Dear Jane Austen: A Heroines Guide
to Life and Love by Patrice Hannon
Jane Would Be Pleased . . .
Advice delivered with sense and sensibility just in time for the major motion
picture Becoming Jane
Women have looked to Jane Austen’s heroines as models of appropriate
behavior for nearly two centuries. Who better to understand the heart of a
heroine than Austen? In this delightful epistolary “what if,” Austen serves
as a “Dear Abby” of sorts, using examples from her novels and her life to
counsel modern-day heroines in trouble, she also shares with readers a
compelling drama playing out in her own drawing room. Witty and wise—
and perfectly capturing the tone of the author of Persuasion and Pride and
Prejudice—Dear Jane Austen is as satisfying as sitting down to tea with
the novelist herself.

Personal Review: Dear Jane Austen: A Heroines Guide to Life
and Love by Patrice Hannon
It is very obvious that Patrice Hannon has taught English literature, and in
particular Jane Austen, because of the idea and execution of this book. I
found myself utterly charmed by her Jane Austen "voice".
At first, I was a little hesitant about how I would bridge the time-span gap
for Jane Austen giving advice on life and love to twenty-first century
heroines. Hannon herself advises readers (in the Author's Notes) to not
"dip in" and read sections out of order but to proceed in an orderly fashion
so that the framework of the book can be revealed in a very particular way.
I had a dilemma. Should I follow my inclinations and read Chapter Five, A
Heroine Knows a Hero When She Sees One--Or Does She? first, as I
wanted to? Or should I follow the advice of the person who actually put
this book together from concept to print? Luckily for me, I decided to follow
her advice and I read it all the way through for my first, but surely not my
last, "dip". It is sound advice. A reader needs to understand who's who
and what is happening to and around "Jane" in order to keep from being
confused.
Jane Austen is still living in the early 1800's. The letters are all from
would-like-to-be heroines who are living in the twenty-first century. How
was this possible? I still can't answer that question. The final page and a
half of the book may be an explanation. But then, maybe not. Two friends
could have some really good conversation over that. I'm looking forward to
it!
Austen gets letters from modern young women asking her very specific
questions of how she or her heroines would have dealt with problems they
are encountering now. All the answers come from Austen's real life
experiences or from her writings and the experiences of her characters in
all her books. Once I caught on to the technique used, it was absolutely
fascinating for me to read the question and then try to figure out which
examples could be used to supply the answer. I wasn't always right but it
was fun to try. Ms Hannon has a vast knowlege of the Austen books. She
uses passages from those books along with "Jane's" expanding on the
subject to give advice to would-be heroines. I don't think she ever used
the same example twice. It was phenomenal. The writing is in the style of
Jane Austen and rings wonderfully true. If this author had not been able to
"sound" like Jane Austen, this would have been a painful book to read.
Because she was "being" Jane, I learned historically accurate facts
concerning her life. It was as if I was reading a biography only lighter,
friendlier, smoother.
There are chapters on character, family, friends, being in the world,
knowing a hero when you meet him, s_x, marriage, beauty tips, money
and happy endings. The questions asked in the correspondence are very,
very real and current for today's woman. The answers are all taken from
people and situations which existed almost 200 years ago and yet they are

woven together in such a way that the 200 year old answers still can and
do apply to now, to today. I hope lots and lots of young women (and even
men can benefit from this advice) will read this advice and take it to heart.
Obviously Ms Hannon has seen these problems played out before her in
modern settings. She just used a rather original way to give out good,
sound advice.
Highly, highly recommended. Even if you don't think you need the advice,
read it for the total immersion in the life and thoughts and characters of
Jane Austen. Two things which I came away with that surprised me very
much, I need to go back and re-read Northanger Abbey. And maybe I
need to give Fanny Price another chance too!
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