Find your next favourite book based on your most beloved Jane Austen heroine.
I have always admired Jane Austen's ability to create amazing female characters. And I especially admire how diverse they are. Each character is completely her own.
As I was researching books to add to this article, I asked people on Facebook to give me recommendations based on my descriptions of each of these women without giving the name of the character. For each and every description, the original character was correctly identified. That is the strength of Austen's characters. They have almost become archetypes in their own right.
If you're an Austenite like myself (I actually recently took a trip to England to visit Austen's home in Chawton), I am certain you'll love these recommendations.
Elizabeth Bennet
Obstinate, headstrong girl!
The Indigo Girl by Natasha Boyd
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In South Carolina in the year 1793, 16-year old Eliza is left in charge of her father's plantation. While no one expects Eliza to actually run the plantation, she has a very different idea. An ambitious, crazy idea that might just save her family's fortunes.
Just like Elizabeth Bennet, Eliza has her own opinions that she sticks to even in the face of the condemnation of others. She sticks to her guns and sets out to create her own happiness. If you're a fan of Elizabeth and other obstinate, headstrong girls, Eliza will be a new favourite of yours. She's got gumption, sentiment and lofty ideas.
Fanny Price
Exceedingly timid and shy, and shrinking from notice; but her air, though awkward, was not vulgar, her voice was sweet, and when she spoke her countenance was pretty.
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In a backyard shed in Oxford Esme is watching history unfold. The compilation of the very first Oxford Dictionary. One day the word 'Bondmaid' falls into her lap and without thinking it through, Esme steals the word. It becomes the first entry in her own dictionary of lost words.
Fanny is a tower of quiet, subdued strength. And so is Esme. Esme isn't loud or boisterous. She isn't out-spoken or flashy. She is introverted and reflective. And she's a fierce friend to anyone who gets close to her. If you're a fan of the quieter heroines like Fanny, Esme will thrill you.
Elinor Dashwood
Sense will always have attractions for me.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Elizabeth Zott is a smart, capable and innovative chemist. But she's also the host on a TV cooking show. In 1960's California, the scientific scene is not ready for someone like Elizabeth. But, much to her supervisers surprise, the housewives of California are more than ready for her cooking - and chemistry - lessons!
While Elizabeth may be Elinor times two, the two share a love of sense over sensibility. Like Elinor, Elizabeth doesn't let her heart lead her astray. She is all brains, all the way. But beneath it all, her affections run deeper than anyone could ever imagine.
Anne Elliot
My idea of good company...is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company.
The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In 1888 Jack the Ripper is on the loose in Fiona's neighborhood, Whitechapel. Fiona dreams of owning her own store with her fiancé Joe and finally making something of herself. But life doesn't go Fiona's way and soon she has lost everything dear to her. Fearing for her own life, she flees London to make a new start in New York.
If there is one thing to be said of Anne Elliot, it's her constancy. While she is forced to giver up her love, she never moves on from her attachment. The same can be said for Fiona. She is a hard worker, and a focused and determined woman.
Emma Woodhouse
I always deserve the best treatment, because I never put up with any other.
The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Ombersley household is turned upside down when cousin Sophy is left in their care while her father is in Brazil. Sophy soon determines to fix the wrongs she sees in the Ombersly household, whether they want her to interfere or not.
Emma is of course best known as the matchmaker, whose track record is anything but stellar. Sophy has the same self perception and the same social airs as Emma. They are both witty and sociable and they both care deeply for their families. Sophy is a must acquaintance, if you're a fan of Emma.
Catherine Morland
A good-looking girl, with an affectionate heart and a very ignorant mind, cannot fail of attracting a clever young man, unless circumstances are particularly untoward
How to be eaten by Maria Adelmann
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In present-day New York five women meet in a trauma support group. Common for the women are that their traumas all left them very publicly known. Their stories almost sound like fairy tales - like Red, who was eaten by a wolf or Berenice, who found out her boyfriend was a psychopathic killer. Can they overcome their traumas together?
Catherine is taken to flights of fancy, often not being able to discern fiction from reality. The same can be said for the five women at the centre of this book. They each have traumatic, fanciful experiences that leave them questioning reality.