Following Austen

Review at Christian Book Previews

There's a wonderful review over at Christian Book Previews:

The love story aspect of Smith's tour is wonderfully engaging, and the rarity of such intelligent and poetic writing makes reading this book pleasurable. In her memoir, Smith describes herself as thoughtful, passionate about faith, but uncomfortable with much of evangelical Christianity. Her candor and humor about the human failings of Christians, herself included, are extremely refreshing. . . .

I would recommend this to anyone who is remotely interested in Jane Austen, or to those who simply are hungry for an interesting and well-written memoir. (. . .)

They've also posted chapter one.

 

World Magazine review & interview

There's a lovely review and interview in World Magazine this week.  Unfortunately, you can't read the whole thing online (although you can subscribe for just $5.00):

A Jane Austen Valentine:  Author Lori Smith on what the great writer can teach us about life and love
Bookstores are glutted with books concerning Jane Austen. Many of them are bad, which means the occasional jewel risks being overlooked. A Walk with Jane Austen is a jewel. It combines genres—a bit of spiritual memoir, travel diary, and examination of Austen's life and work—to raise questions about grace, romance, family, community, and calling. Not a bad Valentine's Day gift for a woman who follows Jane. (...)

Endorsement from Today's Christian Woman

Just got this lovely endorsement for A Walk with Jane Austen from Today's Christian Woman:

For anyone who wishes chick-lit favorite Jane Austen had written just one more novel or that moviemakers would hurry in producing another adaptation of her beloved works, this memoir of love and travel, food and faith will satisfy.  Austen-lover and acclaimed singles writer Lori Smith weaves her own romance and personality into analysis of Austen's characters and biographical information on Austen's rarely discussed spirituality.  In these eloquent musings on Smith's journey to London, Derbyshire, and other key locations in Austen's life and works, Austen's 19th-century novels come alive in ways no silver-screen rendition has ever accomplished.

Wow...

A Deliciously Clean Read

This week we were featured on the blog Deliciously Clean Reads.  Very cool!

A Walk with Jane Austen is a quiet ride through Jane Austen’s world.  It is a soft memoir. Smith’s talented writing weaves countless connections between the life of Jane Austen and her own. (...)

Review from Mindy Withrow

So much to catch up on here on the blog.  Mindy Withrow, author of the History Lives series of church history for little ones, posted a lovely review on her blog:

The Amazon reviewers who think there is too much Lori Smith and not enough Jane Austen didn’t read the book description very closely. This is not a biography of Austen but a memoir of Lori’s travels to Austen-related sites, an account of Lori’s search for physical and spiritual recovery as she retraces the steps of a favorite novelist. She writes with a light hand, vulnerable, just this side of silly at times but in the manner of kicking back with a buddy, and balanced with moments of great maturity and thoughtfulness. (...)

AustenBlog review

Review at AustenBlog today!

A mix of travelogue, private journal and biography of Jane Austen, A Walk with Jane Austen: A Journey into Adventure, Love & Faith is the record of a single Janeite who travels to England to meander through the countryside in Jane Austen’s footsteps. She’s not looking for love necessarily, but how appropriate would it be if it just so happened to occur while shadowing the important places of the woman who has written the most celebrated love stories of the past 200 years? . . .

Smith deftly mixes biographical information about Austen throughout the book and you do begin to see how her life parallels Austen’s in subtle ways.

Read the whole thing here.

Reader reviews

I've gotten my first negative reviews at Amazon. <sigh.>  Really, I did think some Austen fans might not quite 'get' the book, so I wasn't entirely surprised, though the initial feedback (from endorsements and such) has been so incredibly positive.  I'm trying not to have my feelings hurt, and I'm glad to get a healthy debate going.  So if you've read the book and loved it -- or hated it -- please stop by Amazon and post your thoughts.

If you've read the Amazon reader reviews and wonder whether you'll like the book, there are lots of excerpts here on the blog.  And just to be clear, it's a memoir / biography / travelogue, so it's as much about me as it is about Jane.

Mary Yerkes

Writer Mary Yerkes has posted a wonderful mini-review on her blog:

A delightful read, one that I highly recommend. Lori’s writing is intelligent, lyrical, and poignant. Her authenticity and vulnerability are rare in Christian circles. This book is a breath of fresh air, one that should be inhaled deeply.

Thanks, Mary!

Mary runs the Northern Virginia Christian Writers Fellowship.

Jane Austen's World review, part 3

Ms. Place has posted the last installment of her lovely review of A Walk with JA:

I have been savoring this book all summer, and reluctantly read the last pages last night while sitting in my favorite spot at a local restaurant. . . . I loved this book. In fact, I suspect if Jane Austen were able to read it, she would give it her seal of approval.

I was so touched by this.  Read the review here.

Austen-tatious review

JaneFan at Austen-tatious has posted a lovely review:

Just the opening pages of Lori Smith’s A Walk With Jane Austen: A Journey Into Adventure, Love, and Faith -- the introduction, the map of England, the chapter titles and tantalizing subtitles -- had me dreaming about places I hadn’t read about yet . . .

She connects many of the lessons in Austen’s work with her own search for religious faith, romantic love, physical healing, and personal humility. Thankfully, she does this in a way that never feels contrived. Through the course of this book, Smith learns (from Jane and from Life) a greater acceptance and love for herself and her own life.

Read more here.