Writing as a middle-aged Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra, Italian author-illustrator Santoni fictionalizes the beloved author's life, especially her oft-speculated relationship with Tom LeFroy. Jane discovers her love of reading in her father's library, and as she grows older, she creates her own stories. Sparks fly when Tom ignores Jane during one of her recitals, but her resentment blossoms into friendship, and then romance, as they share long conversations. Knowing Austen never married, readers will turn pages, wondering why the liaison ended. Santoni illustrates with loose black ink and washes, invoking a nostalgic whimsy as Jane reflects on her past. The free-flowing style also juxtaposes strict Regency expectations, mimicking Jane's willingness to defy societal norms. Many panels only depict the bottom half of a character's face it Jane's scornful mother, tongue wagging, or the author herself as she reads her prose propriately highlighting the weight of words, both written and spoken. A brief biography clarifies fact from fiction, citing Austen's burned letters as Santoni's primary inspiration. An engaging, creative addition to Austen's many biographies.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a young woman in possession of a keen mind must be in want of a husband….This graphic work of historical fiction, translated from the Italian, examines the life of beloved author Jane Austen. The story begins with spreads from the end of Jane's life as she writes to her sister, Cassandra, remembering their time together as children, progressing into womanhood, and recounting how she cultivated, with the support of her father, her love of reading and writing. Thanks to her successful readings among the local gentry, she crosses paths with Thomas Lefroy, here presented as an abiding love interest, at a neighbor's home, where they have a gruff first meeting that anyone familiar with Austen's novels will recognize. Young readers new to Austen will enjoy speculating on their romance and will admire Jane's strength in an era that gave women very few options. A loose black-and-white illustration style gives a nice fluidity to the story and fits Jane's personality, although the addition of color would have made it feel more complete. Detailed backmatter fills in some of the holes in the story and helps readers sort fact from fiction. The author shows faith in younger readers by including some challenging vocabulary that may have them reaching for dictionaries. However, the illustrations and context clues make the work accessible.A lovely, quick read. (biographical notes, timeline) (Graphic novel. 8-12)