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Who Was . . . ? Series
Who Was Jane Austen?
Step into the world of Georgian England and learn more about the genteel life of this beloved author.
Although Jane Austen's works were first published anonymously and brought her little personal recognition, today they are rarely out of print and have inspired movies, television shows and mini-series, literary anthologies, and many other adaptations all around the world. Her writing--principally her five novels--is a critique of the British landed gentry at the end of the eighteenth century, and often a comment on the pursuit of a "good match" in matters of marriage. Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, Emma, and Northhanger Abbey remain her most famous works. Who Was Jane Austen? reveals the life of this most private author.
Although Jane Austen's works were first published anonymously and brought her little personal recognition, today they are rarely out of print and have inspired movies, television shows and mini-series, literary anthologies, and many other adaptations all around the world. Her writing--principally her five novels--is a critique of the British landed gentry at the end of the eighteenth century, and often a comment on the pursuit of a "good match" in matters of marriage. Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, Emma, and Northhanger Abbey remain her most famous works. Who Was Jane Austen? reveals the life of this most private author.
107 pages, Paperback
Published December 5, 2017
27 people are currently reading
426 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
February 28, 2025
Who Was...? biography series for middle grade captures the story of Jane Austen – a beloved English author whose books are more popular today than they were in her own lifetime. She achieved success as a published author in a time when there were no women writers officially.
Jane Austen (1775-1817) was the seventh child of Reverend George Austen and his wife Cassandra. He looked after a small parish in Steventon, a small village west of London.
The Austen’s house was crowded and noisy, but it was a happy and comfortable place. The Reverend’s library was filled with books and Jane spent a lot of time reading them. The parents also encouraged all children to put on short performances for their entertainment.
Jane enjoyed the busy atmosphere at home as well as her long walks in the countryside. The nature inspired her to start writing. She was dazzled by their cousin Eliza’s life, married to a French count. Eliza’s exciting life gave Jane further inspiration for her stories. Jane was drawn to strong female characters. She didn’t like the silly or sentimental characters. She was also very outspoken, not afraid to speak her mind, and explore it in her writing. She based her stories on people she met and the events she attended. The more she wrote, the better she got at it.
She was twenty-one when she finished writing First Impressions. It was rejected by the publisher, but Jane wasn’t to give up on her dream of becoming an author. Meanwhile, she wrote two more novels.
At twenty-six, with the help of her brother, she found a publisher for one of her novels, Susan. But at the end, the book was never published.
In 1810, at thirty-five, she found a publisher for Sense and Sensibility which appeared in bookstores in October 1811, and received good reviews. By July 1813, all copies were sold. In 1813, Pride and Prejudice was published. In 1814, Mansfield was published. In 1815, Emma was sold to publisher. Northanger Abbey and Persuasion were published after the death of Jane.
This biography illustrates a strong woman who believed in her writing and the characters she portrayed. Despite many rejections, she persisted with what she believed in.
This illustrated biography series for young readers, ages 8-12, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences, and insightful inserts.
Jane Austen (1775-1817) was the seventh child of Reverend George Austen and his wife Cassandra. He looked after a small parish in Steventon, a small village west of London.
The Austen’s house was crowded and noisy, but it was a happy and comfortable place. The Reverend’s library was filled with books and Jane spent a lot of time reading them. The parents also encouraged all children to put on short performances for their entertainment.
Jane enjoyed the busy atmosphere at home as well as her long walks in the countryside. The nature inspired her to start writing. She was dazzled by their cousin Eliza’s life, married to a French count. Eliza’s exciting life gave Jane further inspiration for her stories. Jane was drawn to strong female characters. She didn’t like the silly or sentimental characters. She was also very outspoken, not afraid to speak her mind, and explore it in her writing. She based her stories on people she met and the events she attended. The more she wrote, the better she got at it.
She was twenty-one when she finished writing First Impressions. It was rejected by the publisher, but Jane wasn’t to give up on her dream of becoming an author. Meanwhile, she wrote two more novels.
At twenty-six, with the help of her brother, she found a publisher for one of her novels, Susan. But at the end, the book was never published.
In 1810, at thirty-five, she found a publisher for Sense and Sensibility which appeared in bookstores in October 1811, and received good reviews. By July 1813, all copies were sold. In 1813, Pride and Prejudice was published. In 1814, Mansfield was published. In 1815, Emma was sold to publisher. Northanger Abbey and Persuasion were published after the death of Jane.
This biography illustrates a strong woman who believed in her writing and the characters she portrayed. Despite many rejections, she persisted with what she believed in.
This illustrated biography series for young readers, ages 8-12, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences, and insightful inserts.
December 1, 2022
I like history. I also like learning about the legacy of others in history. I am interested in becoming a writer.
May 12, 2018
Wonder woman! lol
March 11, 2023
This was my first “Who Was” book and I am thoroughly impressed. I found this biography on Jane Austen very informative and a joy to read. I loved all of the included black and white illustrations sprinkled without it, too.
July 7, 2024
This was an excellent condensed version of Jane Austen's life for young readers. It even gave movie and TV show recommendations in the back of the book.
January 20, 2018
Is it just me, or did anyone else know so very little about Jane Austen? Very interesting story.
January 30, 2019
Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors, so of course I had to check out this biography as soon as my library received it. It was a very quick read, even quicker than the others in this series that I’ve read. Maybe that’s just because of my love for the subject.
At any rate, I enjoyed learning a bit more about this beloved author. I have always admired Jane Austen, and specifically her character of Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, for remaining true to themselves, especially when it would have been easier to just do what was expected of them. Authenticity is a guiding principle in my life, and I appreciated that this biography portrayed Jane Austen and her work in that light.
While I have read bits and pieces about Jane Austen’s life before, I’ve never read a full-length adult biography about her. Perhaps this is because I just don’t read as much nonfiction as fiction. Or maybe it’s because I know there isn’t a lot of primary documentation about her life and I don’t want to read too much speculation. Still, it could be that I simply agree with Austen scholar, Patricia Meyer Spacks, who said, “I would rather read Jane Austen than about her.” I do agree that reading her novels is the best way to connect with the author. However, knowing a little more about her life, I can see how it influenced her writing, which is always interesting. And after reading this brief biography, I think I’d like to read more. It’s a great introductory text.
I will be very curious to see how popular this book becomes at my library, considering that most kids of the target demographic probably won’t be familiar with Jane Austen yet. They love anything in this series, however, so I hope it does well and sparks an interest in Jane Austen for the next generation.
At any rate, I enjoyed learning a bit more about this beloved author. I have always admired Jane Austen, and specifically her character of Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, for remaining true to themselves, especially when it would have been easier to just do what was expected of them. Authenticity is a guiding principle in my life, and I appreciated that this biography portrayed Jane Austen and her work in that light.
While I have read bits and pieces about Jane Austen’s life before, I’ve never read a full-length adult biography about her. Perhaps this is because I just don’t read as much nonfiction as fiction. Or maybe it’s because I know there isn’t a lot of primary documentation about her life and I don’t want to read too much speculation. Still, it could be that I simply agree with Austen scholar, Patricia Meyer Spacks, who said, “I would rather read Jane Austen than about her.” I do agree that reading her novels is the best way to connect with the author. However, knowing a little more about her life, I can see how it influenced her writing, which is always interesting. And after reading this brief biography, I think I’d like to read more. It’s a great introductory text.
I will be very curious to see how popular this book becomes at my library, considering that most kids of the target demographic probably won’t be familiar with Jane Austen yet. They love anything in this series, however, so I hope it does well and sparks an interest in Jane Austen for the next generation.
April 23, 2022
I have read so many of these little “Who Was” books. They are wonderful little books to provide a quick overview of a person’s life and accomplishments. Naturally, I saw Jane Austen and had to get it! Jane had many ups and downs, just like we all do, but her novels have brought so much joy to countless people! Her work is truly timeless.
January 17, 2021
Jane Austen was a very interesting person. She accomplished things that were unheard of in her day. I learned a lot of stuff that I didn't know about her through this book.
April 8, 2020
I have read a few biographical books about well-known and popular authors and found them to be just as interesting, if not more so, than the stories that they have written. Who Was Jane Austen? by Sarah Fabiny is one of those that I just read and it fits that category as well. Her books are well read even today over 200 years after her death and remain very popular. The author did a great job researching and organizing the most notable facts of Jane Austen's life in writing this relatively short biography as part of the award-winning New York Times series. Back when female writers were not well received or encouraged, she had to hide that fact and published with the help of her brother. When her works began to develop a core following and became more and more popular, she finally was able to disclose and take credit for her own works. Many of her works were eventually made into movies and remakes and offshoots that are also very popular today.
August 26, 2021
Still loving the WhoHQ books! They are a "highlight reel" kind of biographies - meant for kids (but, as an adult, I really have enjoyed them!)
To be honest, I knew very little about Jane Austen. However, this quick snippet into her life makes me appreciate her writings all the more (and now I have an urge to go re-read them!) A woman who broke through a "mans-only" field and who refused to marry for anything more than love (insert deep sigh). Over two hundred years later, we are still reading her books and watching the movies based on her books. What a legacy.
I also appreciated a look into England's Georgian Period and what life was like for upper and middle-class families. Jane's large family had a very interesting (and often tragic) life.
I hope lots of young aspiring authors will pick up this book and be inspired!
To be honest, I knew very little about Jane Austen. However, this quick snippet into her life makes me appreciate her writings all the more (and now I have an urge to go re-read them!) A woman who broke through a "mans-only" field and who refused to marry for anything more than love (insert deep sigh). Over two hundred years later, we are still reading her books and watching the movies based on her books. What a legacy.
I also appreciated a look into England's Georgian Period and what life was like for upper and middle-class families. Jane's large family had a very interesting (and often tragic) life.
I hope lots of young aspiring authors will pick up this book and be inspired!
June 14, 2019
Aside from the fact that I've never liked these big-headed cover illustrations for the "Who Was. . ." series, this brief overview of Jane Austen's life could have been worse. It can be read in a short sitting, and the reader comes away having lived Jane's life in fast forward. The illustrations on practically every page was a nice touch.
September 30, 2023
I love Jane Austen's books but I only know a little about her. So I decided to read this free recommended book online. I always loved reading the "big headed book" in school. 😂
It was a super easy fun little bibliography book! She was an amazing writer and her characters are just so relatable. Definitely recommend if you want to read a little about her life and beautiful work.
It was a super easy fun little bibliography book! She was an amazing writer and her characters are just so relatable. Definitely recommend if you want to read a little about her life and beautiful work.
November 23, 2024
This book was such a fun read for me! I was thoroughly informed of Jane Austin’s life, and in a fun inviting way. I was looking to read a quick, easy nonfiction book— I found it here! (May or may not have pulled it off of my little sisters shelf) 📖⭐️
April 10, 2019
I loved it but Elizabeth Bennet is spelled with one “t”. Seems pretty important!
June 8, 2019
As an educational book for kids, really good. I found it interesting too as a quick overview but it's strength is in what it is as part of an educational series.
October 24, 2020
Cute bio of one of my fave authors of all time. Short and straightforward, just enough detail, not dry.
March 30, 2023
A children’s biography that can move me to tears about my favorite female author. Excellent work. Easy read. Well written, and lovely.
December 28, 2025
A great introduction to Jane Austen for young readers. I learned a few things too!
December 10, 2018
Good overview of her life.
November 1, 2022
Wow… this is so well compiled. I love it and I get to know about the author much, much more.
April 13, 2018
This was a very good, thorough introduction to the life of Jane Austen. I love that these books are written for young readers, but everytime I read one, I also learn something new!
February 6, 2018
I've been familiar with this series for a long time, but this is the first one I've read. It gave good information about Austen, and did not neglect to include a bibliography at the end. I really like the side by side timelines - one for Austen's life and the other for the world. I'm grateful this series exists for kids.
March 23, 2018
Great kids biography about an amazing author!
January 29, 2021
This was a quick kid friendly overview of Austen's life. It is slightly dry because it's so short. My ten year old loves this whole series so she brought it home from the library. I read it because I had just finished the Jane Austen Society.
December 6, 2017
Borrowing it from Grandview Library via Columbus library on the publishing date 🤩
January 15, 2018
What a charming little book! Read it and you will fall in love with Austen again
March 7, 2018
Love reading these books
March 8, 2018
Rated 5 stars
Ages 12+
Ages 12+
March 12, 2018
Jane Austen has always been one of my favorite authors. I found this really interesting.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews