Letters to Alice: On First Reading Jane Austen

Correspondence with an imaginary niece discusses why it is important to read Jane Austen and what an aspiring novelist can learn from her

YA In this "epistolary novel," Weldon, like Jane Austen, writes letters to a niece (in Weldon's case, imaginary) about literature and writing. In addition, "Aunt" Fay writes about the life and works of Jane Austen and about her own thoughts concerning Austen and the times in which she lived. Through her letters, readers find Alice struggling with her own novel; unhappy at school, where she must read Austen; quarreling with parents; having a love affair; and living a modern life with her green spiky hair. Those who especially enjoy Austen and/or those interested in writing and in literature will find this book well-written, intruiging and witty. A special book for a limited audience. Susan Levine, PGCMLS, Md.
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