JANE AUSTEN THE SECRET RADICAL (PB)

Jane Austen’s novels don't confine themselves to grand houses, and they weren’t written simply for readers' enjoyment. Austen used what was then regarded as the lightest of literary genres to address the weightiest of subjects - feminism, slavery, abuse, the treatment of the poor, the power of the Church, and even evolution. In a time of revolutions, to write about such things directly could be seen as akin to treason. This book reveals a radical, spirited and politically engaged Austen, whose seemingly genteel work deserves to be revisited.