The perfect book if you’re a fan of Jane Austen’s books.
It's very well researched and enjoyable, the writing style just flows and draws you in, the setting and the era perfect too.

The book has real characters, real places and events from the life of Jane Austen and its interspersed with fictional events. Just Beautiful and an absolute pleasure to read!

I enjoyed Gill Hornby’s previous novel, Miss Austen, about the life of Jane Austen’s sister Cassandra. Her new one, Godmersham Park, is also inspired by the Austens, telling the story of Anne Sharp, who became one of Jane’s closest friends after taking up the position of governess to her niece, Fanny.

We first meet Anne in 1804 on the day of her arrival at Godmersham Park, the estate in Kent that is home to Edward Austen Knight, his wife Elizabeth and their many children. (If you’re in the UK and have a current £10 note to hand, Godmersham Park is the house depicted on the back beside the portrait of Jane Austen). At thirty-one years old, Anne has no experience of teaching or caring for children, but following the death of her mother she has found herself in need of employment and somewhere to live. This change of circumstances comes as a shock to Anne and it takes her a while to settle into her new job and way of life.

When Anne’s eleven-year-old charge, Fanny, shows her the letters she has been receiving from her Aunt Jane (yes, that Jane), Anne finds them charming and immediately decides that Jane is her ‘favourite Austen’. Anne will have to wait a long time for her chance to meet this mysterious letter-writer, but first she makes the acquaintance of another Austen – Jane and Edward’s brother Henry, who comes to stay at Godmersham Park and quickly befriends the new governess.

This is a lovely novel and, like Miss Austen, although it doesn’t self-consciously try to recreate the style of Jane Austen’s work, the language still transports you back to the early years of the 19th century. There are no glaring anachronisms that I noticed and it even feels like the sort of story Austen herself could have written. The pace is slow and apart from a subplot involving a mystery surrounding the whereabouts of Anne’s father, nothing very dramatic happens, yet I was drawn in by the characters and the setting and found it quite absorbing. It was particularly interesting to read about Anne’s experience of working as a governess and how she struggled to find her place within the household, not being fully accepted either as one of the family or one of the servants.

The novel is inspired by the diaries kept by Fanny Austen Knight, letters exchanged between Anne Sharp and Jane and Cassandra Austen, and a first edition of Emma that Jane signed for Anne. All of these things add to our knowledge of Anne’s life and personality and provide evidence of her close friendship with Jane Austen. However, almost nothing is known of Anne’s background before she arrived at Godmersham Park and Gill Hornby explains in her author’s note that she had to use her imagination to create a backstory for Anne. The overall result is a convincing blend of fact and fiction, which I really enjoyed.

I liked this book.
But how did I not realise it was based on a real person until the end?!
My bad! I would have enjoyed the book even more of I were, to have known.

The detailed descriptions by the author, of places and people was wonderful.
You get a clear picture of how things would of been.
We read of romance, friendship, tragedy, hardship, difficult family dynamics, hope, courage, personal determination, women’s struggle in that sociey, loyalty and much more.

I would recommend.

This was a delightful and thoroughly enjoyable read - a fictional book about a real person who became the friend of Jane Austen. It's beautifully written and thoroughly researched. Glorious.

A sad tale of Anne Sharp, a relatively unknown friend of Jane Austen. If you like to emerge yourself in a slow historical journey from the past then this is the book for you. A chance to emerge yourself in a time when class and reliance on men overrode everything. Thoroughly enchanting.

After previously being lucky enough to review an advance copy of the fantastic 'Miss Austen', I jumped at the chance to experience Gill Hornby's new novel 'Godmersham Park',.

Godmersham Park focuses on the life of Anne Sharpe; a woman whose life and circumstances drastically change after the death of her mother, resulting in her accepting the post of governess for the family of Edward Austen.

Anne is forced to come to terms with her new social standing very quickly and, along with her ill health and absent father, this does make for a melancholy life at times. However, there are moments of humour, particularly in the form of Henry Austen and his unwelcome flirty banter.

But, of course, the main reason we are here is because we are drawn by the promise of an insight into mine (and Anne's) favourite Austen: Jane.
Anne and Jane were close in real life, and their friendship truly blossoms throughout this novel. I thoroughly enjoyed Jane's wit and humour as well as the thought-provoking social commentary that we have come to expect from this icon.

As this is based on real people and events, this is not a dramatic novel with plot twists around every corner, nor is this a Regency romp a la Bridgerton. It is, however, an incredibly researched, easy read that shines a light on the difficulties unmarried women faced in the 1800s.

From the first page, I could have believed I was reading Austen herself, thanks not only to the subject and setting but the style of writing too. In Godmersham Park, Gill Hornby transports us to the early nineteenth century in a grand country house. We focus on Anne whose comfortable upbringing (albeit with a frequently absent father and emotionally distant mother – thank goodness for the nanny Agnes) has been replaced by the need to support herself, the only way a Regency heroine can – as a governess. That the paterfamilias Edward is an elder brother of Jane Austen and most of the characters are real people just adds to the scene.
And while that would be enough to sustain my interest, of course the injection of a dashing man in the shape of Uncle Henry provides a welcome frisson. The exchanges between Anne and Henry are delightful, a good mix of propriety and flirting, as he ‘attacks her with friendliness’ in his exceedingly tight britches. But it is in the wit and empathy of Jane that Anne finds a true kindred spirit. Hornby rations Jane’s appearances, keeping us as well as Anne wanting more of Jane. Perhaps there will be more to come.

Jane Austen is my girl. She has been my girl for more years than I’m able to count, and I can’t think of a day where she will not be, in fact, my girl. I was desperate to read this book for its dip into Jane’s life through the eyes of Anne Sharp, the governess of her family’s children.

There’s something about the lives of real historical figures being imagined and put into a story which is just delectable to me. Hornby has taken correspondence written by the family at the time, and used it to create this account of Anne’s time as governess. It’s almost voyeuristic, but deliciously so.

I can’t deny I enjoyed myself, but there was something missing for me. Although there was a real behind the scenes feel, this was really all it was. We see the family living their life, Anne doing her job whilst rubbing shoulders with the Austens. Although there are a good few hints of scandal, nothing is followed up, nothing is realised, and the biggest shock to Anne’s life was dealt with softly and poorly. Whilst I appreciate any inventions wouldn’t be tasteful, this gloved approach felt quite lacking.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the social commentary, and the descriptions of Godmersham itself. That romance wasn’t the driving force behind the plot was also a welcome factor - here we see friendship, belonging, and adaptation to change. As an Austen admirer, I’m glad to have read this.

Having read “Miss Austen” by Gill Hornby last year, I was really looking forward to reading “Godmersham Park” and it didn’t disappoint. In this book, instead of focusing purely on the Austen’s, Hornby’s central character is Anne Sharpe who has fallen on hard times and is forced to become a governess. She ends up taking a position at Godmersham Park for Edward Austen’s family, specifically to teach his 12 year old daughter Fanny. With her inexperience of being a governess, her difficult position at the house where she’s neither servant nor one of the family and with trying to keep her difficult past hidden, Anne often struggles. But with the cast of characters she meets including Edward’s brother Henry and his sister Jane, she finds unexpected joys.

The author’s writing style made this an easy read and the research that she must have done into Anne and the Austens is commendable. While much of the plot and interactions will have been fictional, the descriptions really made me feel like I was in that era. I did feel that some of the plot got a little bit repetitive but this is a very minor criticism in what was overall a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

There are way too many books that romanticise the role of the governess in Regency Britain. It must have been a pig of a job, totally dependent on the whims of your employer, and often only taken on out of sheer necessity. I did some research a few years ago during which I read a lot of letters and journals written by governesses and companions. I don’t remember reading a single happy account.

Gill Hornby has written a fictional biography of a real person – Anne Sharpe the governess of Jane Austen’s niece – based on Fanny Austen’s own diaries which she kept throughout her life. This is an intricate and delicate story of a woman who has to make the best of her situation, whilst hiding secrets and ill health that would lose her her place. She finds a kindred spirit and builds a strong friendship with Jane Austen, Fanny’s favourite aunt and very much the poor relation.

I think I would describe Godmersham Park as a thoughtful read, a novel about people who you became closer to as you learnt their stories. It’s always a little dangerous to fictionalise real people, but in this case it works very well, because it is all set within such close parameters. The claustrophobia of a country house is really well portrayed and Godmersham itself is part of the character set, from Anne’s small and decidedly not private bedchamber, to the dining room where she may or may not be welcome to dine. Her role as governess – not servant, but not family or guest is truly heart-breaking at times.

The novel only covered the period of those few years that Anne Sharpe was actually at Godmersham. I wanted it to continue after she left, to follow the rest of Anne’s life, but it was not to be. I was consoled by the very detailed Author’s Note at the end. For a reader like myself who needs to look up anything that might possibly be historical fact, this was a bit of a godsend, and I learnt that the friendship between Anne and Jane continued, and that they kept in contact until Jane Austen’s death.

I wasn't sure about this book in the first few pages, but I persevered - and I'm glad I did. This novel draws you in slowly, and gradually you grow to really care what happens to the protagonist. As an Austen fan it was lovely to read a fictionalised idea about the Austen family and their friends and servants that seemed believable. The post story explanation about the sources and what is known about the future life of the protagonist after her stint as governess really added to the enjoyment of the book.

Having read and enjoyed Miss Austen I was excited to read Godmersham Park. I wasn’t disappointed.

The story focuses on Anne Sharpe, who was a friend of Jane Austen, whose circumstances mean she needs to seek employment as a governess in Jane’s brother Edward’s home.

As a huge fan of Austen’s writing, I enjoyed revisiting Jane’s life and times, and Jane does play a huge role in this book. However, Anne’s story was quite compelling and we are reminded again how few choices there were for women in those days, even the more genteel women, and a governess role was a position all too many of them filled, when given ‘a room of one’s own’ and sufficient income or circumstances they could have gone on to become writers like Jane Austen.

The governess role is also well described in the book. Quite a difficult role I would assume,not one of the family and not really one of the servants, a sort of no man’s land really.

A thoroughly enjoyable read, the book is charming, well written and very well researched. I loved it.

If you haven’t read Miss Austen, please do so, you won’t be disappointed, then read this, I highly recommend it.

Thank you to the author, Cornerstone and Netgalley for an ARC in return for a honest review.

I love historical fiction, and was pleased to receive this book. However I hate to say this, but I found it all a bit tedious and plodding, and much too slow. The writing style is reasonably reminiscent of it’s time, but it all felt rather superficial and predictable. I felt the characterisation was a bit two dimensional. . Not the best of this genre.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

This is an interesting, well researched story based on fact..
Anne Sharp is a new governess to 12 year old Fanny Austen. At 31 after her mother's death, Anne discovers that she needs to find employment. In spite of a marriage proposal, Anne decides to earn her own living, a bold move for a woman in her situation.
This book shows the difficult life for unmarried women in the nineteenth century, snd echoes Jane Austen's style and wry humour,
I enjoyed this historical novel and recommend it to fans and new readers of this genre,

Such a lovely read for Jane Austen's fans!
It's extremely well researched and highly enjoyable, and the writing style is easy and flowing, the setting and the era are spot on.
Though I didn't know about Anne's life and her relationship with the Austens, I was soon intrigued by her story and I found the style in between historic fiction and biographic novel very interesting and entertaining.
Definitely recommended for period drama's lovers!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House, Cornerstone for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If it were not for the casual dereliction of the odd gentleman's duty, there would no women to teach well-bred daughters at all.

Anne Sharpe was thirty-one years old when she arrived at Godmersham Park to take up the position of governess to twelve-year-old Fanny Austen. She had no experience of teaching but this was a case of necessity. Until the death of her mother, Anne had a comfortable life and was loved by both parents although her father was frequently absent from the household. When her mother died, her father cast her off and would have nothing more to do with her. No explanation was offered but she would receive an annuity of £35 a year. Her maid, Agnes, would receive nothing but was fortunately taken in by some neighbours.

The news came from Mr Jameson, her father's 'man of business' and was accompanied by an unwelcome and quickly-refused offer of marriage. And so it was that Anne found herself on 21 January 1804 in the hall of Godmersham Park feeling neither a guest deserving of especial courtesy, not a servant to be treated as a friend' by the other servants. She will share her room with Fanny who is one of eight children. Anne is hoping that she will be retained as governess for the other two girls, although the five boys will obviously be sent away to school. Without the £35 she receives from the Austens - and the room at Godmersham Park - she doesn't know how she would survive: behind every well-bred governess there was an absence of man. Dismissal constantly hovers on the periphery of the life of every governess.

It's an elegant look at the precarious position of many women in the nineteenth century. Fanny's father, Edward Austen was adopted by the Knight family and this was how he came to inherit Godmersham Park. His wife, Elizabeth, is secure but this is not the case for the other wing of the Austen family and its most famous member, Jane. They're almost itinerant and well aware of the niceties of how long they can stay with any particular host and how they must behave. It is, as Jane says to Anne, the female conundrum. Who will protect the unmarried woman whose chances of matrimony have faded into the distance? They're reliant on the goodwill of others once they can no longer teach, because of illness or old age. The story is deeply moving and thought-provoking.

The writing is exquisite. It has the feel of Austen but is certainly not a pastiche and some of the subjects touched upon are rather darker than Jane Austen would have ventured. I finished the book far too quickly and I would like to thank the publishers for letting Bookbag have a review copy. Our fingers are crossed for more!

If this book appeals to you, you will certainly enjoy Gill Hornby's Miss Austen.

Inspired by the real life story of Anne Sharp, governess to the Austin family, Gill Hornsby has created a beautifully written novel. Anne is hired after the death of her mother and apparent abandonment by her father by the Austin family, and gradually becomes an integral part of their circle. A tremendous sense of period and time makes this an involving and rewarding read.

Although I loved the cover of this book, the main attraction for me was that it was linked to Jane Austen. In fact, the author doesn't make an appearance until relatively late on in the book, but this didn't matter in the slightest.

The book centres on the character of Anne Sharp - governess to the eldest daughter of Jane's wealthy brother Edward. Hornby takes what is known about about Anne and weaves an incredible story around those facts. Where speculations are made, they are absolutely in-keeping with society of the time and ring true in terms of the actions of the characters. In a book of this ilk, in my experience it's not often that you are able to fully suspend your disbelief and accept the characters as, at once, wholly fictional and wholly real. In this instance I could and did.

Whilst the book is not a page-turning thriller - it's very much a gentle read, but with a dash of Austen's snappy observations - it kept me fully engaged throughout and in a month where I've struggled to read, it kept me coming back and looking forward to the next instalment of the story. Anne is flawed, yes, but she is a thoroughly likeable character and the reader cannot help but empathise with her situation and the gradual realisation that her life before Godmersham was not what she thought it was.

The other thing I found interesting about this book was that whilst it was absolutely in-keeping with the time it's set in, it felt thoroughly fresh throughout. Again, not an easy feat, but one Hornby accomplishes with aplomb. As I was reading it, I was discussing it with friends and mentioned that there was one particular plot point that I'd picked up where it was obvious that something was going on below the surface, but I couldn't decide which of the two possible avenues I'd identified, the author would chose to send the characters along. In the end, Hornby found a third path and it worked wonderfully. It was unexpected but utterly believable and immensely satisfying.

I felt bereft when I closed the book for the last time and was left wanting to know much more about Anne Sharp.

A delightful depiction of the life of a governess who became a close friend of Jane Austen. Written in the style of an Austen novel, it will interest and amuse and is all the better for being based on Fanny’s diary entries.

Godmersham Park is an absolute delight of an novel, whether you are interested in Jane Austen's life or not. It builds a vivid picture of the life of Anne, governess to Jane's niece, Fanny, and of the friendship between Jane and Anne, in a richly-portrayed 19th century setting.

Although based on historical references, it's fiction. Beyond the historical interest, it's a fine novel and a great read. It's beautifully written: in its narrative style, structure and pacing it might indeed been written 200 years ago. It has wonderful, well-rounded characters. Everything one would look for in a good classic British novel is here.

If you're looking for a Regency romp, this isn't it. Rather, this book is ideal for anyone who likes 19th century British fiction and who is picky about the literary quality of the work.