Jane Austen's Transatlantic Sister: The Life and Letters of Fanny Palmer Austen

by Sheila Johnson Kindred

In 1807 genteel, Bermuda-born Fanny Palmer (1789?1814) married Jane Austen's youngest brother, Captain Charles Austen, and was thrust into a demanding life within the world of the British navy. Experiencing adventure and adversity in wartime conditions both at sea and onshore, the spirited and resilient Fanny travelled between Bermuda, Nova Scotia, and England. For just over a year, her home was in the city of Halifax. After crossing the Atlantic in 1811, she ingeniously made a home for Charles and their daughters aboard a working naval vessel and developed a supportive friendship with his sister, Jane. In Jane Austen's Transatlantic Sister Fanny's articulate and informative letters ? transcribed in full for the first time and situated in their meticulously researched historical context ? disclose her quest for personal identity and autonomy, her maturation as a wife and mother, and the domestic, cultural, and social milieu she inhabited. Sheila Johnson Kindred also investigates how Fanny was a source of naval knowledge for Jane, and how she was an inspiration for Austen's literary invention, especially for the female naval characters in Persuasion. Although she died young, Fanny's story is a compelling record of female naval life that contributes significantly to our limited knowledge of women's roles in the Napoleonic Wars. Enhanced by rarely seen illustrations, Fanny's life story is a rich new source for Jane Austen scholars and fans of her fiction, as well as for those interested in biography, women's letters, and history of the family.

Genres: Biography, Jane Austen, Nonfiction, History, 18th Century

291 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Niniane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly fascinating story (that aligns right with my interests, so I was delighted to read it).

It basically shows another side of the Napoleonic wars by highlighting the naval wives' role in their community. I was particularly interested by the chapter detailing the logistics of living and raising children on a warship. (I would have liked more context on seagoing wives, but there are other books for that).

It was also sweet to see Jane Austen as an aunt and her strong female friendship with Fanny. Mrs Croft being my favorite character in Persuasion, I loved the analysis of the similarities between her and Fanny.

[Pam Lindholm-levy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another addition to the Austen family tree. Not so much Jane in this book. It's about her "sister," Fanny Palmer, who married Jane's brother Charles. They met in Bermuda, one of Charles' ports of call as an officer in the British Navy. It appears they had a very happy marriage, but Fanny died at the age of 24 after giving birth to her fourth daughter. The baby died as well. Charles was devastated.
Jane and Cassandra were loving aunts to their three surviving nieces.
Some of Fanny's surviving letters are a part of the book.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

For readers who already know a lot about Jane Austen. Several letters from Jane Austen’s sister in law Fanny, wife of her younger brother Charles, are published and interpreted in the context of life as a naval wife, and in speculating what if any influence her experiences might have had on Jane Austen’s writing. I will clarify that the letters are not to Jane Austen, but to other family members.

[Michaelene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly delightful, but sometimes a bit dry. There seemed to be excessive commentary essentially when repeating back to you what you just read in one of Fanny's letters. With that said, I learned invaluable information about naval life and was afforded an intimate peek into the Austen family.

[Mills College Library]

Biog A936k 2017