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The Jane Austen Remedy

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a book can change a life
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( 791 ratings, 184 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Jane Austen Remedy by Ruth Wilson is a compelling memoir that intertwines the author's personal journey of self-discovery with her lifelong appreciation of Jane Austen's works. Throughout the story, Wilson reflects on how Austen's novels have not only influenced her perceptions of life and relationships but also guided her through pivotal moments, offering comfort and insight. As she revisits these literary masterpieces, Wilson delves into themes of identity, love, and the transformative power of literature.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this biography and memoir if you're interested in personal journeys of self-discovery through literature. This book connects the healing power of reading with the timeless insights of Jane Austen, making it appealing if you appreciate stories about life's transformations and the influence of classic novels on everyday life.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

An uplifting and delightfully bookish memoir about an 89-year-old woman who reclaims her life by re-reading each of Jane Austen's novels.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Ruth Wilson... emerges from this discreet, wry memoir as quietly defiant as any heroine from the Jane Austen novels she so admires.

The Sydney Morning Herald

At the age of seventy, Ruth Wilson blew up her life. Confronting feelings of regret and unhappiness, she left her husband, bought a sunshine-yellow cottage in the Southern Highlands, and resolved to re-read the books that had shaped her formative years: Jane Austen's six novels.

Over the next ten years, as Ruth read between the lines of both the novels and her own life, she slowly began to reclaim her identity.

Now aged ninety, Ruth shares her beautiful, life-affirming lessons in love, self-acceptance, and the curative power of reading, as well as a timely reminder that it's never too late to seize a second chance.

'Brilliant... a tour de force memoir on the power of reading to light up a life at any age.'
Devoney Looser

'Beautiful and deep... A unique approach to Austen's books.'
Bri Lee

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Jane Austen Remedy by Ruth Wilson is a compelling memoir exploring the transformative power of reading. Reviews commend the author's poignant storytelling, reflecting on how revisiting Jane Austen's works revitalised her life and offered new perspectives. The memoir is praised for its heartfelt narrative and the intertwining of personal growth with literary appreciation.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781761069567

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 10 January 2023

Country: Australia

Imprint: Allen & Unwin

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 278g

Pages: 320

About the Author

Ruth Wilson read her first Jane Austen novel in 1947. In 2021, at the age of eighty-eight, she graduated from The University of Sydney with a PhD that suggests a new approach to reading literary fiction at school. She encourages her four children, five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren to read widely, wisely and well. She and her husband are LATs, a married couple who live apart together.

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  • The Jane Austen Remedy
    As she approached the age of seventy, Ruth Wilson began to have recurring dreams about losing her voice. Unable to dismiss her feelings of unexplainable sadness, she made the radical decision to retreat from her conventional life with her husband to a sunshine-yellow cottage in the Southern Highlands where she lived alone for the next decade. Ruth had fostered a...
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