machine _ to reveal the true self of this most beloved author. 'Sparklingly multi-faceted, catching the light in intriguing ways ? Byrne's Jane is far less likely to go for a quiet walk in the garden than she is to be whisked into town in search of a velvet cushion' Mail on Sunday