Remarkable Regency Women

I recently read Becoming Jane Austen by Jon Spence, a non-fiction account of Jane

Austen’s life and the elements in her background and family that shaped her and her writing. The book offers an interesting look into Jane Austen's background while painting a vivid picture of Georgian and Regency England. Despite the manners and elegance or these eras, they were very harsh times, especially for women without money. However, these difficulties gave rise to a great deal of strength and resilience. For example, orphaned Phila Austen, Jane Austen's aunt, was penniless with little more to look forward to than a career as a miliner in Covent Garden. Instead of accepting fate, she made the brave decision to travel to India and create a new life for herself.

Stories like Phila’s remind us that only by rising to the challenges of life, instead of avoiding them, can we hope to achieve success. This is an excellent lesson for writers since the writing and publishing process is full of challenges. Jane herself must have learned this lesson from both her own career and the lives of her remarkable female relatives, and I’m glad she did. Where would we be if she had given up? Can you imagine a world without Mr. Darcy? I can’t.  

Persevering in the face of adversity is one of the central themes in my new Regency

novella Hero’s Redemption. Cathleen is a penniless widow at the mercy of her wicked relations. Instead of giving up and letting her half-brother trample all over her, she works hard to find a way to support herself. When Devon, the Earl of Malton is thrust in her path, marriage isn’t the first thing Cathleen thinks of. Instead, she looks to him for financial backing for a business venture in an effort to establish her independence and her future. Things don’t go quite as the hero and heroine plan, but in the end both Cathleen and Devon refuse to buckle under the weight of their troubles and their lives are richer for it.

So, when the going gets tough and you think of giving up, think of Jane and Cathleen. Rise to the challenge, you never know what might happen.