A Most Clever Girl: How Jane Austen Discovered Her Voice

(Hardback)

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Description

Smart and witty young Jane has always been a storyteller, making her family laugh with outlandish stories that poke fun at popular books of her time. And one day she decides to write her own, drawing from the peculiarities of the people and situations around her that shes always found so fascinating. A Most Clever Girl follows Jane Austens journey to hone her craft, finding her place in the world amid joys and sorrows, and writing her famous novels. Along the way, she realizes that her writing will not be truly her own until she finds her unique voice... a voice that would go on to capture readers' hearts and minds for centuries to come.

Reviews

"Myriad threads [come] together to present an engaging portrait accompanied by detailed and engaging illustrations that entwine with the story and give a strong sense of the era. . . . a bright and honest tale of the development of a great writer who grappled with adversity, one that will inspire and fascinate young readers. An informative, engaging depiction of the life and growth of an exceptional literary talent." --Kirkus Reviews

"Charming. . . The hand-drawn pictures and amusing narrative make this a fitting tribute to Austen, and readers should come away with an appreciation for her talent plus a good understanding of what a writer's voice is all about." --Booklist

Author Bio

Jasmine Stirling is a writer, speaker, and marketer based in San Francisco. For the past 15 years, she has developed products for students as an education technology executive, and her articles on student success have been published in national media including The Washington Post and the Christian Science Monitor. She also created a short documentary, College for Certain, which was featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show. This is her first picture book. Twitter: @jasminestirling Vesper Stamper was born in Nuremberg, Germany and raised in New York City to a family that was an eclectic mix of engineers, musicians and artists. She has a BFA in Illustration from Parsons and an MFA in Illustration as Visual Essay from the School of Visual Arts. Her debut illustrated YA novel, What the Night Sings, about the post-Holocaust period, was a National Book Award Nominee, a Morris Award Finalist, a Golden Kite Honor Book, and the Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner, and was named a Best YA Book of 2018 by The Wall Street Journal and Kirkus. She lives with her husband, filmmaker Ben Stamper, and her two children, in the Northeast. vesperstamperillustration.com Twitter: @vesperillustrat Instagram: @vesperstamperillustration