Author: elaineowenauthor207097889
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From Pall Mall to Shin-Kicking: Regency Sports Not in the Olympics
Are you enjoying the Olympics, or are you one of those people who changes the channel whenever you hear that majestic theme song start? Whether you’re an avid fan or a couldn’t-care-less, there’s no doubt that the Olympics are a high profile event that get a lot of attention whenever they are held. The Olympics…
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Sweet Resistance: The Sugar Boycott
Those of us who watched the television series “Sanditon,” set in regency times, heard multiple references to a sugar boycott. Without a doubt, Jane Austen was aware of the sugar boycott movement during her lifetime. But what was it? When was it? Did it have a significant impact in Britain? Today I would like to…
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To Catch A Thief
In the second JAFF book I ever wrote, I included a grievous error: I had Lydia Bennet, confined by her uncle Gardiner in London, drop a note out the window asking someone to bring the police. Observant readers were quick to inform me that in regency London, there was no formal police force. One reader…
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The Woman Who Inspired Jane Austen
All of the authors on this site, Always Austen, have been influenced by Jane Austen and her writings. But did you ever wonder who inspired Austen? Who did Austen herself look to as an influence? I don’t know all of the people Austen might have claimed as a muse, but anyone who has read Northanger…
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The Unthinkable Question
If Elizabeth Bennet hadn’t met and married Darcy, who would you see her with instead? I know, I know. It’s impossible to imagine Elizabeth with anyone but Darcy! But a couple of years ago I wrote a short story in which Darcy met the leading ladies of every Austen novel, and it turned out to…
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The “Ick” Factor or, “Why are Austen’s Heroes So Old?”
We’ve all heard the objections. Elizabeth Bennet, twenty years old, meets and marries a men who is twenty eight. At seventeen Catherine Moreland marries Henry Tilney, who is nine years older. Mr. Knightley is sixteen years older than Emma Woodhouse. And Marianne Dashwood, just sixteen years old, marries a man who is more than twice…
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Austenesque Fathers
My father in law passed away exactly a month ago today, following years of declining health and increasing discomfort and pain. He was a good man who loved his family, someone I considered a “quiet hero.” He did his best to support his family day after day, without theatrics or demands for recognition, and he…
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In Honor of Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is coming up quickly, and Americans will buy at least 58 millions pounds of candy for the holiday. That’s a LOT of candy! Think of the sugar! Think of the cavities! In modern days we consume more sugar than people used to in the past, but people in other ages ate candy too.…
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A Preview from “Such I Was”
Happy two days after Christmas! For those who observe the holiday, I hope you celebrated with family, friends, and lots of love! A joyous season to all! Today I would like to share an except from my newest story, Such I Was. In this P&P variation Elizabeth does not love Darcy when he proposes at…
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A Woman Who Broke the Mold
When you think of famous English architects, do you ever think of a woman? No? How about a woman who lived in the 1700’s and whose work you have almost certainly seen and admired more than once? I would like to introduce you to a true unsung heroine, a groundbreaking figure I had never heard…