Godmersham Park: The Sunday Times top ten bestseller by the acclaimed author of Miss Austen

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In its moments of celebration, each family did reveal its true self. The Austens, she saw, were entirely contented unto themselves. There were no unsettling cross-currents of feeling, no signs of individual rancor or preference. They were all bound together by custom, tradition and an even, simple affection: united in their felicity.” (168) Knight, Edward Austen". Adoption.com. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017 . Retrieved 13 August 2017. Anne Sharp is not a conventional woman, and she has decided to earn her bread, after the death of her mother, and the supposed abandonment, even economic, of her father. Through it, we will see the real conditions in which a woman with a profession moved in a time when a lady, if she worked, became a kind of mythological animal, since she was not part of the servants or the lords . It is a curious, realistic and linear description compared to the author's previous austenite novel, which has an intelligent, calm and detailed pen with the character.

Already miffed at her drastic change of circumstances, Anne is desolate when she realises that being a governess is akin to being invisible, 'She was neither a guest deserving of especial courtesy, nor a servant to be treated as a friend'. Things begin to look up when she becomes with Henry and Jane Austen, 'within the walls of that splendid, unforgettable park - her heart had been captured by both.' Robert Tritton died in 1957. [14] Following the death of Elsie Tritton in 1983, [8] Godmersham Park was sold to John Bernard Sunley. The estate management company Sunley Farms Limited, which is 100% owned by Sunciera Holdings Corporation in Panama, is the owner of Godmersham Park. [15] Inspired by diaries and excellent research, this is a lovely, flowing and insightful story of what might have happened in the Austen household - Godmersham Park. The house still exists but it's not a home anymore. What I loved was to be able to visit this place when the Austens were there. To have the chance to look through the windows and see historical and literary events take place. At first, Anne is somewhat lost. She was reared to be a gentle woman right up until her mother’s recent passing. That life is gone. Her own circumstances are now reduced, and she is conscious of the social status difference and need to satisfy the Austens.

Anne está rodeada de drama propio, y aunque refugiada en los Austen, también ahí, sin saber realmente cuáles son sus emociones y sentimientos hace ellos, empieza a sufrir, pues aunque no es un personaje convencional, le cuesta entender la bondad sin ningún pago, y ella misma, no parecía controlar muy bien sus propias emociones. A esto se añade la salud y los males de Anne, que no quedan claros.

Gill Hornbyis the author of the novels Miss Austen,The Hive,and All Together Now, as well as The Story of Jane Austen, a biography of Austen for young readers. She lives in Kintbury, England, with her husband and their four children. Anne’s inner monologues were interesting, thoughtful, and at times melancholy. She’s clearly an intelligent woman sadly beholden to the whims of men and her employers. Anne’s and Jane’s friendship is delightful, but doesn’t come about until around two-thirds into the book. It’s more of a fascinating look at the lesser known figures of Jane’s siblings including Henry, Edward, Edward’s wife Elizabeth, and Elizabeth’s sister Harriett as they interact with Anne. Sharp makes intentional choices – not based on her heart – but on logic and circumstance. She’s determined to support herself. And that’s hard not to respect even if I wanted her to do a couple of things differently. Ultimately though, I felt that Godmersham Park did the real Anne Sharp few favours. It impugned her family honour, played down her clear teaching abilities and reduced her to a bedraggled scrap. We know almost nothing about Anne Sharp. It is true that Cassandra Austen wrote her a snippy letter indicating that Anne was showing excessive grief given that Cassandra was the one who experiencing a true bereavement. Perhaps Anne really was emotional. But surely she also had some wit if she was a worthy friend to Jane Austen? Anne Sharp survived as a lone woman - and not just survived, actually triumphed - against all possible odds. Gill Hornby's depiction never quite captures the steel which that must have required. Brother Henry was always welcome. He was charming and lively. Sister Cassandra was quiet and helpful, good with the younger children. His mother and sister Jane were problematic, too witty and opinionated, too willing to talk about books and other unwomanly subjects.From the number one bestselling author of Miss Austen, a powerful and moving novel featuring Jane Austen's closest friend and confidante . . . In 1804 the Knights hired a governess for their eldest daughter, Fanny, who was eleven. Henry’s friend recommended Anne Sharp. Raised in luxury, well educated, and pretty, with the death of Ann’s mother came poverty. Her father had disappeared from their lives and left her a mere 35 pounds per annum to live on. Anne donned plain garb, adjusted her attitude to fit into the role of lowly governess, and with dread reported to Godmersham Hall. Harriet Bridges blows hot and cold in her friendship choosing Anne when there is no one else about. If you love Jane Austen you're sure to enjoy Gill Hornby's stylish glimpse into the life of young governess Anne Sharp ... this elegantly written tale skilfully recreates a world where governesses are midway between the family upstairs and the servants downstairs.' The Independent

A richly imagined novel inspired by the true story of Anne Sharp, a governess who became very close with Jane Austen and her family by the #1 International bestselling author of Miss Austen. At half past six, in the bleak, icy evening of 21 January in the year 1804, Anne Sharp arrived on the threshold of Godmersham Park.” (3) Odd that I found the Jane of "Miss Austen" a little too dysfunctional, and this one a little too chipper; when it comes to imaginary Jane Austens, I guess I am hard to please! Probably because genius is so hard to imagine; genius in daily life, living in the disguise of an ordinary person. Because she had gathered so much research I wonder if the author would have been better writing a piece of non-fiction.

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The book has slowly and gently built to two crisis points: Anne’s discovery of the truth about her father and her past as well as Anne facing facts about her feelings for charming Henry and Jane Austen. Still, the two are drawn together – he to her intellect and spirit – and she to his joviality and warmth. Hornby has a great deal of fun with the conventions of the genre. There is a comically lecherous lawyer, a grand house, a dashing hero, a mysterious family secret and, of course, an independent and dynamic protagonist. It is said of Anne that “she was simply a creature of the most passionate nature… she felt intensely; where she loved, there she loved absolutely”. It is with the authorial equivalent of a theatrical wink that Hornby suggests “this had already caused her some conflict and drama”, and this meta-literary quality pervades the book. No wonder that Anne’s employer sighs: “I’ve read a great many novels, Miss Sharpe. I know all about the wild adventures of the good-looking governess.” By the end of this generous-spirited and thoroughly enjoyable book, so will the reader and they will relish them.