When reading Jane Austen, sometimes her words feel like you're having a discussion with a best friend about the world around you.  The new book by Zoe Wheddon explores the life and influence of Jane's best friend Martha Lloyd.  Jane Austen's personal life is often spoken about, but the actual proof and letters are very restricted thanks to her sister Cassandra making sure to burn some of the evidence. This book, however, puts the focus on the oft overlooked Martha Lloyd and her qualities. It explores their common interest, their goals, and in turn reveals quite a bit about Jane Austen in the process. 

Jane Austen's Best Friend: The Life and Influence of Martha Lloyd is a must read for fans of Jane Austen and those interested in finding out more about the life behind the published pages. 

Jane Austen's Best Friend is available this May from Pen & Sword History.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 
This book is well-researched, and I definitely enjoyed how Zoe Wheddon pulled from historical sources to extrapolate information about the influence of Martha Lloyd on Jane Austen’s life, and Vice versa. I was particularly touched to learn about the circumstances that led to her marriage to Frank, as I always wondered whether it was a convenience thing or a love match, and I’m glad to see it was the latter, in true Austen novel fashion, albeit a bit later in life than most of her heroines, and that Austen herself was something of a matchmaker, although she did not ultimately live to see them get together. 
The writing was a bit boring, so I did a lot of skimming, and likely ended up missing quite a bit. I did like it overall and think other Austen fans will enjoy it.

“Who among us has not once wished that they had been a companion to Jane Austen?”
 
This book is a detailed biography of Martha Lloyd, Jane Austen’s best friend, and serves as a tribute to their friendship. I learned so much about Jane Austen, especially her younger years. 
 
The writing in this book left a lot to be desired, but if you love Jane enough, it is worth a read. Wheddon clearly conducted a ton of research in order to write this book, which shows. You’ll learn quite a bit about Jane as a young woman, even though the writing will make you cringe quite a lot. I definitely need to pick up an Austen book as soon as possible after reading this. 
 
Thanks to Pen & Sword History and Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes, when we think to Jane Austen's family, we refer to her parents and her siblings in her youth and to her mother and her sister Cassandra later on, and we tend to forget an active and always present element in Jane's life: her friend Martha Lloyd, who actually was like a second sister to Jane Austen, ten years her senior.
Today Martha is remembered for her Household Book, in which, aside from actual recipes there are tips for housewives and homemade remedies that she collected from various sources, but above all, her recipe for ink, that makes us think at the possibility that Jane Austen herself used that very ink. However, her support to Jane's life and, accordingly, to her works can't be ignored; and knowing Martha and her close friendship with Jane we can go one step closer to understand Jane Austen herself.
The close friendship between Jane and Martha lasted almost thirty years, ten of which were spent as housemates, in Southampton at first and in Chawton afterwords.
Wheddon explores their friendship in vivid detail, from their knowledge, that probably served as a spur and as an encouragement in drafting her Juvenilia, passing by her novels and everyday's life, made by small and larger purchases, jokes on common acquaintances, the aforementioned recipes, but also the care of the elderly and the infirms and the Christian faith that characterized Martha and that was for Jane and all the Austen family a further bond with her.
Jane never knew in her life, but Martha married her brother Frank in July, 24th, 1827, just like Jane herself had wished. Though Martha was 61 years old, and Frank 53, theirs was an actual love match.
And when, in 1837, Frank was knighted and therefore became "Sir Francis Austen" and Martha "Lady Austen", Cassandra gifted her with Jane's copy of "Camilla" by Fanny Burney, a book that Jane used to read aloud to both of them. It was just as Cassandra wanted Jane to take part to the celebrations of Frank and Martha's title.
A very interesting study through which we can re-read Jane Austen's works from a different perspective, maybe catching new details on her characters and her plots, supported by the knowledge of this paramount figure in Jane's life.
Such a shame that the notes were terribly disorganized and that I had to do a scavenger hunt to get my head round them.

Many thanks to NetGalley and to Pen & Sword Books  for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A volte, quando parliamo del nucleo famigliare di Jane Austen, pensiamo ai suoi genitori e ai suoi fratelli in gioventù e a sua madre e a sua sorella Cassandra più avanti, e tendiamo a dimenticare un elemento attivo e sempre presente nella vita di Jane che è la sua amica Martha Lloyd, che invece, in realtà, fu per Jane Austen come una seconda sorella, maggiore di dieci anni.
Oggi Martha viene ricordata per il suo libro di ricette (che oltre a piatti veri e propri, comprende anche consigli casalinghi che si tramandavano tra massaie e ricette varie per ottenere «inchiostro», «vernice per tavoli», un intruglio per «pulire oggetti dorati» e un altro per «lavare calze bianche di seta»), ma il contributo alla vita e, di conseguenza, alle opere di Jane non può essere ignorato e conoscendo meglio Martha e l'amicizia intima che condivideva con Jane si può fare un passo avanti nella conoscenza di Jane Austen.
L'amicizia tra Jane e Martha durò quasi trent'anni, dieci dei quali furono vissuti come coinquiline, a Southampton prima e a Chawton poi. 
Wheddon esplora la loro amicizia nei minimi dettagli, a partire dalla loro conoscenza, che probabilmente servì anche da sprone e da incitamento nella stesura degli Juvenilia, passando per i romanzi e la vita di tutti i giorni, fatta di piccole e grandi spese, battute su conoscenze comuni, le summenzionate ricette, ma anche l'assistenza degli anziani e degli infermi, e la fede cristiana che contraddistingueva Martha e che era per Jane e tutti gli Austen un ulteriore legame con Martha.
Jane non lo seppe mai in vita, ma Martha sposò il 24 luglio 1827 il fratello Frank, proprio come la stessa Jane aveva auspicato. E, malgrado lei avesse sessantuno anni e Frank cinquantatré, il loro fu un vero matrimonio d'amore.
E quando, nel 1837, Frank fu nominato cavaliere e quindi divenne Sir Francis Austen e Martha Lady Austen, Cassandra le donò per l'occasione la copia di Jane di Camilla di Fanny Burney, che Jane era solita leggere ad alta voce, quasi volesse far partecipare anche Jane ai festeggiamenti per l'onorificenza. 
Uno studio interessantissimo, grazie al quale si possono rileggere le opere di Jane Austen con uno spirito diverso, cogliendo nuovi particolari sui suoi personaggi e sulle trame favoriti dalla conoscenza di questa persona fondamentale nella vita della scrittrice. 
Peccato che le note fossero disordinatissime e che abbia dovuto fare un po' una caccia al tesoro per ritrovarle.

Many thanks to NetGalley and to Pen & Sword Books  for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

My Goodreadss Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3647605239

This book takes a look at the relationship between Jane Austen and her best friend Martha Lloyd. Like most fans of Austen, I jump at the opportunity to learn something new about the author, but I found this book to be almost the story of Jane and her sister Cassandra but with Martha in the role of Cassandra. Not that I don’t think the author did her research, I just felt like there was nothing new or earth shattering here. Women of that era led a certain life, which fans of Austen are well aware of, I think this book merely places a new character into Austen’s world. Everything is based off existing sources, so no new trove of letters was uncovered.

I also found the book to drag along. I wanted the author to hurry up and found myself skipping ahead and skimming pages and I don’t feel I missed much. This could have been better edited, but I know that Jane Austen fans will devour this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book was a definite letdown for me. I was expecting a biography of Jane Austen's best friend, Martha Loyd, and insight into how she influenced Jane's life as a part of that.  But this is mostly a story of Jane Austen with Martha seen through Jane's eyes, playing a supporting role. Without new primary sources, most of the information comes from reading between the lines in Jane's letters and a great deal of what Zoe Wheddon says is guesswork, "might have been", "we can imagine".  The writing itself is highly repetitive and rather overdone in many places, with lots of waxing poetic on what friendship is and how important it is in general. I had a hard time staying interested in the book and really didn't feel like I got anything new out of it.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

An engaging and fascinating dive into the patterned and sensory world of female friendship in that era, especially because it takes us to a whole new place we never before envisioned. We see a friendship of a 'second sister' that doesn't quite compete with Jane's relationship with Cassandra, but needlepoints its own design in friendships of the day. I loved it for that rush of novelty, in bringing us into a friendship between women with a notable age difference. And where we are very used to studies of the people around Austen and the Brontes, this one delivers fresh energy. Very enjoyable.

As a Jane Austin fan I really enjoyed reading about her friendship with Martha. Learning about Martha’s influence over Jane and their overall relationship really interested me.Well written and researched I will be recommending this book.# netgalley#penn&sword.

A book exploring in detail the relationship between Jane Austen and her best friend Martha Lloyd.
The author's research is meticulous and opens up to us a glimpse into the relationship of such close friends and we see the influence Martha had on Jane despite a ten year age difference.
Quick and enjoyable read.

Pub Date 28 Feb 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

This is another of one of the new cluster of books (fiction and non-fiction both) written to the Jane Austen “market”. That is not necessarily a bad thing in principle, but this book will compete with and find its place among the rest that range from the anodyne to extremely fine. I confess that I am not an Austen obsessive, but have read all her novels with admiration, plus a selection of the others and some that reference this historic period.
This book speaks to the friendship of Jane Austen and Martha Lloyd who although some 10 years older, it is suggested is her best friend for most of her life. Martha it seems is a member of one of the cluster of families that the Austen family socialised with and married into. Martha’s sister in fact married one of Jane’s brothers and, at sixty, Martha herself will marry another. Whedden tells us that her book is based on the surviving letters of Jane, Cassandra and other family members. She recognises that this collection – which tells a great deal - has been edited at various times to ensure that Jane’s “memory” passed down to posterity unsullied. And, needless to say when Jane is with a friend she will not be writing, so gaping holes in information flow may be inevitable. But nonetheless she has taken what survives to build a picture of Martha” through” Jane initially and to a lesser extent the years after when this was not possible.
Martha and Jane’s life ran on similar lines, from middle class families at a time when women did not have equality, rarely had independent incomes making then dependent on the generosity – or not – of their male relatives. They would be expected to live in another’s household and provide levels of support around others’ child and household responsibilities. Most would be expected to marry if at all possible – and within a reasonable time too. Neither married early as expected, so life would be a jumble of “making do” – even quite simple “luxuries” might be difficult to acquire, travel would be controlled by money or expectations of meeting the requirements of the homeowner (usually male). 
Whedden talks to the practicalities and support that the two (sometimes with Cassandra) provided in the day to day activities of their lives when they were together (or expected to be). Outside issues, rather than their own choices, could dictate whether they were close or living with no real contact for months or years. It is only with the death of Jane’s father – that ironically launched Jane into greater insecurity – that circumstances allowed Martha to eventually become part of the Austen household albeit with care responsibilities for her mother.  But more than this Whedden suggests she gives a great support in coping with the constraints of the creative life – in a household that might not have been totally supportive. Thus suggesting although Martha might not have been so “book” focussed as Jane she acted as a practical support in accepting her writing life as “normal” and then later by taking over basic household responsibilities to allow Jane more time to write.
To the dedicated “Jane” reader this book might be disappointing in so far as (although suggesting that Jane’s characters might be not entirely mischievous pictures or compilations of the people around her), there is not a great deal of reference to Jane’s characters in her better known writings in this respect. This might have added a fuller dimension to this book. A historian might suggest that a deeper consideration of the “times” and the constant shadow on all the women’s lives occasioned by the risk to their men by the war. Or even maybe reflecting more fully on the risks and deaths of female friends and relatives in childbirth. A fuller consideration of Martha’s friendship with Cassandra, too, might have given a rounder portrait of Martha and given a more “non-Jane” dimension, a dimension that she surely had, even before Jane’s death.  But these are niggles. The book is a good “starter” to the topic and might be more to the less well informed.

At first, I was not so sure I'd like this book, because there's a LOT of information, especially in the beginning. However, I really did enjoy it! It gets better as it goes. It is very informative. I did enjoy reading about Jane's sense of humor, and also more about Martha, much of which I didn't know previously. There was definitely a lot of sadness in both Jane's and Martha's lives, but I'm glad things ended well for Martha.
This book can be a little long in places.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance e-copy of this book. The opinions are my own.

I love Jane Austen's books and have read them many times. I also like reading books about her and have read several good ones. When I saw this one I was excited because even though I know Jane and Martha had a great friendship, I wanted to know about it in greater depth. 
Sadly, this is not the book to inform on this subject. It did not hold my attention at all and I found my thoughts drifting and that's not a good sign, I thought it was long winded and the author gushed a lot in certain parts. Really it told us nothing new. It was full of supposition and maybes. Whatever the author gleaned was from Austen's letters so there was nothing direct from Martha. Indeed at times it was like I was reading a work of fiction. 
People who love Austen will probably want to read it, lets face it, we can't get enough of her life, but I would say it won't add anything to your knowledge of the author or her friend.

As a huge Jane Austen fan I quickly devoured this book to find out more information about Jane's best friend Martha Lloyd. It's very hard to find a new spin or facts that Janeites won't already know but Zoe Wheddon does a cracking job in her fun book recreating Austen's world and the importance of the friendship between the two women. It's light-hearted and heart-warming, featuring their love lives, delight in shopping and shared interests, despite Martha being ten years older than Jane. This is a great book although readers wanting an academic-style literary biography should look elsewhere - 'Jane Austen's Best Friend' is not that.

Jane Austen's Best Friend
The Life and Influence of Martha Lloyd
by Zoë Wheddon
Pen & Sword 
Pen & Sword History
 Biographies & Memoirs  |  History  |  Nonfiction (Adult) 
Pub Date 28 Feb 2021 |


I am reveling a copy of Jane Austen’s Best Friend through Pen & Sword and Netgalley:


Fans of Jane Austen throughout the world believe themselves to be best friends with the beloved author and this book shines a light on what it meant to be exactly that. Jane Austen’s Best Friend; The Life and Influence of Martha Lloyd offers a unique insight into Jane’s private inner circle.




Martha was one of a very minimal number of people who heard and was present at the inception of the unfiltered versions of Jane Austen’s writing, her writing in its purest of forms, saying exactly what she wanted to say, about whom she wanted to say it and using the exact language that she wanted to use.



Every chapter in Jane Austen’s Best Friend details the fascinating facts and friendship forming qualities that tied Jane and Martha together.  In these pages we will learn relive their shared interests, the hits and misses of their romantic love lives, their passion for shopping and fashion, their family histories, their lucky breaks and their girly chats. 





If you are looking for a behind the scenes tour of the shared lives of a fascinating pair and the chance to deepen our own bonds in ‘love and friendship’ with them both.




Jane and Martha had a friendship that went more than skin-deep.  Together they shared hopes, and dreams.



If you are looking for a unique, well researched biography, I’d recommend Jane Austen’s Best Friend!


Five out of five star!


Happy Reading!

First sentence: It is also a truth universally acknowledged that a woman in possession of a great talent must be in want of a brilliant best friend and Jane Austen was no exception. She may even have appreciated that friend more than we will ever know. That is to say she enjoyed the delights of having someone in her life who would become one of her closest and dearest, nay even beloved people, but was not bound to her by the calls of family duty or a father’s will.

Premise/plot: Jane Austen's Best Friend is a biography of Martha Lloyd that focuses on the friendship between Jane and Martha. The two were close, as close as sisters. Their friendship spanned decades. Jane was around twelve years old when the two met. This perspective gives readers an inside glimpse of Jane's personality. Wheddon writes, "Through tracing the tale of Martha and Jane, we will get to see the human side of our heroine author and really feel like we can get to know her better. In looking back somewhat longingly at Martha and Jane’s friendship we can examine all their shared interests, including the hits and misses of their romantic love lives, their passion for shopping and fashion, their connection to their community and the female biography of the period, their family histories, their lucky breaks, their epic fails and their girly chats. In this way, it is my aim for us to ‘recover a personal Jane Austen’, to allow us the opportunity to spend time in a ‘plausible emotional and psychological hinterland’, to create something like our own time-travelling coffee shop, wherein Jane Austen is revealed to us in a different context, in a different light, through the prism of the magical link of friendship."

Martha wasn't just close to Jane, she was close to the entire Austen clan. (Later in life, Mrs. Austen, Jane, Cassandra, and Martha lived together.) Several years after Jane's death, she marries one of Jane's widower brothers.

The chapters:

    In the Beginning
    Early Writings
    Moving Away
    Love Lives
    Fashion Fun
    Fun and Frolics--Out and About
    In Sickness and In Health
    Home Is Where the Heart Is
    Charity Begins At Home
    Our Chawton Home
    The Character of Friendship
    Anything You Can Do...
    The Spirit of Friendship
    Life After Death
    Friendship Never Ends

My thoughts: This book was a good fit for me!!! I really love reading Austen and reading about Austen. I would recommend this one to anyone with similar taste. Love reading Austen's novels? Love reading about Jane Austen? Love the Georgian/Regency time period? Love history? This one may be for you. It releases in April 2021.

I got an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
Well I DNF-ed (Did not finish) this book. It just wasn't up my alley. I did give it some time too but no. I didn't really like the writing style either. I'm a huge Austen fan and this was kind of a disappointment . Hence 1 star.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
It's an enjoyable book for any janeite out there.  It's well written and you can start and finish it without even realizing it. I really enjoyed reading about the friendship of this two Regency women, as well as the in depth information provided.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Who doesn't like Jane Austen and don't want to learn more about her life and what or who inspired her in her daily life for her writing?
I have watched many documentaries about J.A but her relationship with Martha Lloyed was absent. This book made me discover more about Jane, her character and how much she valued a real good friendship. I have to be honest, I had no idea about who was Martha to  Jane. I always believed that her best friend was her sister Cassandra. Through my reading of this book, I discovered Martha and I learnt more about Jane Austen's personality and how she really was in her life. It wasn't that sad maiden who  suffered an heartbreak in her prime youth which led to her grief in finding love and to have a second chance or her continual fight for a stable financial life like many portrayed her. 

Jane loved Martha and made her life much more interesting. Martha also played an important role in Jane's life as an authoress. We learn that in Jane's life love came really after friendship and family. This book was about how a true friend can have an impact on your life and your dreams. Some people live their whole life through and never find a friend like Martha or Jane. 

Martha was Jane's BFF as we call it today and vice versa but they weren't alaways glued to each other, each one respected the privacy, interests and tastes of the other. Martha had a scientific mind with her love for plants and animals. We learn about her well-known recipe for ink which was a real gift for a friend who was an author. 

At the end, Martha's life had a beautiful happy ending like the heroines of her best friend's books. Jane, before she died, tryed to help in the fulfilement of a second chance in happiness for her best friend with her brother. 

This book was a work of research and hard work. I loved it and I respect the author's efforts. Thank you for this beautiful story about a true friendship.

This books details the influence of Austen's friend Martha Lloyd on Austen's work. But because there are very few primary sources from Martha's hand, much of the book is one-sided conjecture based on Austen's letters with little proof to support Wheddon's assertions of Lloyd's part in supporting Austen's writing. Lots of "maybes," "perhapses," and "must haves" here, and assumptions rather than proof. The book doesn't know what it wants to be--researched findings about Lloyd or a simple biography. Wheddon's writing style is too sentimental for either, making pronouncements about Martha or Jane's sweetness and kindness, and is also too colloquial and assumes a lot about the nature of the friendship based on more modern understandings of "best friendship." Ultimately, I'm unconvinced about the extent of influence that Lloyd had over Austen's work.

Jane Austen was especially close to her older sister Cassandra. She had many mentors and friends. And she had Martha Lloyd, who was a 'second sister', and who lived with Jane, Cassandra and Mrs Austen.

They became friends when Jane was yet a girl. Although ten years older than Jane, Martha had much in common with her. 

"Martha was a strange mix of...amusing and highly sensible, experienced yet not educated into a forced air of formality," Wheddon writes. She held a deep Christian faith. 

She loved being outdoors, she loved to laugh, she was efficient and calm and she adored Jane's writings. The two friends shared in-jokes.

I did enjoy learning about Martha, her family history, her relationship to the Austen family, all that she contributed to Jane's happiness.  But, Wheddon's writing style felt wordy, long passages of imagined delights, descriptions of what Jane and Martha's relationship was possibly like, and then quotes from letters and other sources upon which her imaginings are based. I wanted to rush her along. The breezy, conjectured passages of what their friendship was possibly like became weighty.

But it seems I am in the minority, as better lights have awarded this biography 5 stars--Lucy Worsley Dr Paula Byrne, Natalie Jenner, Rose Servitova.

Chapters consider aspects of their life, including Fashion, Frolics, Charity, Love Lives and more, to Martha's life after Jane's death.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.