This is another case of great book, wrong time. I liked it, but only enough to make myself finish it. I’ll try it again another time, because I did like the concept.

This glosses over a lot of Anne’s life since it’s meant as a companion to the show, but at that it’s excellent. Anne Lister is such a badass. There she is in the 1800s being who she wants to be, loving who she wants to love, and marrying who she wants to marry. Also shoutout to her exceptionally supportive family as well. I do wish this book covered just a little bit more of the before and after, but I do understand why it's so limited in scope.

I couldn’t put Gentleman Jack down! Getting to peek inside a diary from the past, especially one written by such an incredible woman, was delicious. Anne Lister broke new ground on an almost daily basis, just by being herself and she inspired me completely. In Anne Choma’s skillful hands, the history really came came to life, and it was a complete honor to speak with her for the podcast. Encrypted diary passages, a society of people working to transcribe the millions of words Anne Lister wrote, and the fact that this all took place within view of where Anne Choma now lives? Extraordinary.

This companion to the BBC/HBO series is thorough and well researched. I’m sure many who enjoyed the series, and want more, will be glad that this is available.