Author: elaineowenauthor207097889
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The Woman Who Left England-and Convention-Far Behind
What if Elizabeth Bennet had never married Mr. Darcy? What if, instead, she packed a few essentials, headed off to the Middle East, donned turbans and pantaloons, read ancient prophecies, and hosted Bedouin chieftains in a mountaintop fortress? Of course our favorite fictional heroine never did that. But Lady Hester Stanhope, a real life contemporary…
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An Exceedingly Awkward Dinner Party
It’s been a while since I posted an excerpt from my work in progress, “Such I Was,” which will hopefully be finished sometime in 2025. The premise of the story is that, after Bingley leaves Jane, she gives up on ever getting married, and Elizabeth realizes it is up to her to save her family…
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Putting Your Best Foot Forward
Do you enjoy shopping for shoes? Are they an essential part of your wardrobe? Do you have a pair to go with every outfit? Ladies in regency England liked shoes about as much as we do today, and upper class ladies like the ones in Jane Austen’s novels were no exception. Just like today, their…
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Jane Austen: Feminist?
This post might be a HUGE mistake, I tell myself. Jane Austen fans have strong opinions about their favorite author, and they don’t hesitate to make their feelings known. You, my dear readers, have probably debated Jane Austen as a feminist before. But I have pondered the question for a long time, and I think…
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Fashionably Late: Timekeeping in Regency England
***This post is in memory of my grandfather, a watchmaker whose house was delightfully filled with clocks in various stages of testing and repair. Their continuous, steady ticking created a soothing atmosphere that turned to temporary bedlam every hour, on the hour. Then we would enjoy another peaceful fifty nine minutes before it happened all…
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A Perfect Pemberley Christmas
What a thrill to realize that my blog entry this month falls on Christmas Day! And what an honor! To help you celebrate, here is a gift for you: a little story of what the Darcy’s first Christmas at Pemberley might look like. I hope you enjoy the holiday season with everyone who is closest…
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Good For What Ails You: Boozy Medicine In Regency England
“Did people back then just drink their illnesses away?” This question came to my mind when I started reading regency literature and ran across tinctures, elixirs and cordials. I had a vague idea that a cordial was a mild alcohol, and no idea whatsoever about tinctures and elixirs. What were these things, anyway? It turns…
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Call the Midwife: A Different View of Jane Austen’s World
Try to think back: how many times have you read a JAFF story where someone gives birth? In those stories, was a midwife involved in the delivery, or did a doctor make the catch? Not long ago I picked up a book that readers of Jane Austen fan fiction would be sure to love: A…
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Isn’t It Ironic? Exploring Irony in Pride and Prejudice
How much irony do you see in Pride and Prejudice? Jane Austen’s use of irony is one of her most celebrated traits, and Pride and Prejudice is full of it. But until I went deliberately looking for it, I had no idea exactly how much of it there is! First, though, we need a working…
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A Look Back And a Giveaway!
Some of you know that about a month ago, we lost our little dog, Echo, to diabetes. She was the inspiration for a major character in one of my novels, An Unexpected Turn of Events. In her honor, I hope you will let me update and re-post parts of a blog entry from 2017. Plus…