The Austens of Steventon

by Diane Jane Ball

Jane Austen was not born famous. It was not until she reached the age of thirty-five that she saw her first novel in print, and she died six years later completely unaware of the legacy she was to leave behind. This story takes place long before that when Jane was a young girl growing up in a large family.
Opening with her parents’ wedding in 1764, the narrative follows Mr and Mrs Austen to their first home in Deane and then on to Steventon. You will bear witness to the births of all eight of their children and discover the individual life stories of them all, as well as their relatives and their friends. This was the time of American Independence and the French Revolutionary Wars and you will see how these international affairs affected even the smallest of rural communities.
Based upon true historical facts, the timeline of the novel follows the same run of events as recorded in letters, memoirs, and ancestral records and brings the entire Austen family to life.

Genres: Nonfiction

352 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 13, 2023

About the author

Diane is an English teacher in the UK who loves writing.
She published her first novel, 'The Austens of Steventon' in January 2024, followed by her second, 'The Austens of Bath' in April 2025. Her works tell the true life stories of Jane Austen and her family, and she has a website full of photos and information about the real life settings that were important to them.
Diane was first introduced to Jane Austen at school, which has led to a love of nineteenth century novels and wider historical fiction.
When she's not writing, Diane teaches English lessons online and is never far away from a Shakespeare play, poem or other classic literature text. She also helps to run the Association of Self-Published Authors (ASPA), where she is a co-owner.
In her spare time, Diane enjoys long walks in the countryside and visits to old stately homes and castles. Her best days are those that end up in a tearoom, before heading home with a purchase from the second-hand book shop that she couldn't resist!

Reviews

[Diane Ball · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a dream come true to research and write about the Austen family. I read countless memoirs, biographies and letters and visited hundreds of sites. I was fascinated by the connection between the Austen, Fowle and Lloyd families that began when the three fathers knew each other at Oxford University and was eager to show how this developed as the individual families grew up. The time period was a delight to understand and every person grew a life of their own in my head. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

[Shiloah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was extensively researched and well written. The only problem was after about 1/3 way in it became deadly dull for me.

[Kay Carver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative read, some parts I knew and others helped with the background into Jane’s brothers. A little slow in the middle but guess that’s real life at times. Good read

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book & reading & learning about the life of my favorite author.

[Christine Rolls · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful book is the first in a trilogy which tells the story of the life of Jane Austen and her family in the form of a novel. This first book describes the Austen family from the time of the marriage of Jane's parents and takes us through to 1801 when Jane's father retires and they move to Bath.

This is a well-written and very informative book. A must read for any fans of the great Jane Austen or for anyone with an interest in finding out a bit more about her life.

I'll be buying the second in the series as soon as it is published. Can't wait!

[Robert Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book which is extremely well written, and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in literature, eighteenth century history, the roles of women or just enjoy a good story. The author successfully tells the story of Jane Austen’s origins, almost as if you were in the same room as the characters. There are so many personalities within extended family and friends and yet all are distinct, complex, and as real as if you had met them today. It is a wonderful reminder of how sociologically we develop and it’s no wonder that Jane’s books tell of specific roles for men and women in the late eighteenth century. As parents, both men and women were complicit as they were keen to manage life plans and marriage for their daughters.

You will experience their trials, both literally and metaphorically, and the style reminded me of Dickens, which I love. From domestic issues to the French revolution and from birth to death (including some wonderful detail about how society prepared for a funeral), this is a pleasant and immersive experience.

It is also worth noting that the book goes up to the end of the century with much more Jane Austen to come in future novels.

[Jeny Stokes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about the early life of Jane Austen in the form of a novel. I look forward to the sequel, The Austen's of Bath and The Austen's of Chawton.