The Jane Austen Project

The 2017 science fiction novel follows two time travelers who are sent back to the year 1815 England on a high-stakes mission. Their goal is to locate and befriend the famous author Jane Austen to recover a rumored unpublished manuscript. They must navigate the strict social etiquette of the Regency era while keeping their futuristic origins a secret.

No, the book is categorized specifically as an epistolary novel. The story is structured utilizing journal entries written by the main protagonist, Dr. Rachel Katzman, to document her temporal mission. This format allows readers an intimate look into her fears, successes, and historical observations.

Yes, the main characters successfully infiltrate the author's social circle by posing as wealthy individuals from the West Indies. They establish a close relationship with Jane Austen and her family in the year 1815. The story heavily focuses on their attempts to subtly alter historical timelines while keeping her trust.

The novel was written by Kathleen A. Flynn and published in 2017. While the narrative is purely fictional science fiction, Flynn incorporates deep historical research about Jane Austen's actual life. This grounding gives the speculative time-travel plot a sense of historical realism.