"A well-researched and beautifully imagined novel....If Jane and the Austen family were not quite like this, they should have been." - Ruth Rendell Dearest Cousin Jane by Jill Pitkeathley, the author of Cassandra and Jane , is an inventive reimagining of the intriguing and scandalous life lived by Jane Austen's cousin, Countess Eliza de Feuillide. The fact-based story of a remarkable woman whose progressive and passionate views on love and marriage greatly influenced Austen's work - including such beloved novels as Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility - Dearest Cousin Jane will fascinate and enchant readers interested in Victorian Era Britain and all lovers of Jane Austen literature and lore. Janet Aylmer, author of Darcy's Story , says, "This novel brings a new and enjoyable dimension to our knowledge of Jane Austen's life and work."