Review by MJ Ryan

A mix of travelogue, private journal and biography of Jane Austen, A Walk with Jane Austen: A Journey into Adventure, Love & Faith is the record of a single Janeite who travels to England to meander through the countryside in Jane Austen’s footsteps. She’s not looking for love necessarily, but how appropriate would it be if it just so happened to occur while shadowing the important places of the woman who has written the most celebrated love stories of the past 200 years? Talk about a great How I Met Your Father story to tell your children.

Smith deftly mixes biographical information about Austen throughout the book and you do begin to see how her life parallels Austen’s in subtle ways. The transitions from Austen’s life to Smith’s memories of growing up in a strict Christian home and her recounting of the challenges of living a Christian life are sometimes choppy and a bit of a stretch, but it was always interesting.

The copy I was given to review didn’t include a map of her travels and, as you may remember from an earlier review, I believe the inclusion of a map should be a literary law. This especially holds true for a book that is part travelogue. I’m happy to report that the published book does include a map of the places that Smith went, along with a detailed list of the sights she visited in each city.

While Smith’s Christianity is the bedrock of her life and the book, she’s never preachy and isn’t trying to convert the reader to her beliefs, nor is she trying to define Austen’s Christianity. However, if you are uncomfortable reading about, or just aren’t interested in, another person’s faith, then you might not enjoy this book. For those who do pick up the book, you will be met with an honest account of a single woman’s emotional journey through a difficult time of her life and you will applaud her courage to share her story with you.

Lori Smith has offered a copy of A Walk with Jane Austen: A Journey into Adventure, Love & Faith to a lucky AustenBlog reader. To enter the drawing, please send your full name and mailing address to editor@austenblog.com by 10 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, November 7, 2007.

Lori Smith will be signing copies of her book, A Walk with Jane Austen: A Journey into Adventure, Love, and Faith, at the Borders store in Tysons Corner, VA, on November 13, 2007, at 7:30 p.m.

Janeite Laurel Ann, a longtime collector of Austen-related images and prints, has a new blog called Austenprose, a “celebration of Jane Austen” which features quotations from and insights into Jane Austen’s work combined with Laurel Ann’s wonderful collection of illustrations. Check it out!

Alert Janeite Vicki (Baja Janeite) sent a link to Mischief Mari’s gorgeous cookies featuring a design of Jane Austen on a teapot-shaped cookie. We noticed the mention of Jane Austen cookies for Mother’s Day and went digging, finding the classic silhouette design. These are fantastic inspiration for your Jane Austen’s Birthday party goodies! We were going to make cupcakes last year with a Jane Austen design but never got around to it…cookies might be even better.

Our Dutch correspondent Aad wrote to tell us that Persuasion 2007 will be available on Region 2 DVD with optional Dutch subtitles on November 13. Aad wrote, “I really like their clean, crisp box designs and hope they will continue their Austen editions in this way…” We agree; it is very nicely designed.

(But they need photos of Sir Guh Guy if they want to sell the Robin Hood DVDs. Lots of photos of Sir Guy. Just saying.)

Alert Janeite Stefanie sent us a link to an interview with Charity Wakefield, who plays Marianne Dashwood in the upcoming BBC adaptation of Sense and Sensibility.

Sense And Sensibility is really high-profile and I’m hoping it’s opened a few doors.

“I was very lucky to get the part (of Marianne). When I auditioned I felt such a strong kinship with the character. It was a role I really thought I could play, having been through some of the things she’s been through. Marianne’s very human. She has to say everything she feels, and I think I have that in me, too.”

Did you feel hesitant about the role knowing you were following in Kate Winslet’s shoes?

“I made sure I didn’t watch the film version, because Kate is such a wonderful actress and it would have been terrible to watch it… and end up trying to copy her.

“She’s been absolutely revered for that (role) so it was quite awe-inspiring to get a part that’s already been done brilliantly. I do feel we had a different approach, though, and I could make the part my own.”

So what can viewers expect from the new version?

“The cast is quite young which is close to the original text. It’s a lively version and very natural, even though there are beautiful still shots in it. It’ll feel very real, not like watching a novel.”

Hmm. Ms. Wakefield is 26, if the IMDB is to be believed; Kate Winslet was 19 when she played the 17-year-old Marianne Dashwood. Hmm. As we’ve said before, if an actress can make us actually find Marianne Dashwood a sympathetic character, then in our opinion she will have succeeded in the role.

That being said, we are looking forward to seeing the new adaptation.