An absolutely gorgeous book, the kind with heavy paper and brilliant colors in the 18th century paintings that adorn the title pages, with beautifully sewn binding, and that new book smell, so that you haven't even read a word and you're in love with it already. Then there is the content, the "country" history of the area around the two villages where Jane Austen spent most of her life. The concerns of her brother the landowner and the agricultural community around her are described and intertwined with information from Austen's life and novels, so that we discover, for example, why November is a particularly important month for many of Austen's characters, or which neighbors of Austen's were known for their magical medical cures. This rich information will bring you into the Hampshire countryside of the late 18th and early 19th century. Frances Lincoln, London. Hb, Dj. List $29.99. NEW. $27.00