Tea With Jane Austen

Rating:
Summary: A disappointment
Review: I would have been willing to pay more for this book, if only it had some color pictures in it, but it had not a single color photo. And pictures would have helped immensely. For instance, when the author mentions the Austens' Wedgwood set, I wish I could see an example of one. Or what did the fireplace and other equipment look like in Chawton cottage where Jane prepared breakfast each morning? The author mentions things like these but we're left wondering what it all looked like. There are small black and white illustrations throughout the book, but they don't complement the text at all; they're just there. In other places, the author seems to mislead the reader when she says Jane shopped at the finest shops in London. (She did sometimes, but as a spinster daughter of a deceased reverend, she rarely had much money to spend for nice clothes.) In another place the author actually mentions the naval vessels many officers sailed on, and seems to imply that sailing back then was a luxurious experience. (Hmm, Patrick O'Brian's portrayal of naval sea voyages, in approximately the same time period, was anything but luxurious... cramped quarters, bad food, and such extreme dangers for the men from disease, war, and the minimal physician skills that were available.)
After I was done reading the book, I reflected that I hadn't learned anything from it that I didn't already know from a good Jane Austen biography I'd read before.
Like many people, I love tea and I love Jane Austen, and so I ordered this book as soon as it came out and was eager to receive it. But as an Austen biography, it's way too scant on details, and as a tea book it screams for better illustrations. Take my advice and pass this one by.

Rating:
Summary: Fine sensory experience
Review: It's not often that a book showing diligent research is also fun to read. Wilson has selected the most evocative quotations from Austen's novels and the most telling domestic tidbits from Austen's letters to add a rich flavor to her own intelligent prose. I had no idea that my tea-drinking pleasures had such a well-developed social history as Wilson describes. From the recipes to the period woodcuts, even the font and layout--all contribute to a fine sensory experience. Thank you for a delightful visit for Tea With Jane Austen. --Pat Meller, Greensboro, North Carolina

Rating:
Summary: Sharing a cup of tea with Jane Austen
Review: Nothing seems quite as British as a good cup of tea. This book takes the reader back to the time period when tea was overtaking ale as the morning beverage of choice.
Wilson, a member of JASNA (Jane Austen Society of North America)provides great examples of the use of tea and other food in Austen's novels as well as references drawn from Austen's letters. A general discussion of the tea industry provides an interesting historical backdrop. Modern versions of recipes to go with tea from the period are provided. Fun to read with lovely illustrations.