Austenland

by Shannon Hale

I really enjoy Shannon Hale as an author.  We've read two of her books in my book club Goose Girl and The Book of 1,000 Days.  I like her strong female characters.  Austenland is a bit of a difference.  The main character, Jane, struggles a lot with feelings of self worth and inadequacy. 

Jane, the main character, is obsessed with Jane Austen, most importantly with the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.  She's gotten to the point where she judges potential boyfriends against what Mr. Darcy would do.  Her aunt dies and leaves her the gift of living out her Jane Austen fantasies for three weeks in an immersion experience.  Once there, she learns that what she's been longing for might not be so satisfying after all.