Jane Austen's Outlandish Cousin: The Life and Letters of Eliza De Feuillide

Rating:
Summary: An exceptionally well-written life story
Review: Jane Austen's 'Outlandish Cousin': The Life and Letters of Eliza de Feuillide by Austen biographer Deirdre Le Faye is the informative and engaging story of Eliza de Feuillide, a grand woman who is best known to history as the strong-willed first cousin of Jane Austin. Eliza's international life, her time in the court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, her marriage to a French aristocrat, her sudden widowhood when the guillotine claimed her husband in 1794, and much, much more are covered in depth in this fascinating, aptly researched, and exceptionally well-written life story which is enhanced with excerpts drawn from Eliza's elegantly written correspondence. Jane Austen's 'Outlandish Cousin' is especially recommended reading for students and scholars of Jane Austen and 18th Century French history.