Rachel Dodge's Blog, page 13
September 16, 2020
Jane Austen’s Regency Women: A Day in the Life, Part 1
Hello, dear readers! This is an article I wrote for Jane Austen’s World that I knew you’d want to read. If you’ve ever wanted to know more about how Jane Austen’s heroines spent their mornings, this is for you!
I find Jane Austen’s daily routines inspiring, don’t you? She was well-rounded and enjoyed a variety of activities to keep her body, mind, and spirit healthy and balanced. She wrote newsy letters, played the pianoforte, prayed with her family, sewed beautifully, and loved brisk walks. Austen’s evenings at home were spent reading, sewing, and talking with her family. Evenings in company meant dinners, game tables, and dancing. And Sundays were set aside for rest and church.
But what else did Austen understand about the everyday lives of Regency women that might help further our enjoyment of her novels? What went on behind (and between) the scenes we love so well? In this series, I’ll cover a variety of topics on Regency women. Let’s start by looking at what women did each morning on a normal day.
Mornings
The Regency day was broken into two parts: Morning and Evening. Morning usually refers to the part of the day before dinner. Women changed their dresses for dinner, marking the evening portion of the day. Thus, when we read Austen’s novels, we must understand that “morning” encompasses what we refer to as morning and afternoon.
Pre-Breakfast: This was the time between rising and breakfast, which was given to various private pursuits and personal hygiene. A married woman or mistress of the house (as in Emma’s case) might use this time to look over menus and address household necessities with a housekeeper or servant. We know Austen used that time to practice the piano, walk in the garden or run short errands, and write letters to friends and family members. It’s easy to see that a lady’s personal time before breakfast was quite pleasant.
Breakfast: Breakfast was eaten around 10 a.m. in most households, as the Middletons and their guests do in Sense and Sensibility before their morning outing, though people in the country tended to eat earlier than those in town. Jane Austen herself was known for eating an earlier breakfast at 9 a.m. Breakfast was a leisurely meal, with food on the side board where people might serve themselves. In London at Mrs. Jennings’ table, we read that breakfast “lasted a considerable time” as it was her “favourite meal.”
Breakfasts in the Regency period were “dainty meals of varieties of bread, cake and hot drinks, served in the breakfast-parlour…and eaten…off…fine china” (Maggie Lane, Jane Austen and Food). However, an early and more substantial breakfast might be taken before traveling a long distance. In Mansfield Park, Henry and Fanny’s brother eat a hearty breakfast before setting out early in the morning: “the remaining cold pork bones and mustard in William’s plate might but divide her feelings with the broken egg-shells in Mr. Crawford’s.”
Coffee, tea, and chocolate were the favorite hot drinks of the time, but tea was a breakfast staple for the Austen family: “Toast was made in front of the fire by the consumers themselves, rather than by their servants” (Lane 31). Jane Austen’s duties at breakfast included “[t]oasting the bread and boiling the water for tea in a kettle.” In Sanditon, we find this detail: “[Arthur] took his own cocoa from the tray . . . and turning completely to the fire, sat coddling and cooking it to his own satisfaction and toasting some slices of bread . . .” (ch. 10).
Morning Calls: Visiting took up a great portion of the day, usually anywhere from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., depending on each household’s meal times. Normally, it was safest to call between 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. for most households. Between visits or on quiet mornings at home, women tended to sew together as we know Austen herself enjoyed doing. In Sense and Sensibility, we’re told that the ladies settled themselves after breakfast “round the common working table.” Their work, of course, was needlework.
Social visits were typically 15 minutes in duration. A shorter visit was considered a snub, as is seen in Emma when she allows Harriet Smith to make a 14-minute visit to the Martins: “The style of the visit, and the shortness of it, were then felt to be decisive. Fourteen minutes to be given to those with whom she had thankfully passed six weeks not six months ago!” (emphasis mine). However, in Pride and Prejudice, emphasis is given to the length of Georgiana Darcy’s visit to Elizabeth at the inn: “Their visitors stayed with them above half-an-hour” (emphasis mine).
Visits were made for a variety of reasons, but special visits to friends and neighbors were made before and after trips away from home; new neighbors were often visited, as we see in Pride and Prejudice when Mrs. Bennet pressured Mr. Bennet to visit Mr. Bingley; and new brides were visited by everyone in the neighborhood. When Mr. Elton brings Mrs. Elton home, Mr. Woodhouse says, “Not to wait upon a bride is very remiss. […] I ought to have paid my respects to her if possible. It was being very deficient.”
As a Regency woman, morning visits must have ranged from enjoyable and entertaining to downright bothersome and boring. But one thing we modern readers must keep in mind: Virtually every visit required a reciprocal visit. Once you began visiting someone, it must have been difficult to ever stop!
Luncheon: Lunch did not exist as we know it today. Instead, light refreshments were brought in during the day, often during visit. These light meals were comprised of cold foods and served in whatever room the family was in at the time. When callers came, the woman receiving a visit rang for refreshments and was expected to offer and serve tea and refreshments, all while carrying on polite conversation.
In Austen’s novels, these midday refreshments are referred to as a “tray,” “cold meat,” “a set-out” or a “cold repast” (Lane 35). In Pride and Prejudice when Elizabeth visits Miss Darcy at Pemberley, we read of “cold meat, cake, and a variety of all the finest fruits in season.”
Interestingly, the only time a “lunch” of sorts is mentioned in Austen’s novels is at an inn. In Pride and Prejudice, the Bennet sisters eat “‘the nicest cold luncheon in the world,’ which consists of ‘a sallad and cucumber’ and ‘such cold meat as an inn larder normally affords’” (Ch. 39). In Sense and Sensibility, Willoughby stops for a quick “nuncheon” when traveling from London to Cleveland, consisting of “a pint of porter” and “cold beef.”
Dressing for dinner: At the conclusion of a full day of visiting with friends, neighbors, and family members, Regency women then returned to their rooms to change for dinner. The timing of this change of dress again depended on the hours kept in each home. This provided women time to refresh themselves, arrange their hair, and put on their evening dresses. (I imagine they also took the opportunity to loosen their stays for a bit!)
Evening activities ranged from simple dinners at home to full nights of dinner, dancing, and entertaining—sometimes until the early morning hours—so a Regency woman’s day did not necessarily end when the sun went down. Often, it was just getting started!
Please join me next month in Part 2 of this series as we explore the evening portion of a Regency woman’s day.
Food for thought: If you lived in Jane Austen’s time, what would you spend your time doing before breakfast?
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The post Jane Austen’s Regency Women: A Day in the Life, Part 1 appeared first on Rachel Dodge.
September 11, 2020
A Little Princess: Book Giveaway!
I’ve started a Fun Friday Book Giveaway this month, and this time I’m giving away a copy of this lovely Puffin in Bloom edition of A Little Princess by Francis Hodgson Burnett! These beautiful, hardcover books feature cover art by Rifle Paper Co.
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I’ve always loved A Little Princess, but I have to admit that I’ve seen the movies more times than I’ve read the book. (I think I’ve read it only 2-3 times?) As much as I do enjoy other film adaptations, there was a PBS Wonderworks TV miniseries I grew up with that I watched over and over. It featured Amelia Shankley as Sara, Nigel Havers (Chariots of Fire) as Mr. Carrisford, Maureen Lipman as Miss Minchin, and Miriam Margolyes as Miss Amelia.
I used to pretend I was Sara when she was rich and wear a frilly dress and try to make a fancy parlor in the corner of our living room, but I loved dressing up as a scullery maid even more. On foggy evenings, I went outside and carried an ash bucket around (from our fireplace), pretending I was in London. I guess I really liked the drama of it! Did anyone else love acting out their favorite books and movies? (Maybe it’s just me?)
To Enter:
To enter the giveaway, please write to me in the comment section below. For two more entries, forward this to a friend and let me know in the comments. You can also follow me on Instagram @kindredspiritbooks and tag friends there for additional entries!
Contest Details:
U.S. mailing addresses only.
Giveaway ends 9/14 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Not affiliated with Instagram or Facebook.
My new devotional book releases November 1st!
Preorder your copy today!
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The post A Little Princess: Book Giveaway! appeared first on Rachel Dodge.
August 13, 2020
All shall be done.
All shall be done,” said Aslan. “But it may be harder than you think.” —The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis
This is the encouragement we all need to hear, especially in times of extended trials or great difficulty. What is the mountain you feel like you can’t climb? The raging river you can’t cross? The “all” that feels impossible?
Sometimes we battle discouragement, lack of motivation, or overwhelm more than anything else in moments like these.
Resisting Discouragement
In Eileen Crossman’s biography of James Fraser, a missionary to the Lisu tribes in Southwest China in the early 1900s, she shares portions of his diaries and letters. In one passage Fraser writes about the temptation to give in to discouragement after a disappointment or setback:
Discouragement is to be resisted just like sin. To give way to the one is just as bad and weakens us as much as to give way to the other. God has wonderfully sustained me through this trial, and to Him be all the praise when I saw that not for one instant has it disturbed my peace or radiant faith in the risen and ascended Lord.”
James Fraser, Mountain Rain by Eileen Crossman
I’m thankful for C.S. Lewis, James Fraser, and so many others who have gone before us. They remind us that God’s perfect will in our lives will be done. The journey there may be harder than we think (or want), but He will get us there.
And ALL shall be done.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Isaiah 43:2
If you’d like to read about James Fraser in Mountain Rain (which I am currently reading and highly recommend), you can order it here.
Where do you need an extra measure of faith? Please comment below. I’d love to pray for you! For more thoughts on faith, click here.
Grace and peace,
Rachel
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Click here to subscribe to my blog. You’ll receive a FREE set of Jane Austen prayers cards as a welcome gift!Jane Austen: When you purchase a Praying with Jane book, you’ll get a FREE prayer journal to go with it. (Free Shipping on all orders.)Anne Shirley: Pre-order The Anne of Green Gables Devotional here. It comes out November 1, so be sure to reserve your copy today! To read the book description, check it out here.
The post All shall be done. appeared first on Rachel Dodge.
July 11, 2020
Jane Austen in July!
Jane Austen always captures things perfectly, doesn’t she? Here in Northern California, we’ve been experiencing bouts of “dreadful hot weather,” and I certainly feel as though I’m in a “continual state of inelegance!”
July is an active month for Jane Austen fans, which provides a welcome bit of refreshment in the middle of summer. And despite COVID-19, this year is no different, with virtual conferences, festivals, tours, and book clubs popping up around the world for Jane Austen in July.
Why July? Jane passed away in Winchester, England on 18th July 1817. In honor of her life and legacy, Jane Austen fans celebrate worldwide each year in a number of wonderful ways.
Here are a few highlights I’m enjoying so far this month:
1. Jane Austen Society’s Virtual 80th Birthday Party
This is a free online day of celebration hosted by Chawton House celebrating the Jane Austen Society’s 80th birthday. The entire set of talks released today! You can watch all the videos here.
The first video shares messages and insights from Jane Austen societies around the world, which I found fascinating:
2. The Virtual Jane Austen Festival in Louisville, KY
I’ve been dying to make it out to this epic Jane Austen festival one summer, but it never seems to work out. This year’s virtual festival feels a bit like an extra treat! It’s been a blast to watch from home and see the creativity and joy that exudes from this incredible JASNA regional group.
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The festival started yesterday and continues all weekend. The links stay live until July 26, 2020. You can watch the videos here.
3. Jane Austen July Readathon
Jane Austen July is a month-long readathon that celebrates Jane Austen’s novels and related works. It’s hosted by BookTubers Katie of “Books and Things” and Marissa of “Blatantly Bookish”.
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You can follow the challenges and join the Good Reads discussion group here or watch these intro videos by Katie of “Books and Things” and Marissa of “Blatantly Bookish” to find out more!
4. Journaling with Jane
Starting Sunday (12th July), Jane Austen’s House is celebrating Jane Austen and the anniversary of her death with 7 days of Journaling with Jane.
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Jane Austen’s House will be sharing prompts, themes and ideas on their Instagram page and their web site all week long. You can read more about it here. I hope you’ll join me in this endeavor!
I haven’t had the time or mental capacity to engage in things like this all year, but sitting down last night to watch some of the wonderful presentations that many Austen groups and charities have been sharing really lifted my spirits and made me smile. I hope they do the same for you!
What am I missing? Are you participating in any Austen-related activities this month that didn’t make my list? Please share in the comments.
[image error] Jane’s Prayers:
Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen
FREE Prayer Journal with Book Purchase
The post Jane Austen in July! appeared first on Rachel Dodge.
June 22, 2020
An encouragement
When I read Acts 12:24 in my Bible reading last week, it stood out to me as an incredible encouragement. I’ve been meditating on it ever since. It’s a beautiful reminder that in the midst of all the chaos, division, pain, and struggle around us . . . God is still (and always will be) at work.
Meanwhile, the word of God continued to spread, and there were many new believers.
Acts 12:24
Acts is an exciting book of the Bible, and it’s full of the wonderful testimonies of what God did to build His church and spread the Good News of Jesus Christ throughout the world. He called ordinary people to help tell people about Jesus.
The lesson for us today: God did incredible things during a time of chaos.
When the early church was scattered during the persecution in Acts, many of the new believers ran from Jerusalem to take refuge in other cities and towns around the region and beyond. Those believers all started to share their faith with their neighbors. People came to faith in Christ. Churches sprang up. And the Gospel continued to spread!
What the Early Church Didn’t Do
The members of the early church didn’t stop telling people about Jesus because someone told them to stop. (In fact, it was quite the opposite.) They didn’t stop telling people about Jesus because they were afraid. They didn’t hide out or run away from hard things. (UGH!) They also didn’t let their lack of education or special knowledge keep them from telling people about how Jesus had changed their lives.
What the Early Church Did Do
The early followers of Christ told everyone about Jesus. They found ways to spread the Good News daily and in creative ways. They prayed and prayed more than they talked and talked. (OUCH!) They believed more than they worried. They trusted themselves to the care and keeping of the Lord.
A Grape Cluster and a Hatchet
Three weeks ago, I was praying and the Lord showed me a picture of a beautiful grape cluster on the vine. It was juicy, huge, and glistening with dew. It was ripening on the vine. I saw that the grapes represented the fruit that’s been growing during this time of COVID-19 as more people have tuned into church services than would EVER walk into a church building!
But next I saw something else: I saw a hatchet come in and chop down the fruit. The hatchet represented the weapon of division coming in to steal and destroy the fruit. I immediately realized that we must PROTECT the fruit that’s on the vine through prayer and petition. We must not allow division or anything else to come in and mess with the fruit.
Better Together
Let’s join together and join with God to nurture the fruit that’s growing in our own hearts and in the hearts of those around us. Let us be about the business of helping spread the word of God. Let us pray for a harvest of new believers.
It is my prayer that we will all look back on this trying time as a time when God did wonderful things in the hearts and lives of men, women, and children all around the world — despite everything else.
The word I’ll leave you with today is MEANWHILE. No matter what you’re going through today, God is at work in your life. If things look really messy, take heart. God is doing a good work in the midst of it all.
Grace and peace,
Rachel
The post An encouragement appeared first on Rachel Dodge.
June 7, 2020
Book Review: The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner
The Jane Austen Society is the perfect book for quarantine, for unsettling times, for a quiet read, or for a virtual book club. Even better, it’s everything a Jane Austen fan could wish for in historical fiction.
If you like books about people who love books, people who gather to form societies to read and save old books, or books about England in the 1940s, then this is the book for you. And if you loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (read my list of 5 Reasons you should read it here), you’ll find another group of similarly-minded friends in this book.
The Characters in it
I immediately fell in step with the ensemble cast of characters and each storyline. I, of course, have my favorites, but I’ll let you decide for yourself. Their stories intertwine in the most wonderful way. Each one is on his/her own path toward inner healing, which creates many lovely character arcs.
And what is a good cast of characters without a good love story (or several) to keep things interesting?! I found the love stories gentle, endearing, and realistic. Each one blossoms and unfurls beautifully as past sorrows slowly give way to future hope.
The Feel of it
It just doesn’t get much better than the feel of village life in Chawton in the 1940s in this novel. The descriptions of the farm, the lanes, Jane Austen’s house, the church, Chawton Great House–all of them are intimate and dear. Natalie Jenner makes you feel as though you’ve stepped back in time, onto the streets of Chawton.
The Jane Austen of it
There are MANY reasons to read this gorgeous novel, but if you’re a Jane Austen fan, I don’t see how you could resist. It’s all about a group of people who are drawn together by their shared love of Jane Austen and her novels. More than anything else, they want to save her house and her legacy, but they have to find a way to do it. (And it isn’t easy.)
Also, true Austen fans will find all sorts of fun nods to Austen’s novels strewn throughout the book. You’ll need to look carefully. I found many that were delightful!!
The Comfort of it
Finally, there is something comforting about this book. I loved curling up with it. It felt like a warm hug after a long day.
I hope you’ll enjoy this book as much as I did. If you’d like to have a chance to win a copy of it, check my Instagram account for details.
Grace and peace,
Rachel
Order your copy here:
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | INDIEBOUND | AUDIBLE | GOODREADS | BOOKBUB
Meet Natalie Jenner
Natalie Jenner is the debut author of THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY, a fictional telling of the start of the society in the 1940s in the village of Chawton, where Austen wrote or revised her major works.
Born in England and raised in Canada, Natalie graduated from the University of Toronto with degrees in English Literature and Law and has worked for decades in the legal industry. She recently founded the independent bookstore Archetype Books in Oakville, Ontario, where she lives with her family and two rescue dogs.
Read my interview with Natalie here!
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WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS
BOOK
DESCRIPTION:
Just after the Second World War, in the small English village of Chawton, an unusual but like-minded group of people band together to attempt something remarkable.
One hundred and fifty years ago, Chawton was the final home of Jane Austen, one of England’s finest novelists. Now it’s home to a few distant relatives and their diminishing estate. With the last bit of Austen’s legacy threatened, a group of disparate individuals come together to preserve both Jane Austen’s home and her legacy. These people—a laborer, a young widow, the local doctor, and a movie star, among others—could not be more different and yet they are united in their love for the works and words of Austen. As each of them endures their own quiet struggle with loss and trauma, some from the recent war, others from more distant tragedies, they rally together to create the Jane Austen Society.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATED BY ACTOR RICHARD ARMITAGE:
The full unabridged text of THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY
was read by the distinguished English film, television, theatre and voice actor
Richard Armitage for the audiobook recording. Best known by many period drama
fans for his outstanding performance as John Thornton in the BBC television
adaptation of North and South (2004), Armitage also portrayed Thorin
Oakenshield in Peter Jackson’s film trilogy adaptation of The Hobbit
(2012 – 2014).
Link to YouTube audiobook excerpt: https://youtu.be/OJ1ACJluRi8
SPOTIFY
PLAYLIST:
Spotify users can access a playlist for THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY at the following link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Q1Vl17qyQQIvvPGeIPCkr?si=-iMhVz8uRk2v2mTdolrPdg. The playlist includes music from various film adaptions of Jane Austen’s books, as well as film scores by such incomparable artists as Hans Zimmer, Ennio Morricone, Rachel Portman, and Michael Nyman.
FOLLOW THE BLOG TOUR!
May 25 through June 30, 2020: Seventy-five popular blogs and websites specializing in historical fiction, historical romance, women’s fiction, and Austenesque fiction are featuring interviews and reviews of this post-WWII novel set in Chawton, England.
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Upcoming Blog Tour Stops:
June 07 An Historian About Town
June 08 Bringing up Books
June 08 Austenesque Reviews
June 09 Captivated Reading
June 09 Savvy Verse and Witt
June 10 Lady with a Quill
June 10 Drunk Austen
June 11 Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell
June 11 Inkwell Inspirations
June 12 Nurse Bookie
June 12 A Bookish Way of Life
June 13 Calico Critic
June 14 Jane Austen’s World
Catch up on what you missed and follow the rest of the blog tour here!
The post Book Review: The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner appeared first on Rachel Dodge.
June 4, 2020
Annie F. Downs, Karen Swallow Prior, and Jane Austen, oh my!
For those who love Annie F. Downs and / or Karen Swallow Prior (I happen to love both of them!), then you’ll enjoy this episode of Annie’s podcast That Sounds Fun. In it, Annie talks with Dr. Prior about all sorts of wonderful literary things, including Dr. Prior’s newest book releases, Jane Austen’s life and faith, and (for a quick second) Praying with Jane. *Swoon!*
In her interview, Dr. Prior discusses literature, culture, and faith. Annie F. Downs asks brilliant and thoughtful questions, even touching on some of the current events of today. They even did an “after-show” on YouTube (details below) dedicated to more details about Jane Austen’s life.
That Sounds Fun Podcast: Karen Swallow Prior
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Episode Description: Get ready for your English and British Literature heart to grow three sizes bigger. Dr. Karen Swallow Prior is a theologian and an author and professor. Her latest works are like literature classes alongside classics (the best of both worlds).
Listen to the Podcast Here: https://podlink.to/ThatSoundsFun
For more Jane Austen fun with Annie and Dr. Prior, head over to YouTube where they focused in more on our favorite female author!
Dr. Prior has two new books that just released with B&H: Heart of Darkness and Sense and Sensibility. I can’t wait to read her Guide to Reading and Reflecting in this beautiful new edition of Sense and Sensibility:
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Book Description: Through this beautifully designed series, bestselling author, literature professor, and avid reader Karen Swallow Prior will guide you through a selection of classics. She will not only navigate you through the pitfalls that trap readers today, but show you how to read them in light of the gospel, and to the glory of God.
Karen Swallow Prior is an award-winning Professor of English at Liberty University. She earned her Ph.D. in English at SUNY Buffalo. Her writing has appeared at The Atlantic, Christianity Today, Washington Post, Vox, First Things, Sojourners, Relevant, Think Christian, and other places. She is a Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum, a Senior Fellow at Liberty University’s Center for Apologetics and Cultural Engagement, and a member of the Faith Advisory Council of the Humane Society of the United States.
Praying with Jane
Annie ordered Praying with Jane after taping the show and graciously shared it on her Instagram stories and web site with a purchase link. It’s unbelievably kind (and helpful!) when someone like Annie or Karen mentions an author’s book. (For friends and family who may want to listen to that part of the show, go to about the 35-minute mark.)
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The post Annie F. Downs, Karen Swallow Prior, and Jane Austen, oh my! appeared first on Rachel Dodge.
May 25, 2020
The Jane Austen Society: An Interview with Natalie Jenner
Natalie Jenner’s debut novel, The Jane Austen Society, releases tomorrow, and it’s my great honor to share with you my interview with Natalie for Jane Austen’s World blog! My interview went live today and kicks off an enormous virtual online book tour for this incredible new book.
Here is a short synopsis of Natalie’s novel to pique your interest!
Book Description for The Jane Austen Society:
One hundred and fifty years ago, Chawton was the final home of Jane Austen, one of England’s finest novelists. Now it’s home to a few distant relatives and their diminishing estate. With the last bit of Austen’s legacy threatened, a group of disparate individuals come together to preserve both Jane Austen’s home and her legacy. These people—a laborer, a young widow, the local doctor, and a movie star, among others—could not be more different and yet they are united in their love for the works and words of Austen. As each of them endures their own quiet struggle with loss and trauma, some from the recent war, others from more distant tragedies, they rally together to create the Jane Austen Society.
I loved the book and had a fantastic time interviewing Natalie this spring. She and I have become friends, and we had a LOT of fun with this interview. I hope you enjoy reading about her journey! To read my interview, please visit Jane Austen’s World here:
My Interview with Natalie Jenner:
[image error] Read my interview with Natalie here.
One of the questions I asked Natalie was this:
If you could step into one of Jane Austen’s novels, which one would it be and which character would you like to play? Let me know YOUR answer to that question in the comment section below!
Meet Author Natalie Jenner:
Natalie Jenner is the debut author of THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY, a fictional telling of the start of the society in the 1940s in the village of Chawton, where Austen wrote or revised her major works. Born in England and raised in Canada, Natalie graduated from the University of Toronto with degrees in English Literature and Law and has worked for decades in the legal industry. She recently founded the independent bookstore Archetype Books in Oakville, Ontario, where she lives with her family and two rescue dogs.
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WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS
PURCHASE LINKS:
Order your copy of The Jane Austen Society here!
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | INDIEBOUND | AUDIBLE | GOODREADS | BOOKBUB
FOLLOW THE BLOG TOUR!
In two weeks, I’ll share my book review as part of the virtual online book tour of THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY, Natalie Jenner’s highly acclaimed debut novel May 25 through June 30, 2020. Seventy-five popular blogs and websites specializing in historical fiction, historical romance, women’s fiction, and Austenesque fiction will feature interviews and reviews of this post-WWII novel set in Chawton, England.
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BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE:
May 25 Jane Austen’s World
May 25 Austenprose—A Jane Austen Blog
May 26 Frolic Media
May 26 A Bookish Affair
May 26 Courtney Reads Romance
May 26 Margie’s Must Reads
May 26 The Reading Frenzy
May 27 Book Confessions of an Ex-Ballerina
May 27 Gwendalyn’s Books
May 27 Romantically Inclined Reviews
May 28 Getting Your Read On
May 28 Living Read Girl
May 28 The Lit Bitch
May 29 History Lizzie
May 29 Silver Petticoat Reviews
May 30 Cup of Tea with that Book, Please
May 30 Historical Fiction Reader
May 31 Jane Austen in Vermont
June 01 From Pemberley to Milton
June 01 My Jane Austen Book Club
June 01 AustenBlog
June 02 Lu’s Reviews
June 02 The Green Mockingbird
June 03 The Interests of a Jane Austen Girl
June 03 Relz Reviews
June 03 Impressions in Ink
June 04 The Caffeinated Bibliophile
June 04 Life of Literature
June 04 Laura’s Reviews
June 05 Reading Ladies Book Club
June 05 Bookish Rantings
June 06 From the TBR Pile
June 07 Rachel Dodge
June 07 An Historian About Town
June 08 Bringing up Books
June 08 Austenesque Reviews
June 09 Captivated Reading
June 09 Savvy Verse and Witt
June 10 Lady with a Quill
June 10 Drunk Austen
June 11 Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell
June 11 Inkwell Inspirations
June 12 Nurse Bookie
June 12 A Bookish Way of Life
June 13 Calico Critic
June 14 Jane Austen’s World
June 15 Stuck in a Book
June 15 Storybook Reviews
June 15 Confessions of a Book Addict
June 16 Literary Quicksand
June 16 Becky on Books
June 17 The Reading Frenzy
June 17 Anita Loves Books
June 18 Chicks, Rogues, & Scandals
June 18 The Write Review
June 19 Diary of Eccentric
June 20 Cracking the Cover
June 21 Short Books & Scribes
June 22 Reading the Past
June 22 Babblings of a Bookworm
June 23 My Vices and Weaknesses
June 23 The Book Diva Reads
June 24 Books, Teacups & Reviews
June 24 Wishful Endings
June 25 Robin Loves Reading
June 25 Bookfoolery
June 26 Lit and Life
June 26 Vesper’s Place
June 27 Foxes and Fairy Tales
June 28 Probably at the Library
June 28 Scuffed Slippers Wormy Books
June 29 The Anglophile Channel
June 29 So Little Time…
June 30 BookNAround
The post The Jane Austen Society: An Interview with Natalie Jenner appeared first on Rachel Dodge.
May 10, 2020
The UK Blessing – Virtual Choir
Over 65 churches in the United Kingdom joined together to create a virtual choir and sing the Cody Carnes and Kari Jobe’s Christian anthem, “The Blessing” over the UK during these trying times.
The UK collaboration was inspired by The Pittsburgh Blessing in the US, which was recorded for Resurrection Sunday. The UK Blessing premiered last week and has since gone viral with over 2 million views (as of today) and continues to grow.
Standing together as one, our desire is that this song will fill you with hope and encourage you.
The UK Blessing Collaboration
The UK Blessing
Our buildings may be closed but the church is very much alive!
UK Blessing Collaboration
Tim Hughes, participant of the U.K. Blessing, spoke about the collaboration about the inspiration and heart behind the recording.
I hope this encourages you this week. I’ve been listening to it each day as I walk my dog in the evenings. This song is based on the Aaronic blessing from the Bible:
Aaron’s Blessing
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them,
The Lord bless you and keep you;
Numbers 6:22-27
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.
These virtual choirs continue to pop worldwide. People are joining together to sing blessings over the people of the earth. People are watching, asking for prayer, and asking how to know God personally.
Be encouraged! Jesus is alive and on the move!
Grace and peace,
Rachel
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May 5, 2020
What Would Jane Do (at home)?
The following is an excerpt from an article I wrote for Jane Austen’s World blog about the various activities Jane Austen might have enjoyed if she was under stay-at-home orders in a time of social distancing. Enjoy!
As we practice social distancing and spend more time at home, I often think about what Jane would have done under similar circumstances. I can imagine she would miss making morning calls, traveling to visit family and friends, going to church on Sundays, and attending balls where she might dance “nine dances out of ten” (Jane Austen to Cassandra, November 1800).
With what we know of Austen’s home life in mind, I’ve compile a list of activities that I hope will feed the minds, imaginations, and souls of my fellow Janeites. You can read my list of 7 activities here:
[image error]Click here to read my list!
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