Jane Austen's Bookshelf

A Rare Book Collector's Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend

De: Rebecca Romney

Narrado por: Rebecca Romney

From rare book dealer and guest star of the hit show Pawn Stars, a page-turning literary adventure featuring “your favorite author’s favorite authors” (Today)—the women who inspired Jane Austen—that’s “a meditation on reading and writing, on honesty and self-discovery—and on what books can teach us, if we let them” (The Washington Post).

Long before she was a rare book dealer, Rebecca Romney was a devoted reader of Jane Austen. She loved that Austen’s books took the lives of women seriously, explored relationships with wit and confidence, and always, allowed for the possibility of a happy ending. She read and reread them, often wishing Austen wrote just one more.

But Austen wasn’t a lone genius. She wrote at a time of great experimentation for women writers—and clues about those women, and the exceptional books they wrote, are sprinkled like breadcrumbs throughout Austen’s work. Every character in Northanger Abbey who isn’t a boor sings the praises of Ann Radcliffe. The play that causes such a stir in Mansfield Park is a real one by the playwright Elizabeth Inchbald. In fact, the phrase “pride and prejudice” came from Frances Burney’s second novel Cecilia. The women that populated Jane Austen’s bookshelf profoundly influenced her work; Austen looked up to them, passionately discussed their books with her friends, and used an appreciation of their books as a litmus test for whether someone had good taste. So where had these women gone? Why hadn’t Romney—despite her training—ever read them? Or, in some cases, even heard of them? And why were they no longer embraced as part of the wider literary canon?

Jane Austen’s Bookshelf investigates the disappearance of Austen’s heroes—women writers who were erased from the Western canon—to reveal who they were, what they meant to Austen, and how they were forgotten. Each chapter profiles a different writer including Frances Burney, Ann Radcliffe, Charlotte Lennox, Charlotte Smith, Hannah More, Elizabeth Inchbald, Hester Lynch Thrale Piozzi, and Maria Edgeworth—and recounts Romney’s experience reading them, finding rare copies of their works, and drawing on connections between their words and Austen’s. Romney collects the once-famed works of these forgotten writers, physically recreating Austen’s bookshelf and making a convincing case for why these books should be placed back on the to-be-read pile of all book lovers today. Jane Austen’s Bookshelf will encourage you to look beyond assigned reading lists, question who decides what belongs there, and build your very own collection of favorite novels.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2025 Rebecca Romney (P)2025 Simon & Schuster Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Rebecca Romney, an author and dealer in rare books, narrates her intriguing exploration of eighteenth-century women writers in a mellow, welcoming voice...The result is engaging, deeply informative, and often fun—particularly for lovers of rare books and Austen."

all the other women who were authors at time of Jane Austen.

I love the rabbit hole that the book took you, looking forward to the other authors I've been introduced.

Fascinating!

In all candor, I didn't expect to be drawn in and held fast by Ms. Romney's accounts of these books. I thought the book would be mildly interesting--but it was so much more. Combining delightful commentary and scholarship with personal insights, this book is a fascinating exploration of authors whose work I now plan to investigate. Highly recommended!

Great research

I loved the way the writer addresses the other women writers of the time. It made me want to read more classic literature.

It’s been a minute

It’s been a minute since I enjoyed a read this much. Not overly wordy yet still informative, clued me into some new writers to look into.

What a page turner!

Rebecca has a way of captivating her audience and draws you into the story she is telling. I loved her previous book Printer's Error and this one didn't disappoint. I learned so much about Jane Austen and the women who inspired her. Upon reading the conclusion of her book this morning, I immediately jumped into The Female Quixote. Charlotte Lennox was one of the women who inspired Jane Austen and I'm excited to experience her described whit. I was excited to learn how these women influenced Jane Austen's work. I had not heard of any of these women before but I had heard and read a few of Jane Austen's books. I discovered Rebecca Romney's enthusiasm for books after I fell in love with Don Quixote and began to research it's history. Rebecca was captivating in all of her videos and her exitment for the written word was contagious. This book is great. Read it. Enjoy it. Collect it! Tell a friend. Read some more.

Good context on Austen

I enjoyed joining Romney in rediscovering the authors who inspired Austen. Romney is mostly balanced in expressing her views about the advantages and disadvantages the women authors faced. Overall, this book provides good context for reading Austen.

Thoughtful, illuminating, very enjoyable

I found the title interesting, but the contents far exceeded my expectations! Now I have a whole new list of authors and novels to explore. Thank you!

Brilliant!

Wonderfully written and incredibly well researched! This book is accessible and puts Jane Austen in context of fellow writers of her time that should be as widely read as she is.

Now I Have to Buy More Books

This was absolutely fascinating - part literary history, Jane-ite lore, Sherlock Holmesian sleuthing, and a feminist manifesto of 18th century British women writers. I’m now on a quest to add copies of these books to my shelves. I found a 1893 2volume set of Evelina in NYC! And, as a librarian, I’ve added a few to the library collection as well. I liked it so much I bought the print book.

A fascinating perspective and approach to a subject few even know about.

I have never been a fan of author read audiobooks. Although this is a very personal story, it could have been even better with a professional actor reading it.