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Jane & Me: My Austen Heritage
Caroline Jane Knight shares more than Jane Austen's name and DNA. As a direct descendant of Jane's brother, Edward Knight, Caroline is the last of the Austen Knight family to grow up at Chawton House on the estate where Jane Austen lived and enjoyed the most productive period of her writing career. Caroline explored the same places around Chawton House and its grounds as Jane did, dined at the same table in the same dining room, read in the same library and shared the same dream of independence. Caroline's early life was filled with the delights of living in a sixteenth-century English manor, the good cheer of family gatherings and centuries-old Christmas traditions in the Great Hall of Chawton House, the beauty of a country life, and the joys of helping her Granny bake cakes and serve Jane Austen devotees in the Chawton House tea room. But when she was seventeen, Caroline and her family were forced to leave the home her family had lived in for centuries. Heartbroken, but determined to leave all things Austen behind her, Caroline eventually carved out a highly successful career in business. This is the story of Caroline's tumultuous journey to success, her ultimate crisis, her rediscovery and embrace of her Austen heritage, and the creation of the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation.
256 pages, Paperback
Published December 10, 2018
28 people are currently reading
361 people want to read
About the author
Caroline Jane Knight
8 books22 followersCaroline Jane Knight shares more than Jane Austen's name and DNA. As a direct descendant of Jane's brother, Edward Knight, Caroline is the last of the Austen Knight family to grow up at Chawton House on the estate where her fifth great-aunt Jane Austen lived and enjoyed the most productive period of her writing career. Caroline explored the same places around Chawton House and its grounds as Jane did, dined at the same table in the same dining room, read in the same library and shared the same dream of independence.
Caroline's early life was filled with the delights of living in a sixteenth-century English manor, the good cheer of family gatherings and centuries-old Christmas traditions in the Great Hall of Chawton House, the beauty of a country life, and the joys of helping her Granny bake cakes and serve Jane Austen devotees in the Chawton House tea room. But when she was seventeen, Caroline and her family were forced to leave the home her family had lived in for centuries. Heartbroken, but determined to leave all things Austen behind her, Caroline eventually carved out a highly successful career in business.
Caroline moved to Australia in 2008 to become CEO of a large marketing firm. In 2012, Caroline was a finalist in the prestigious Telstra Businesswoman of the Year Awards. The same year Caroline was made an Honourary Life Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management.
Having kept her connection to Jane Austen secret for many years, in 2014 Caroline shared her extraordinary heritage and launched the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation. The foundation is a volunteer organisation, working with the global Jane Austen community to raise funds to buy literacy resources for communities in need. 100% of donations received are spent on literacy resources. For more information see www.janeaustenlf.org
15% of any profits made from Caroline's book and appearances are donated to the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation.
Caroline's early life was filled with the delights of living in a sixteenth-century English manor, the good cheer of family gatherings and centuries-old Christmas traditions in the Great Hall of Chawton House, the beauty of a country life, and the joys of helping her Granny bake cakes and serve Jane Austen devotees in the Chawton House tea room. But when she was seventeen, Caroline and her family were forced to leave the home her family had lived in for centuries. Heartbroken, but determined to leave all things Austen behind her, Caroline eventually carved out a highly successful career in business.
Caroline moved to Australia in 2008 to become CEO of a large marketing firm. In 2012, Caroline was a finalist in the prestigious Telstra Businesswoman of the Year Awards. The same year Caroline was made an Honourary Life Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management.
Having kept her connection to Jane Austen secret for many years, in 2014 Caroline shared her extraordinary heritage and launched the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation. The foundation is a volunteer organisation, working with the global Jane Austen community to raise funds to buy literacy resources for communities in need. 100% of donations received are spent on literacy resources. For more information see www.janeaustenlf.org
15% of any profits made from Caroline's book and appearances are donated to the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
May 25, 2018
Of Austen, Ancestry, and Adapting
Ever wonder what modern-day descendants of Jane Austen’s family think of her? What are their opinions on her work and celebrated fame? How does it feel to be related to one of the world’s most celebrated writers? How has it impacted or influenced their lives? If your answers are yes, here is a book for you.
Jane Austen’s fifth great-niece, Caroline Jane Knight, descendant of Jane’s brother Edward (who is responsible for bringing Jane to Chawton Cottage) candidly and courageously tells the story of her life in her memoir Jane and Me: My Austen Heritage. She shares in vivid detail the pleasures and delights of growing up in the ancestral home of Chawton House, an estate that has been in the Knight family for 400 years. But she also shares the heartbreaking account of how her family had to leave Chawton just after she turned seventeen and the uncertain and unexpected direction her life took after facing such an upsetting upheaval. This memoir tells of Caroline Knight’s journey – her memories, her successes, her challenges, and her discoveries.
For anyone who enjoys English estates, history, family legacy this is a fascinating and informative read. But for a Janeite who is always thirsty for more information on their favorite author’s life Jane and Me is a rare and special treasure. I loved how this memoir covered both the past history of the Knight and Austen families and the more recent history of the last inhabitants of Chawton House. Learning about Sir Richard and the decreed ban on Christmas celebrations and how Elizabeth Martin Knight was the only female squire of Chawton House only added to the interesting history of Jane Austen’s family. Like Caroline Knight, I love wondering what were Jane Austen thoughts and opinions on these relations. I also appreciated the focus on Jane Austen’s brother, Edward, and Caroline Knight’s grandfather, Edward Knight III “Bapops” and their roles as squires of the estate. It’s surprising how inheriting an estate can come with such burdens and challenges. Much more than I realized.
What struck me about Caroline Knight’s story was how her life shares parallels with Jane Austen’s life. Like the back cover blurb states: “Caroline Jane Knight shares more than Jane Austen’s name and DNA.” Both grew up in a happy home surrounded by contentment and cherished memories, and both felt intense devastation when forced to leave their beloved homes. Like Jane Austen during her years in Bath and Southampton, Caroline Knight faced some years of frequent shifts and changes in career and living situations. And similar to Jane Austen, Caroline Knight eventually found professional success and a place where she could feel settled and at peace. It truly is remarkable how both traversed a somewhat similar path even though two hundred years separate them.
Included in this intimate and revealing autobiography are thirty-six black and white photos of Chawton House, Caroline Knight, and her family. I absolutely loved the visuals and appreciated how they enhanced the reading experience by bringing parts of the story to life. While I’ve walked up to the gate at Chawton House, I’ve never been inside. So these pictures where definitely the next best thing to seeing it in person. I also appreciated the family timelines outlined in the back of the book.
Jane and Me: My Austen Heritage is an incredible inspiring and informative autobiography. I loved every minute of reading it and treasure all the new insight I’ve gained into Jane Austen’s and Caroline Knight’s families and histories. I greatly admire Caroline Jane Knight for bravely sharing her story with the world and for finding a brilliant way to honor her Great Aunt Jane through her charity, the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation*. Which funds projects to support literacy across the world. I love the idea of this important initiative, think it is a cause Jane Austen would have whole-heartedly supported, and look forward to witnessing all the wonderful work that will be accomplished through this foundation.
* 15% of the profits from the sale of this book are donated to the foundation. To learn more, visit HERE - https://janeaustenlf.org/
Austenesque Reviews
Ever wonder what modern-day descendants of Jane Austen’s family think of her? What are their opinions on her work and celebrated fame? How does it feel to be related to one of the world’s most celebrated writers? How has it impacted or influenced their lives? If your answers are yes, here is a book for you.
Jane Austen’s fifth great-niece, Caroline Jane Knight, descendant of Jane’s brother Edward (who is responsible for bringing Jane to Chawton Cottage) candidly and courageously tells the story of her life in her memoir Jane and Me: My Austen Heritage. She shares in vivid detail the pleasures and delights of growing up in the ancestral home of Chawton House, an estate that has been in the Knight family for 400 years. But she also shares the heartbreaking account of how her family had to leave Chawton just after she turned seventeen and the uncertain and unexpected direction her life took after facing such an upsetting upheaval. This memoir tells of Caroline Knight’s journey – her memories, her successes, her challenges, and her discoveries.
For anyone who enjoys English estates, history, family legacy this is a fascinating and informative read. But for a Janeite who is always thirsty for more information on their favorite author’s life Jane and Me is a rare and special treasure. I loved how this memoir covered both the past history of the Knight and Austen families and the more recent history of the last inhabitants of Chawton House. Learning about Sir Richard and the decreed ban on Christmas celebrations and how Elizabeth Martin Knight was the only female squire of Chawton House only added to the interesting history of Jane Austen’s family. Like Caroline Knight, I love wondering what were Jane Austen thoughts and opinions on these relations. I also appreciated the focus on Jane Austen’s brother, Edward, and Caroline Knight’s grandfather, Edward Knight III “Bapops” and their roles as squires of the estate. It’s surprising how inheriting an estate can come with such burdens and challenges. Much more than I realized.
What struck me about Caroline Knight’s story was how her life shares parallels with Jane Austen’s life. Like the back cover blurb states: “Caroline Jane Knight shares more than Jane Austen’s name and DNA.” Both grew up in a happy home surrounded by contentment and cherished memories, and both felt intense devastation when forced to leave their beloved homes. Like Jane Austen during her years in Bath and Southampton, Caroline Knight faced some years of frequent shifts and changes in career and living situations. And similar to Jane Austen, Caroline Knight eventually found professional success and a place where she could feel settled and at peace. It truly is remarkable how both traversed a somewhat similar path even though two hundred years separate them.
Included in this intimate and revealing autobiography are thirty-six black and white photos of Chawton House, Caroline Knight, and her family. I absolutely loved the visuals and appreciated how they enhanced the reading experience by bringing parts of the story to life. While I’ve walked up to the gate at Chawton House, I’ve never been inside. So these pictures where definitely the next best thing to seeing it in person. I also appreciated the family timelines outlined in the back of the book.
Jane and Me: My Austen Heritage is an incredible inspiring and informative autobiography. I loved every minute of reading it and treasure all the new insight I’ve gained into Jane Austen’s and Caroline Knight’s families and histories. I greatly admire Caroline Jane Knight for bravely sharing her story with the world and for finding a brilliant way to honor her Great Aunt Jane through her charity, the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation*. Which funds projects to support literacy across the world. I love the idea of this important initiative, think it is a cause Jane Austen would have whole-heartedly supported, and look forward to witnessing all the wonderful work that will be accomplished through this foundation.
* 15% of the profits from the sale of this book are donated to the foundation. To learn more, visit HERE - https://janeaustenlf.org/
Austenesque Reviews
January 26, 2019
I had wondered what happened that the Knights had to leave Chawton House. But I remembered not to wonder too loudly. Well, the answer fell into my lap when I saw this book on Hoopla. I saw my opportunity to get an answer and took it. The answer was both as shocking and not as shocking as I thought. A mostly pleasant story. And a satisfying enough answer. I like having the answer, completes a curiosity.
4 Stars because the information in the book informs my understanding of the nonfiction of Austen--her letters--the nonfiction about Austen, her life, and her times, and gives me a better clue about Jane Austen in general, in a New Historicism way.
My first Austen/Janite book this year.
4 Stars because the information in the book informs my understanding of the nonfiction of Austen--her letters--the nonfiction about Austen, her life, and her times, and gives me a better clue about Jane Austen in general, in a New Historicism way.
My first Austen/Janite book this year.
December 11, 2017
For all of you Jane fans out there, this book is an amazing peek inside of her former home, and inside the lives of her descendants. The book is rich in history while staying mostly in present time. She recounts her life at Chawton house, which is at times very painful, and sometimes very happy. This book made me feel so many things. I laughed and cried, sometimes in the same chapter.
From a girl who never thought she fit in, a grandmother who secretly carried the weight of the world, and a grandfather who left everyone wondering so many things years after his death. You will truly delight in reading this book. If you are a fan of Downton Abbey, I strongly recommend you pick this up. It carries some of the same issues over the former wealth divide and modern day social impact, that has caused a lot of these families to lose their homes. And you learn a great deal about the money struggles this family faced, but were still judged as over privileged and treated quite badly at times by the surrounding community, when in fact they had more troubles than most.
But overall, it lets you know what it was like in Jane's shadow, for a young girl who did not even know that much at all about her aunt, and how through time she grew to appreciate and honor her through her amazing literacy foundation and life.
If you get a chance, check out her foundation:
https://janeaustenlf.org/
From a girl who never thought she fit in, a grandmother who secretly carried the weight of the world, and a grandfather who left everyone wondering so many things years after his death. You will truly delight in reading this book. If you are a fan of Downton Abbey, I strongly recommend you pick this up. It carries some of the same issues over the former wealth divide and modern day social impact, that has caused a lot of these families to lose their homes. And you learn a great deal about the money struggles this family faced, but were still judged as over privileged and treated quite badly at times by the surrounding community, when in fact they had more troubles than most.
But overall, it lets you know what it was like in Jane's shadow, for a young girl who did not even know that much at all about her aunt, and how through time she grew to appreciate and honor her through her amazing literacy foundation and life.
If you get a chance, check out her foundation:
https://janeaustenlf.org/
August 12, 2017
This was an interesting take/approach to Jane! Interesting to hear from someone actually in Jane's family, but it often meandered into personal sections of the author's life that weren't related to Jane at all. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's not what I was expecting!
As an audiobook, this made for a lovely commute this week! To hear such vivid and colourful descriptions of at least part of Jane's life is a very interesting read/listen.
As an audiobook, this made for a lovely commute this week! To hear such vivid and colourful descriptions of at least part of Jane's life is a very interesting read/listen.
June 23, 2018
Ms. Knight, I want to thank you for sharing your story and giving us a glimpse of the history of your family, your childhood and the painful loss of Chawton House as your family home. I loved learning the history behind the stained glass windows depicting the various Knight family shields through the centuries.
The poignancy of your own journey was deeply moving and your bravery in finally facing your fears lifted such a weight, not only from your shoulders, but from your heart. Seeing some parallels between yourself and your great (5x) Aunt Jane also reveals her pain at leaving Steventon Rectory for Bath and this is also revealed in her writings.
Your battle has ultimately led you to an inner peace and to creating a worthy cause, The Jane Austen Literacy Foundation. Bravo!
* 15% of the profits from the sale of this book are donated to the foundation. To learn more, visit here - https://janeaustenlf.org/
July 14, 2018
What an intimate, honest book. I found it very moving. The author takes us, not on a tour of privilege & entitlement, but on a deeply personal journey through the emotions of our sense of self, ancestry and home. I could sense Jane Austen walking about in the background, throughout.
Read
August 4, 2017I absolutely loved this book! So beautifully written and I felt everything along with Caroline. The mix of old with new made it a wonderful read!
August 3, 2017
In short : If you are a Janeite, read Caroline's story! I guarantee you will love it
In long : I was fortunate enough to meet Caroline a few years ago at one of the Jane Austen Literary Foundation's 'High Tea for Literacy' in Melbourne. It was a such a good experience, she was a wonderful speaker and later took the time to converse with everybody afterwards while were taking tea. I was so excited to speak to her, she was absolutely delightful and she exudes the admiration and pride she feels for her great-aunt, but never could I have imagined how much deeper her story goes than what she could let on in the short talk she presented.
It never occurred to me that she might once have felt really uncomfortable talking about Jane Austen and Chawton. So of course I was really intrigued to read her story, and I just loved it! I felt completely immersed, it was most definitely one of those 'can't put it down' books. Her writing style was engaging, everything flowed beautifully and and I just didn't want to leave her company, I wish the book was longer! I really appreciated that she didn't seem to hold anything back, all the feelings and thoughts she experienced through the changes she went through were told in a straight-forward but endearing way. She told us quite personal things about her emotional struggles, her family and her relationships with others. I don't think the Janeite community can ask for anything more (apart from I'd love to meet her again!)
Something else I thought was great is that she did include quotes of Jane herself and from her novels but these weren't added in just because it was a book about this huge Jane Austen heritage and her life as her great-niece. They always specifically related to something happening in Caroline's life. On a related note, it was eye-opening to learn about how she first read the novels from a different vantage point to how most people do and it made complete sense why at a lot of times they hit too close to home.
One more thing I have to mention is the great historical detail Caroline worked hard to research and so gives to us (more so towards the end of the book) about the different squires of Chawton House, how it came to be entailed the way it was, and how it's finances came to be depleted over time. I did have to flip back and forwards a few times between her story and the family trees at the back of the book but I had so much fun doing just that!
I'm so happy that Caroline was able to get through and let go of that awful sense of loss she experienced at leaving Chawton. Her search for permanence and a sense of home was sad and broke my heart at times, but she is one determined, talented and smart woman who I think Jane Austen would be very proud to call her niece.
In long : I was fortunate enough to meet Caroline a few years ago at one of the Jane Austen Literary Foundation's 'High Tea for Literacy' in Melbourne. It was a such a good experience, she was a wonderful speaker and later took the time to converse with everybody afterwards while were taking tea. I was so excited to speak to her, she was absolutely delightful and she exudes the admiration and pride she feels for her great-aunt, but never could I have imagined how much deeper her story goes than what she could let on in the short talk she presented.
It never occurred to me that she might once have felt really uncomfortable talking about Jane Austen and Chawton. So of course I was really intrigued to read her story, and I just loved it! I felt completely immersed, it was most definitely one of those 'can't put it down' books. Her writing style was engaging, everything flowed beautifully and and I just didn't want to leave her company, I wish the book was longer! I really appreciated that she didn't seem to hold anything back, all the feelings and thoughts she experienced through the changes she went through were told in a straight-forward but endearing way. She told us quite personal things about her emotional struggles, her family and her relationships with others. I don't think the Janeite community can ask for anything more (apart from I'd love to meet her again!)
Something else I thought was great is that she did include quotes of Jane herself and from her novels but these weren't added in just because it was a book about this huge Jane Austen heritage and her life as her great-niece. They always specifically related to something happening in Caroline's life. On a related note, it was eye-opening to learn about how she first read the novels from a different vantage point to how most people do and it made complete sense why at a lot of times they hit too close to home.
One more thing I have to mention is the great historical detail Caroline worked hard to research and so gives to us (more so towards the end of the book) about the different squires of Chawton House, how it came to be entailed the way it was, and how it's finances came to be depleted over time. I did have to flip back and forwards a few times between her story and the family trees at the back of the book but I had so much fun doing just that!
I'm so happy that Caroline was able to get through and let go of that awful sense of loss she experienced at leaving Chawton. Her search for permanence and a sense of home was sad and broke my heart at times, but she is one determined, talented and smart woman who I think Jane Austen would be very proud to call her niece.
January 3, 2018
A fabulous book that I could not put down. It was both entertaining and enlightening and it was refreshing to read about aspects of lives touched by Jane Austen never before considered. Having visited Chawton several times it was so interesting to see it through the eyes of someone living there. Caroline writes in an witty and thoughtful way, painting pictures with her words. I will never look at a microwave again without thinking of the potential disaster befalling a precious piece of Austen history! She brings to life the minutiae of the world that Austen lovers crave and I thoroughly recommend this book.
September 18, 2018
This book was absolutely fascinating. There are three different themes. It is a book about Jane Austen including quotes from her books, letters etc. It is the story of the authors life and her relationship with Jane as one of her surviving relatives and it is the history of a family descending into genteel poverty and eventually having to leave their ancestral home. The author was clever enough to generally put in her own emotions in relation to the other themes in the book which were obviously more interesting to the reader. It was enlightening to read about a family like any other living in a mansion, divided up between the relatives and renters, earning a bit of a money in a quirky tea room and growing their own vegetables in the walled garden. Although they did not have a great deal of money they still kept traditions and their role in village life. I have visited Chawton House so I was able to visualize many of the places the author described but I think anyone interested in Jane Austen or stately homes would enjoy this book. It was a unique and very enriching read.
June 8, 2020
It was hard to get in the book but t the beginning and at the end. I enjoyed the middle of the book when Caroline explains what happens and she felt when she needs to live Chawton and how she finds her way through the world and find what she wants to do in life.
The beginning is hard, there are a lot of successive anecdotes right after each other with no connection sometimes, and with names of people that just appears in small paragraphs and then are gone.
There are a lot of questions unanswered and show how people don’t always talk for years about things in a family. So it’s not only my family which is like that!
And the end , it’s about a succession of talks and meetings.
I
The beginning is hard, there are a lot of successive anecdotes right after each other with no connection sometimes, and with names of people that just appears in small paragraphs and then are gone.
There are a lot of questions unanswered and show how people don’t always talk for years about things in a family. So it’s not only my family which is like that!
And the end , it’s about a succession of talks and meetings.
I
November 26, 2025
Read with great pleaure Caroline Jane Knight's life story. You are a lovely lady and compliments for everything you achieved!
September 9, 2017
I had the pleasure of hearing Caroline speak in Melbourne about her life and Chawton and I subsequently bought a signed copy. Immensely interesting (and sad) story of the all too common decline of English estates. Really enjoyable and insightful read. I also love the Pride & Possibilities blog!
September 17, 2023
If it weren’t for my visit to Chawton last year, I would never have known about this gem of a book! At Jane Austen’s Chawton House museum, I had the pleasure of meeting an extremely kind, charming, and knowledgeable gentleman named Jeremy. Upon further conversation, he was revealed to be none other than Jeremy Knight — 4th Great Nephew of Jane Austen herself! He spoke to my family and I about his youth growing up in Chawton House (the home of Jane’s brother, Edward) and recommended this very book that his daughter had written. Caroline Knight is Jane’s 5th Great Niece and was a member of the last generation of Knights to actually grow up in Chawton House as a family home (it is now functioning as a museum only). This book gives insight into her very complex relationship to her family heritage, her love for her home, and her journey towards reconnecting with Jane’s legacy. I had the privilege of visiting Chawton House as well, and really enjoyed reading more about the house as a “home” and being able to picture the setting in great detail based on my own memory. If you have any interest in Jane Austen, her continued legacy, and remaining living relatives — this book is fascinating and delightful to read!
December 11, 2017
A must for Jane Austen fans, and for anyone who wishes to gain insight on how it feels to be displaced from a family home. For that's what Chawton House is/was to Caroline Jane Knight - home. Intellectually, she understood the reasons behind how the future of Chawton House had to be played out. That didn't make it any easier, emotionally.
I enjoyed learning the personal journey and family history of the author, who is Jane's fifth great-niece and a direct descendant of Jane's brother, Edward Austen Knight. And (perhaps I wanted this to be so!), I detected a certain strength and spunk in the author's voice that reminded me of an earlier voice in the family.
I enjoyed learning the personal journey and family history of the author, who is Jane's fifth great-niece and a direct descendant of Jane's brother, Edward Austen Knight. And (perhaps I wanted this to be so!), I detected a certain strength and spunk in the author's voice that reminded me of an earlier voice in the family.
May 1, 2022
This gave me more info on Chawton Cottage and the Knight Family/Austen Family. Alot of the book is about Caroline who grew up at Chawton, The big house (not the cottage Jane lived at).
1/4 of book is specifically about Caroline's life which is interesting but I was looking for more of the Austen heritage side. I am glad she was able to embrace being a relative of Jane and told more about Jane as she explained the Chawton big house and the land that was with this.
Re read in 2022. Enjoyed some.
1/4 of book is specifically about Caroline's life which is interesting but I was looking for more of the Austen heritage side. I am glad she was able to embrace being a relative of Jane and told more about Jane as she explained the Chawton big house and the land that was with this.
Re read in 2022. Enjoyed some.
April 21, 2022
Jane Austen had always been a role model for her fifth great niece Caroline Jane Knight. Caroline cherished the Knight family and their amazing history and heritage.
However, the constant anxiety regarding the fate of their long-held family home, Chawton House, was to riddle Caroline's childhood, and also her life post-Chawton, with constant insecurity and self-doubt.
It was not a life of grandeur nor luxury but one of unceasing work and worry for the adults of the family, as the Great House expenses had been overwhelming for decades.
Once Caroline’s grandfather died, they did indeed have to leave their home and its 400-year heritage - something which teenage Caroline had always dreaded, and needed to shut out as she tried to live the rest of her life.
Decades later, after many ups and downs and finally a successful but hard-won career in Australia, Caroline realized she needed to come to terms with the past in order to live life fully in the present.
To her amazement ‘Austenmania’ was sweeping the world and she was able to see far more clearly her great aunt’s amazing legacy and what it actually meant for Caroline herself.
In a moment of insight Caroline knew that reaching out to the Jane Austen community was a way of helping combat illiteracy. She, along with volunteer friends, created the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation (JALF), a Melbourne-based non-profit which proudly supports many existing literacy charities world-wide. Amazingly, further research revealed that Caroline’s ancestor Edward Austin Knight - Jane’s brother - was also active in supporting charities, literacy and learning, as well as his beloved sister and family.
Caroline realized that Jane’s achievements had been extraordinary - a 200-year enduring legacy, despite constant early obstacles. Jane had an amazing mindset, always with the goal of being a writer and strategically working back from that goal. In fact, Caroline felt that Jane’s grit and acumen was an early echo of Stephen Covey’s '7 Habits of Highly Successful People'.
The more Caroline researched, the more she could see that Jane ‘looked after her body, mind, heart and soul’ (p185); a sense of humour and self belief were also qualities that family members could recall, and that helped Jane in her epic achievements of 6 novels, poetry, wit and wisdom.
Jane Austen Literacy Foundation https://janeaustenlf.org/
However, the constant anxiety regarding the fate of their long-held family home, Chawton House, was to riddle Caroline's childhood, and also her life post-Chawton, with constant insecurity and self-doubt.
It was not a life of grandeur nor luxury but one of unceasing work and worry for the adults of the family, as the Great House expenses had been overwhelming for decades.
Once Caroline’s grandfather died, they did indeed have to leave their home and its 400-year heritage - something which teenage Caroline had always dreaded, and needed to shut out as she tried to live the rest of her life.
Decades later, after many ups and downs and finally a successful but hard-won career in Australia, Caroline realized she needed to come to terms with the past in order to live life fully in the present.
To her amazement ‘Austenmania’ was sweeping the world and she was able to see far more clearly her great aunt’s amazing legacy and what it actually meant for Caroline herself.
In a moment of insight Caroline knew that reaching out to the Jane Austen community was a way of helping combat illiteracy. She, along with volunteer friends, created the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation (JALF), a Melbourne-based non-profit which proudly supports many existing literacy charities world-wide. Amazingly, further research revealed that Caroline’s ancestor Edward Austin Knight - Jane’s brother - was also active in supporting charities, literacy and learning, as well as his beloved sister and family.
Caroline realized that Jane’s achievements had been extraordinary - a 200-year enduring legacy, despite constant early obstacles. Jane had an amazing mindset, always with the goal of being a writer and strategically working back from that goal. In fact, Caroline felt that Jane’s grit and acumen was an early echo of Stephen Covey’s '7 Habits of Highly Successful People'.
The more Caroline researched, the more she could see that Jane ‘looked after her body, mind, heart and soul’ (p185); a sense of humour and self belief were also qualities that family members could recall, and that helped Jane in her epic achievements of 6 novels, poetry, wit and wisdom.
Jane Austen Literacy Foundation https://janeaustenlf.org/
November 19, 2017
Caroline Jane Knight is the 5th great niece of the writer Jane Austen. She grew up at Chawton House - the home of the Knight family, where Jane Austens brother Edward Knight inherited. Caroline, and her brother are the last of the family to live at the house, and in this book she writes about the rich history of the Knight and Austen family.
This however is the story mainly about Caroline and her life, and somehow I think I was expecting to find some Jane Austen secrets in the book. A found manuscript, a hidden locket or bonnets found in the attic - alas it was not to be,and I came away none the wiser about the author. I did however get an understanding of how tough it must have been two hundred years ago, when women's lives were at the mercy of the menfolk of the family. How they relied on the their fathers and brothers to look after them, and there must have been limited security, as the women would often be made homeless when husbands and fathers died.
With a great increase in the interest in Jane Austen in the past few decades, Caroline Knight to her credit has been telling her story at events, and updated the family history of Chawton House, which was last written about 100 years ago by her great grandfather. She has also established a foundation to assist with literacy using her famous great aunts name.
This however is the story mainly about Caroline and her life, and somehow I think I was expecting to find some Jane Austen secrets in the book. A found manuscript, a hidden locket or bonnets found in the attic - alas it was not to be,and I came away none the wiser about the author. I did however get an understanding of how tough it must have been two hundred years ago, when women's lives were at the mercy of the menfolk of the family. How they relied on the their fathers and brothers to look after them, and there must have been limited security, as the women would often be made homeless when husbands and fathers died.
With a great increase in the interest in Jane Austen in the past few decades, Caroline Knight to her credit has been telling her story at events, and updated the family history of Chawton House, which was last written about 100 years ago by her great grandfather. She has also established a foundation to assist with literacy using her famous great aunts name.
September 28, 2022
I found this book fascinating in so many ways. Imagine being directly descended from Jane Austen! Except, she wasn't, well not directly by blood but directly by inheritance. I've often wondered how it felt to lose a beautiful but crumbling stately home, especially one with such connections to such a famous author. And for Caroline, it was devastating. Not just when it happened, but the heartbreak stayed with her throughout her life.
I was delighted when she finally found something she loved and was able to stick at it. She was truly lost before then. And then she rose her way in the business world until she moved to Australia! And she did extraordinarily well then. But Jane would not be pushed aside. And slowly she opened her life to accept Jane back in again even though memories of Chawton House were still so painful. This was an amazing journey. To come from a family with such history, to live in a house so connected with Jane Austen and to know the stories of ancestors, without her realising, Caroline's life was full of stories. I found this book at some markets and it will be going onto the shelf with my Jane Austen collection, because that is where it deserves to be.
I was delighted when she finally found something she loved and was able to stick at it. She was truly lost before then. And then she rose her way in the business world until she moved to Australia! And she did extraordinarily well then. But Jane would not be pushed aside. And slowly she opened her life to accept Jane back in again even though memories of Chawton House were still so painful. This was an amazing journey. To come from a family with such history, to live in a house so connected with Jane Austen and to know the stories of ancestors, without her realising, Caroline's life was full of stories. I found this book at some markets and it will be going onto the shelf with my Jane Austen collection, because that is where it deserves to be.
March 28, 2018
Her rambles into her own personal life was very discombobulated, and often jumped around randomly in time or topic. Also I was annoyed by the authors few stock phrases. ‘I loved every minute of it....’ appeared at least once a chapter, usually much more often.
This aimless, drifting person managed to get by for many years on defiantly avoiding her family heritage, but always landing on her feet. She’s human, and eventually likeable, but only after many years of the whining, not interested woman who takes up most of the book.
Overall I generally loved learning about a different side of Jane Austen and her family. The author, like I mentioned, is likeable, but it takes a while to get to that point!
Overall I generally loved learning about a different side of Jane Austen and her family. The author, like I mentioned, is likeable, but it takes a while to get to that point!
January 8, 2021
2.5 stars. I read this one because my book club is meeting with the author at the end of the month. If you divide this book in three parts the first and third parts were great. First part is history of Chawton House (where Jane Austen lived the last 8 years of her life and the author lived until she was 17) and the author's life in Chawton. The third part was about how the House was restored and turned into a museum and host of literacy programs. The second part was the life of the author after leaving Chawton House at 17. I was fascinated by parts one and three but part two dragged a lot. But if you are a Jane Austen fan by all means read this. The author did a lot of research that was interesting to learn about.
July 4, 2018
I was given this as a gift, and as someone who has never enjoyed Jane Austen content ( I know, I know) I was reluctant to start it. It turned out to be quite well written and kept me interested, but I was constantly wondering why it was written. Caroline Jane Knight wasn't overly likeable, and towards the end of the book I was truly over her struggles- I just didn't care or connect to her. I'm not sure if this is because I'm not an Austen fan, or if the book was pointless. Either way, it's off my bookshelf and not constantly haunting me.
October 9, 2022
I actually bought the book at Chawton House, and read it on the plane on my way back to the US. I was able to imagine what the house looked like when the author lived there (sections of the house have been demolished since then) so that made it more interesting. Heartfelt story of being unmoored when you lose the heart of where you came from. Also a really good history of the family, which, until the day I went to Jane Austen's house and Chawton House, I was not familiar with. Overall a good read.
July 9, 2024
Whilst the author's enterprise project of setting up a literacy charity is laudable and if I'd sat and listened to her reminiscing about her Knight family and Chawton for an hour or two, I'd no doubt have been interested, there is too much about the author's own life, which I had no real interest in: how she spent her 21st birthday or what jobs (nannying, marketing) she had done It's not a bad book but if you're looking for insights about Jane Austen, you'll probably not find anything new here. The audio narration wasn't great either: I've not heard Vangelis pronounced like that before.
July 31, 2018
Although the hook is the connection to Jane Austen I actually found Carolines own story more fascinating from a social history point of view. As a daughter she would never have inherited the big house, regardless of the financial situation, but what actually happened to the money? A personal account of the decline of a gentry family.
October 24, 2018
If, like me, you've ever visited Chawton House and wanted to know more about Edward Austen Knight's home, this is a read for you. The book, written by a direct descendent of Knight, who also happened to grow up in the house, is a fun read with a lot of great information about the entire Austen/Knight family, Jane Austen included. :)
December 1, 2018
The author is a descendent of one of Jane Austen’s brothers and spent her childhood in Chawton House, the estate where Jane did much of her writing. They all left when she was 16 and found it difficult to confront the pain of leaving it behind. Her personal story was well entwined with aspects of her family history. Overall this was a great insight to the family.
March 12, 2024
Wonderful read! Thoroughly enjoyed reading about Jane and Caroline. I felt as if I was back at Chawton walking through the Great House. Caroline’s detailed descriptions bring the reader along a wonderful tour of the house and grounds. I also loved learning about the family tree and am even more enamored by Austen’s writing.
March 17, 2018
A must for JA fans. This book provides insight into the life of an Austen descendent who grew up at Chawton. It explores her youth, surrounded by the legacy of Jane, her difficulty in moving away and then finally coming to peace with her ancestry
August 12, 2022
For Austen fans, this is a lovely, very thorough read, full the wonderful family history and reveals. The reader will be longing for a trip to Chawton after the read. It is also a woman's journey through years of transition...a wonderful and pleasurable read!
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