BOOK REVIEW: Eavesdropping on Jane Austen’s England: How Our Ancestors Lived Two Centuries Ago by Roy and Lesley Adkins

For readers interested in the social history of England in Jane Austen’s time, or for Regency Romance readers and writers who want to plump up their lore packets with information on the everyday lives of the not-so-rich-and-famous citizens, Eavesdropping on Jane Austen’s England: How Our Ancestors Lived Two Centuries Ago by Roy and Lesley Adkins is a perfect choice. 

The book uses not only quotes from Austen but also excerpts from letters and diaries of lesser known men and women to explore marriage, child-bearing and rearing, modes of transportation, what people ate and wore, where they worked and how they played. Although the prose is somewhat dry, there is a wealth of information to be found. Maps, a time-line, and an extensive bibliography provide an additional bonus. (This book is also sold under the name Jane Austen’s England: Daily Life in the Georgian and Regency Periods.) It’s a book I’ll likely refer back to again and again.