Austenland by Shannon Hale

This was first fiction I've read in a couple months, at least since Sadie was born, and I finished it in about 2 days. I adore Shannon Hale's books and have now (I think) read all of them. My favorite is still The Goose Girl but they're all worth reading. I heard about Austenland from my old book club; initially I wasn't really interested in reading it, but when I learned who the author was I checked it out asap.

True to form, Austenland is a fun, easy read about a girl in her thirties who is obsessed with Pride and Prejudice and finding her own Mr. Darcy. She inherits a 3-week trip to Austenland, a theme park type place where women can live out their fantasies by immersing themselves in Jane Austen times. She wears empire waist gowns and tries to master the Regency era etiquette as she flirts with the other gentlemen, or rather, actors pretending to be gentlemen. She knows it's all a game but finds herself losing her grip on what is real and wonders if she'll be able to find a Mr. Darcy of her own.

Perhaps it's been too long since I've read a silly book, but I really enjoyed Austenland. It was entertaining and fun; just what I've been in the mood for. Not a whole lot of depth to the story, but sometimes you need to take a lighthearted stroll in fantasy-land.

4 out of 5 stars