escape

Jill Hornby

This brand new novel from the bestselling author of Miss Austen and Godmersham Park immerses us in the lives of the Austen family during the early 19th century, where an unconventional marriage splits the family apart and causes turmoil.

"Gil Hornby's family trilogy about Jane has all of Austen's wit and disturbing powers of observation with an added 21st-century twist, and 'Escape' is the best yet." Ferdinand Mount

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“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of great wealth must be in want of a wife.”

1820. Mary Dorothea Knatchbull lives under the care of her widowed father, Sir Edward, a man committed to high Christian principles and values.

But when her father marries Miss Fanny Knight of Goodmerch Park, Mary's life suddenly changes.
Her new stepmother comes from a large, happy, and sociable family, and Fanny's sisters become Mary's first friends. Her aunt, Miss Cassandra Austen of Chawton, is very kind. Her brothers are not only entertaining but also handsome and charming. As Mary Dorothea blossoms into a beautiful young woman, she forms a special bond with Mr. Knight in particular. They soon fall in love and insist on marrying. They don't expect any opposition. Each is from good families and has known the other for years. This is an ideal match. Who wants to stand in their way?

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Readers love the escape novel!

"It's so well written with such vivid period detail that I felt immersed in Austen's world and didn't want it to end."

"I was drawn in from the first page."

"Sharp observation, well researched and superbly narrated."

"I loved every minute of this novel."

"jewel"