The Jane Austen Project: A Novel

The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn combines all the best things in life–Jane Austen, time-travel, a romance that shouldn’t work but does, and mind-bendy sci-fi–with Regency England. In short, it’s awesome.

Rachel Katzman and Liam Finucane wake with their faces in the mud in a world and a time not their own, having been sent back through time on a dangerous and complicated mission–one of the boldest so far undertaken in time travel–and so begins the journey to recover the letters of Jane Austen. Through extraordinary circumstances, Rachel and Liam’s relationship turns from professional to complicated, as does their relationship to Jane and the entire Austen family. Fraught with complications and often heart-breaking decisions, Rachel and Liam navigate the complexities of nineteenth-century England and struggle to return to their own time with history intact.

This is one of the best of these types of novels, historically rich with a nuanced treatment of time travel that rivals any in the genre. Flynn treats the entire Austen clan with stunning realism and sensitivity. The story and characters come so alive that readers may find themselves surprised or confused about the reality they find themselves in upon finishing, so real is the world Flynn creates.

This is simply one of the best treatments of Jane Austen fiction out there.