Jane Austen's Charlotte Lib/E: Her Fragment of a Last Novel, Completed, by Julia Barrett

In completing Jane Austen's last novel, Julia Barrett has emerged with a literary treasure, holding true to the characters and theme designed by Ms. Austen. Set in the developing seaside town of Sanditon, it portrays a young woman from the countryside who is exposed to the sophistication and cynicism of resort life. Her name is Charlotte. With disarming charm and wit, she observes for us the array of quirky characters who reside in the booming resort-to-be. The innocent but keen-witted Charlotte quickly finds herself rather deeply involved in this uproarious little town. She can't help but get swept up in the antics of the Parkers and Denhams, even while she is vexed and perplexed by the droll Sidney Parker. But even the best efforts of this charming young woman may not be enough to save the budding resort town.

About the Author :
Jane Austen (1775-1817) was born in Steventon, England, and later moved to Bath. She began to write early for her own and her family's amusement. Her novels, set in her own English countryside, depict the daily lives of provincial middle-class families with wry observation, a delicate irony, and a good-humored wit. She is now considered by many scholars to be the first great woman novelist. Julia Barrett is the author of The Third Sister, a sequel to Sense and Sensibility, and Presumption, a sequel to Pride and Prejudice, both successful and widely praised. She lives in Santa Monica, California. Though the domain of Jane Austen's novels was as circumscribed as her life, her caustic wit and keen observation made her the equal of the greatest novelists in any language. Born the seventh child of the rector of Steventon, Hampshire, on December 16, 1775, she was educated mainly at home. At an early age she began writing sketches and satires of popular novels for her family's entertainment. As a clergyman's daughter from a well-connected family, she had an ample opportunity to study the habits of the middle class, the gentry, and the aristocracy. At twenty-one, she began a novel called "The First Impressions" an early version of Pride and Prejudice. In 1801, on her father's retirement, the family moved to the fashionable resort of Bath. Two years later she sold the first version of Northanger Abby to a London publisher, but the first of her novels to appear was Sense and Sensibility, published at her own expense in 1811. It was followed by Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), and Emma (1815). Johanna Ward (a.k.a. Kate Reading) is an Audie Award-winning narrator and has received numerous Earphones Awards from AudioFile magazine. She is also a theater actor in the Washington, DC, area and has been a member of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company since 1987. Her work onstage has been recognized by the Helen Hayes Awards Society, among others. She and her husband live in Hyattsville, Maryland, with their two children.

Review :
"Barrett develops these characters with the same sharp eys and wit that Austen brought to their creation." -- "International Herald Tribune" "Barrett's...story reads...like genuine Austen...A readable book with modern themes." -- "Charlotte Observer" "Charlotte...demonstrates Barrett's remarkable ability to extend a story...making Austen's work and her feel as one...No easy accomplishment." -- "Oxford Review" "Those (like me) in search of sneers must go elsewhere." -- "James R. Kincaid, New York Times Book Review" "A flawless performance [by] Johanna Ward, who deserves a medal." -- "AudioFile" "Exquisitely written and read. Ward's understated narration surrounds readers with elegant prose that depicts intrigue and the interrelationships among the quirky characters of Sanditon." -- "Booklist"