A Most Clever Girl: How Jane Austen Discovered Her Voice - by Jasmine A Stirling (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

For fans of I Dissent and She Persisted -- and Jane Austen fans of all ages -- a picture book biography about the beloved and enduring writer and how she found her unique voice.

Witty and mischievous Jane Austen grew up in a house overflowing with words. As a young girl, she delighted in making her family laugh with tales that poked fun at the popular novels of her time, stories that featured fragile ladies and ridiculous plots. Before long, Jane was writing her own stories-uproariously funny ones, using all the details of her life in a country village as inspiration.

In times of joy, Jane's words burst from her pen. But after facing sorrow and loss, she wondered if she'd ever write again. Jane realized her writing would not be truly her own until she found her unique voice. She didn't know it then, but that voice would go on to capture readers' hearts and minds for generations to come.

Review Quotes

"Myriad threads [come] together to present an engaging portrait accompanied by detailed and engaging illustrations that entwine with the story and give a strong sense of the era. . . . a bright and honest tale of the development of a great writer who grappled with adversity, one that will inspire and fascinate young readers. An informative, engaging depiction of the life and growth of an exceptional literary talent." --Kirkus Reviews

"Charming. . . The hand-drawn pictures and amusing narrative make this a fitting tribute to Austen, and readers should come away with an appreciation for her talent plus a good understanding of what a writer's voice is all about." --Booklist

About the Author

Jasmine A. Stirling grew up in a town without a movie theater and a house without a television. From a young age, she loved to write poems and stories, and she worked her way through nearly every children's book (and quite a few for grown-ups, too) in her local library. Jasmine now lives in San Francisco with her husband, two young daughters, and their dog. Her favorite Jane Austen book is Persuasion. A Most Clever Girl is her first book.

jasmineastirling.com
Twitter: @jasminestirling
Instagram: @jasmine.a.stirling

Vesper Stamper is an award-winning author-illustrator of picture books and historical fiction for young adults, including What the Night Sings, winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award and longlisted for the National Book Award, and A Cloud of Outrageous Blue. She lives with her husband, filmmaker Ben Stamper, and her two teenagers, in the northeastern United States, but England is Vesper's happy place. Her favorite Jane Austen novel is Emma.

vesperillustration.com
Instagram: @vesperillustration