Jane and Dorothy

An intimate portrait of Jane Austen, Dorothy Wordsworth, and their world—two women torn between revolutionary ideas and fierce conservatism, artistic creativity and emotional upheavals.

The lives of Dorothy Wordsworth and Jane Austen have never been examined together before. Born just four years apart, they came from the same class of landed gentry with clergymen for fathers (who both died young); with friends, family and many interests in common. Living in Georgian England, they navigated strict social conventions and new ideals, and were influenced by Dorothy’s brother, the Romantic poet William Wordsworth, and his coterie. They were supremely talented writers yet often lacked the necessary peace of mind in their search for self-expression. Neither ever married.

Jane and Dorothy uses each life to illuminate the other. For both women, financial security was paramount and whereas Jane Austen hoped to achieve this through her writing, rather than being dependent on her family, Dorothy made the opposite choice and put her creative powers to the use of her brilliant brother with whom she lived all her adult life.

Though neither path would bring lasting fulfillment and independence, both women’s mark on literary culture is undeniable. This probing book reveals a crucial missing piece to the puzzle of Dorothy and William’s relationship and addresses enduring myths surrounding the one man who seems to have stolen Jane’s heart, only to break it . . .