This was Austen’s first work and last to be published. She sold it early on and the buyer never published it. Frustrated with the buyer Austen later bought it back from him but was unable to publish it during her lifetime. Her brother Henry Austen published it after her death.

As it was her first work, it also featured her youngest and most immature heroine. Catherine is the star of the novel. She is a sweet innocent young seventeen year old girl who ventures out of her small neighbourhood for the first time. She is unaffected, unassuming and really cute. I loved the book, though I do have a complaint. I thought that Austen ended the novel a little too hasty. She wrote what could have been another novel into four pages. I craved more details. Everything happens in the dialog in an Austen novel and instead of writing out the dialog, she summarized it. I wanted to hear the proposal. I wanted to know what she did with the room in Henry’s house that she said she loved. I also wanted to see what her first meeting with Henry’s father was like after he had been so rude. There was so much more left to tell. I found that the ending wasn’t quite as tidy as her others. I was left unsatisfied. But even considering this, I really did like this novel very much. I really enjoyed how innocent Catherine was. She was so humble and sweet. It was a nice easy summer afternoon read.