How much would you give to gain a husband? That is the question surely floating around in many readers’ minds while they embark on the adventure of budding romances, false accusations, and rigidly unmoving expectations forced upon the main characters in Lucy Worsley’s original novel, The Austen Girls. Upon first glance, I wasn’t entirely sure about the book. How could a modern author capture the essence of the renowned Austen? Initially, I was slightly wary as I sat down to read it. But after only one chapter, I was sucked into the compelling story of Jane Austen’s nieces’ search for love and happiness. The story follows Fanny and Anna Austen, cousins and close friends, who are starkly different in personality and lifestyle. Fanny is quiet, timid, and always follows the rules set by her almost-rich parents. Anna, on the other hand, is loud, bubbly, and absolutely hates living poor and in the country with her father and stepmother. But the two young women both have equally important and stressful duties—to find a suitor who is ideal to their wants and needs, kind and loving, and most importantly: rich and respectable enough to hold up the Austen legacy. While going to balls and dancing with all of the eligible young men in the county may sound fun to many girls, it is also very tedious and troublesome. Will I ever be able to find love? What if I don’t want to? What is real love, anyway? These are the questions constantly asked by Fanny and Anna. And there is only one person they can go to for answers. Their stern, knowledgeable, and mysterious Aunt Jane knows more about love than anyone, and she is unmarried and perfectly happy. But not marrying doesn’t seem like an option for either of the Austens, does it? When catastrophe strikes, it’s up to the girls to figure out for themselves what they want for their future. Worsley’s vivid novel captures the essence and message of all of Jane Austen’s works beautifully, and masterfully weaves striking and important life lessons into the tapestry of the plot. Discussion-provoking topics such as women’s roles and treatment in old and modern society and the idea that we can all choose our own destinies spring up in the book. The book also manages to seamlessly include historical facts about people and lifestyles of the time period. The often forgotten family tree of Jane Austen is revealed to those who know little or nothing about it, and the lifestyles of both aristocrats and their polar opposites are described in rich detail. The book is quick, but jam-packed with important and intriguing details and facts. Not only is the book original and well thought out, but it is also a great starting point for readers interested in learning more about the Victorian era and seeking to read some of Jane Austen’s lifeworks. I would highly recommend this impactful book to anybody willing to go on a romantic and imaginative journey. Worsley’s The Austen Girls is a wonderful tribute to feminism, history, and the one question we should all ask ourselves: what do we truly want out of our lives? The Austen Girls by Lucy Worsley. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020.
Lucy Worsley
Book Club Report: When Stars Are Scattered, Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
An update from our thirty-first Book Club meeting! On October 30th, the Stone Soup Book Club discussed When Stars Are Scattered, by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed. When Stars Are Scattered is based on Omar’s life in Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya and his journey to resettlement in the United States. The story is told in the form of a graphic novel. When Stars Are Scattered was an immensely popular read among our twelve book club participants, as was evident in our lively and dynamic Book Club discussion. Many participants remarked on how moving they found the book and how it compelled them to dig deeper and learn more about the plight of refugees. As a group we found it equally compelling how vividly the more mundane, everyday experience of life in a refugee camp was portrayed. We learned that Dadaab is such a big camp that it almost feels like a city-with makeshift restaurants and even internet cafes-but it is a city in limbo with no permanent structures. This sense of limbo was captured in the rhythm of Omar’s daily life-the monotony of chores and the weight of responsibility for his brother’s care, the angst over first whether to start school and later how to remain there, and the ebb and flow of friendships all helped to capture Dadaab as a place in flux. We spent time reflecting on what questions we would want to ask about life in a refugee camp and what we found most surprising, interesting, and confronting about Omar’s life. Following this discussion, we listened to an interview of a boy named Muzamill, about his daily life in Dadaab. The questions posed about Muzammil’s life were posed by young people in the United States. The interview was informative, eye opening, and funny! In parallel to our discussions about life as a refugee, we also spent time thinking about the graphic novel format and the various ways in which it enhanced Jamieson’s portrayal of Omar’s life story. Even those who’d never read a graphic novel before are now converts to the genre! We tried our hand at telling an aspect of our own daily routine in graphic novel format and shared these with the group. Remember: if you attended book club and liked what you wrote for this activity, submit it through the Writing Workshop Submission Form and we will post it along with other stories on the Stone Soup website! At the conclusion of our meeting, we had the chance to explore some of the creative works by young refugees through the Stone Soup Refugee Project. If you have not yet done so, check it out yourself, here. Finally, we are so excited to share that on, December 11th, our final Book Club meeting of this session, we will be joined by author and historian, Lucy Worsley, to discuss her book The Austen Girls! Please join us and come prepared with questions for Ms. Worsley!
Book Club Report: Beyond the Bright Sea, Loren Wolk
An update from our thirtieth Book Club meeting! On September 25, the Stone Soup Book Club discussed Beyond the Bright Sea, by Loren Wolk. Beyond the Bright Sea tells the story of twelve-year-old Crow and her search for her birth family after having spent her entire life on an isolated island off the coast of Massachusetts, with Osh, the guardian who rescued and raised her. There were ten Book Club participants in attendance from the US, England, and Dubai. We engaged in in-depth conversations about the book’s various themes as well as character, setting and plot. As always, we endeavored to unpack how and for what purpose each of these elements were crafted in Wolk’s development of the novel. We also participated in a couple of fun writing activities. We explored, in writing, the notion of home; what makes a place a home and what is it like to feel a sense of yearning for home? Participants could choose to share their reflections about home directly from their own perspectives, or to explore their ideas about home through a fictionalized account. We also engaged in a writing activity that allowed us to imagine a sequel to the book. In doing so, we discussed what aspects of the book’s current ending we would like to see preserved, and what aspects would be fun to disrupt! The overwhelming consensus of the group was that this was a great read with vivid, believable characters, an intriguing setting, and a fast-paced, exciting plot! Remember: if you attended book club and liked what you wrote for these activities, submit it through the Writing Workshop Submission Form and we will post it along with other stories on the Stone Soup website! At the conclusion of our discussion, we chose our October book and the December book was announced! Our Next Book, to be discussed on October 30: When Stars are Scattered, by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed We are excited to share that on, December 11th, our final Book Club meeting of this session, we will be joined by author and historian, Lucy Worsley, to discuss her book The Austen Girls!
