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Jane Austen's Transatlantic SisterThe Life and Letters of Fanny Palmer Austen |
eBook Available
A revealing account of a naval officer's young wife, her life during the Napoleonic Wars, and her influence on Jane Austen's fiction.
In 1807 genteel, Bermuda-born Fanny Palmer (1789-1814) married Jane Austen's youngest brother, Captain Charles Austen, and was thrust into a demanding life within the world of the British navy. Experiencing adventure and adversity in wartime conditions both at sea and onshore, the spirited and resilient Fanny travelled between Bermuda, Nova Scotia, and England. For just over a year, her home was in the city of Halifax. After crossing the Atlantic in 1811, she ingeniously made a home for Charles and their daughters aboard a working naval vessel and developed a supportive friendship with his sister, Jane.
In Jane Austen's Transatlantic Sister Fanny's articulate and informative letters - transcribed in full for the first time and situated in their meticulously researched historical context - disclose her quest for personal identity and autonomy, her maturation as a wife and mother, and the domestic, cultural, and social milieu she inhabited. Sheila Johnson Kindred also investigates how Fanny was a source of naval knowledge for Jane, and how she was an inspiration for Austen's literary invention, especially for the female naval characters in Persuasion. Although she died young, Fanny's story is a compelling record of female naval life that contributes significantly to our limited knowledge of women's roles in the Napoleonic Wars.
Enhanced by rarely seen illustrations, Fanny's life story is a rich new source for Jane Austen scholars and fans of her fiction, as well as for those interested in biography, women's letters, and history of the family.
In Jane Austen's Transatlantic Sister Fanny's articulate and informative letters - transcribed in full for the first time and situated in their meticulously researched historical context - disclose her quest for personal identity and autonomy, her maturation as a wife and mother, and the domestic, cultural, and social milieu she inhabited. Sheila Johnson Kindred also investigates how Fanny was a source of naval knowledge for Jane, and how she was an inspiration for Austen's literary invention, especially for the female naval characters in Persuasion. Although she died young, Fanny's story is a compelling record of female naval life that contributes significantly to our limited knowledge of women's roles in the Napoleonic Wars.
Enhanced by rarely seen illustrations, Fanny's life story is a rich new source for Jane Austen scholars and fans of her fiction, as well as for those interested in biography, women's letters, and history of the family.
Details
312 Pages, 6 x 9
24 colour, 10 b&w photos, 1 map
ISBN 9780773557086
November 2018
Formats: Paperback, Cloth, eBook
"The way in which Jane Austen's observations on Charles and Fanny's relationship and family affairs are explored and extended makes compelling reading. The close relationship between the two women is discussed persuasively. Other gems include a fascinating, detailed analysis of Fanny's pocket book entries and Charles' enduring grief on his wife's death, recorded in personal diaries." Newsletter, The Jane Austen Society of the United Kingdom
“A firm grasp of a woman's life writing is the foundation for Sheila Johnson Kindred's biography of Jane Austen's Transatlantic Sister. Like all good biographical studies, it touches upon many topics and offers various delights. I particularly enjoyed following young Fanny's evolution as a wife and mother, learning more about the lives of her distinguished extended families, and viewing the black-and-white illustrations that accompany the text.” Margaret Conrad, Atlantic Books Today
“With an abundance of illustrations, appendixes, extensive notes, and bibliography, this is a fascinating glimpse into the life of a 19th-century naval wife. Fans of Jane Austen are likely to find some interest in the family relationships and the probable model Fanny provided for her fiction.” Library Journal
“Those of us who are fascinated by every aspect of Jane Austen’s experience, and how it feeds into her imagination and understanding of the world, must feel grateful to Sheila Kindred for writing Jane Austen’s Transatlantic Sister, a topic no-one had thought of researching in such depth before. Poor Fanny, what a cruel fate was hers. The difficulties of her situation, and the growing strength of her character as she contended with them, make for a gripping narrative. The saving grace of course was that, for the pitifully few years of her adulthood, Fanny was married to such a loveable man. Everything we know about Charles suggests he had the sweetest nature of all Jane Austen’s brothers, and it is good to make this deeper acquaintance with him. But Fanny Palmer herself is the heroine of her story, as we witness her maturing as woman, wife and mother. Sheila Kindred’s vivid and detailed portrayal, based on solid evidence, really brought home to me the lives and living conditions of the people concerned.” Maggie Lane, author of Getting Older with Jane Austen and On the Sofa with Jane Austen
“This affectionate and enlightening portrait of the young woman who married Jane Austen's youngest brother is sure to find an enthusiastic readership in North America. Sheila Johnson Kindred's intimate and sensitive biography traces the relationship through Fanny's "wonderfully evocative" letters - here transcribed in full for the first time. Alas, [Fanny] did not survive the birth of her third child. This fascinating and beautifully illustrated book is her fitting epitaph.” Jane Austen’s Regency World
“Thanks to Kindred’s meticulous research, Jane Austen fans can enjoy exploring how one remarkable and no-longer-forgotten woman influenced the work of her famous sister-in-law. “ Dean Jobb
“Sheila Johnson Kindred’s biography of Fanny Palmer Austen, the wife of Jane Austen’s youngest brother, Charles, is a vivid portrait of a young, capable British naval wife and mother, in the early nineteenth century. Because of Sheila Johnson Kindred’s detailed portrait of Fanny and her world, both lovers of history and literature can enjoy this biography.” Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society Journal
"Jane Austen's Transatlantic Sister is a compelling portrait of a woman's life in a particularly taxing time of British history, on the crux of empire … It is the reader's good fortune that Fanny Austen has such a thoughtful and well presented biography … Jane Austen's Transatlantic Sister is a delightful journey on which to sail." The Wordsworth Circle
“Jane Austen’s Transatlantic Sister contributes to a fast-growing area of Austen studies: histories that add to our understanding of the knowledge and references upon which Austen may have drawn. Kindred presents only material that is truly pertinent to her reconstruction of Fanny Palmer. As Kindred sensitively portrays her, Fanny holds our interest in her own right, not merely because she met Austen and may have influenced her novels. In addition to shedding new light on Austen’s naval women in Persuasion, Kindred’s biography will fascinate all those interested in the Austen family, in women’s lives at the turn of the nineteenth century, and in British naval history.” Eighteenth-Century Fiction
"Fanny Austen's voice reaches us primarily through the twelve surviving letters written to her sisters and brother-in-law who lived in London and Bermuda - all reproduced for the first time in Kindred's work, making it a valuable resource for scholars interested in Austen's family circle." English
"Jane Austen's Transatlantic Sister offers readers not only a fascinating biography [of Fanny Palmer Austen], but also an engaging account of British naval history, transatlantic travel, letter-writing, and women's domestic roles. As an added bonus, Kindred gives us fascinating details about Jane Austen's life and the gift of "speculating" how Fanny's life "influenced [Jane Austen's] creative genius." Misty Krueger, Eighteenth Century Studies
"The reader feels Kindred's deep affection for Fanny and those connected to her, which animates the larger stories that roll along underneath naval life and the world of the Austens. Kindred's book is a nice addition to scholarship on the lives of naval wives and will, one hopes, prompt further studies of the place and role of these women. It also adds another strand into the tapestry of influences upon Jane Austen." Journal of British Studies
"This is a meticulously researched, learned and well written book. It provides a fascinating insight into the all-to-short life of Jane Austen's seafaring sister-in-law. For those with a primary interest in Austen and her inspirations, the chapter which explores possible links between Fanny and the novels is undoubtably the most satisfying of the book and demonstrates Kindred's depth of expertise as a scholar of both literature and history." Journal for Maritime Research
"Jane Austen's Transatlantic Sister is a fascinating and accessible account of the life and letters of a brave woman which will broaden understanding of the challenges facing naval wives in the early nineteenth century It is a welcome addition to our knowledge of Jane Austen's family circle and her depictions of the naval community in her late fiction." Victoriographies
“A firm grasp of a woman's life writing is the foundation for Sheila Johnson Kindred's biography of Jane Austen's Transatlantic Sister. Like all good biographical studies, it touches upon many topics and offers various delights. I particularly enjoyed following young Fanny's evolution as a wife and mother, learning more about the lives of her distinguished extended families, and viewing the black-and-white illustrations that accompany the text.” Margaret Conrad, Atlantic Books Today
“With an abundance of illustrations, appendixes, extensive notes, and bibliography, this is a fascinating glimpse into the life of a 19th-century naval wife. Fans of Jane Austen are likely to find some interest in the family relationships and the probable model Fanny provided for her fiction.” Library Journal
“Those of us who are fascinated by every aspect of Jane Austen’s experience, and how it feeds into her imagination and understanding of the world, must feel grateful to Sheila Kindred for writing Jane Austen’s Transatlantic Sister, a topic no-one had thought of researching in such depth before. Poor Fanny, what a cruel fate was hers. The difficulties of her situation, and the growing strength of her character as she contended with them, make for a gripping narrative. The saving grace of course was that, for the pitifully few years of her adulthood, Fanny was married to such a loveable man. Everything we know about Charles suggests he had the sweetest nature of all Jane Austen’s brothers, and it is good to make this deeper acquaintance with him. But Fanny Palmer herself is the heroine of her story, as we witness her maturing as woman, wife and mother. Sheila Kindred’s vivid and detailed portrayal, based on solid evidence, really brought home to me the lives and living conditions of the people concerned.” Maggie Lane, author of Getting Older with Jane Austen and On the Sofa with Jane Austen
“This affectionate and enlightening portrait of the young woman who married Jane Austen's youngest brother is sure to find an enthusiastic readership in North America. Sheila Johnson Kindred's intimate and sensitive biography traces the relationship through Fanny's "wonderfully evocative" letters - here transcribed in full for the first time. Alas, [Fanny] did not survive the birth of her third child. This fascinating and beautifully illustrated book is her fitting epitaph.” Jane Austen’s Regency World
“Thanks to Kindred’s meticulous research, Jane Austen fans can enjoy exploring how one remarkable and no-longer-forgotten woman influenced the work of her famous sister-in-law. “ Dean Jobb
“Sheila Johnson Kindred’s biography of Fanny Palmer Austen, the wife of Jane Austen’s youngest brother, Charles, is a vivid portrait of a young, capable British naval wife and mother, in the early nineteenth century. Because of Sheila Johnson Kindred’s detailed portrait of Fanny and her world, both lovers of history and literature can enjoy this biography.” Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society Journal
"Jane Austen's Transatlantic Sister is a compelling portrait of a woman's life in a particularly taxing time of British history, on the crux of empire … It is the reader's good fortune that Fanny Austen has such a thoughtful and well presented biography … Jane Austen's Transatlantic Sister is a delightful journey on which to sail." The Wordsworth Circle
“Jane Austen’s Transatlantic Sister contributes to a fast-growing area of Austen studies: histories that add to our understanding of the knowledge and references upon which Austen may have drawn. Kindred presents only material that is truly pertinent to her reconstruction of Fanny Palmer. As Kindred sensitively portrays her, Fanny holds our interest in her own right, not merely because she met Austen and may have influenced her novels. In addition to shedding new light on Austen’s naval women in Persuasion, Kindred’s biography will fascinate all those interested in the Austen family, in women’s lives at the turn of the nineteenth century, and in British naval history.” Eighteenth-Century Fiction
"Fanny Austen's voice reaches us primarily through the twelve surviving letters written to her sisters and brother-in-law who lived in London and Bermuda - all reproduced for the first time in Kindred's work, making it a valuable resource for scholars interested in Austen's family circle." English
"Jane Austen's Transatlantic Sister offers readers not only a fascinating biography [of Fanny Palmer Austen], but also an engaging account of British naval history, transatlantic travel, letter-writing, and women's domestic roles. As an added bonus, Kindred gives us fascinating details about Jane Austen's life and the gift of "speculating" how Fanny's life "influenced [Jane Austen's] creative genius." Misty Krueger, Eighteenth Century Studies
"The reader feels Kindred's deep affection for Fanny and those connected to her, which animates the larger stories that roll along underneath naval life and the world of the Austens. Kindred's book is a nice addition to scholarship on the lives of naval wives and will, one hopes, prompt further studies of the place and role of these women. It also adds another strand into the tapestry of influences upon Jane Austen." Journal of British Studies
"This is a meticulously researched, learned and well written book. It provides a fascinating insight into the all-to-short life of Jane Austen's seafaring sister-in-law. For those with a primary interest in Austen and her inspirations, the chapter which explores possible links between Fanny and the novels is undoubtably the most satisfying of the book and demonstrates Kindred's depth of expertise as a scholar of both literature and history." Journal for Maritime Research
"Jane Austen's Transatlantic Sister is a fascinating and accessible account of the life and letters of a brave woman which will broaden understanding of the challenges facing naval wives in the early nineteenth century It is a welcome addition to our knowledge of Jane Austen's family circle and her depictions of the naval community in her late fiction." Victoriographies
Sheila Johnson Kindred taught in the Department of Philosophy at Saint Mary's University. She writes about Jane Austen's fiction and family, and lives in Halifax.
Contents
Colour section follows page / 140
Illustrations / ix
Preface / xiii
Acknowledgments / xvii
Introduction 3
1 From Birth to Marriage and Motherhood, 1789-1809 / 9
2 On the Move: Between Bermuda and Halifax, 1809-1810 / 33
3 In Halifax, Nova Scotia: Summer into Autumn 1810 / 51
4 Unsettled: Bermuda and England, 1810-1811 / 73
5 Afloat and Ashore, 1812 / 89
6 Carrying On: Challenges and Choices, 1813 / 117
7 Family Obligations, 1814 / 141
8 Death and Disaster: 1814 and the Years Beyond / 173
9 Being a Naval Wife: Fanny Austen’s Life and Jane Austen’s Fiction / 192
Appendices
1 Description of Fanny’s Letters and Pocket Diary / 209
2 Letters about Fanny / 214
3 Fanny Palmer Austen’s Kindred / 218
Notes / 227
Bibliography / 269
Index / 281
Colour section follows page / 140
Illustrations / ix
Preface / xiii
Acknowledgments / xvii
Introduction 3
1 From Birth to Marriage and Motherhood, 1789-1809 / 9
2 On the Move: Between Bermuda and Halifax, 1809-1810 / 33
3 In Halifax, Nova Scotia: Summer into Autumn 1810 / 51
4 Unsettled: Bermuda and England, 1810-1811 / 73
5 Afloat and Ashore, 1812 / 89
6 Carrying On: Challenges and Choices, 1813 / 117
7 Family Obligations, 1814 / 141
8 Death and Disaster: 1814 and the Years Beyond / 173
9 Being a Naval Wife: Fanny Austen’s Life and Jane Austen’s Fiction / 192
Appendices
1 Description of Fanny’s Letters and Pocket Diary / 209
2 Letters about Fanny / 214
3 Fanny Palmer Austen’s Kindred / 218
Notes / 227
Bibliography / 269
Index / 281
Author's Interview with Sarah Emsley
Review by Hazel Jones, Newsletter for the Jane Austen Society of the UK
Review in Atlantic Books Today
Author website
Review by Hazel Jones, Newsletter for the Jane Austen Society of the UK
Review in Atlantic Books Today
Author website
John Lyman Book Award for Naval and Maritime Biography and Autobiography
North American Society for Oceanic History
2017
North American Society for Oceanic History
2017
