Full length biography, well written. Covers Austen as a robust, serious author. Uses her own correspondence to look at her romantic relationships, her attitude toward childbearing, her large circle of family and acquaintances. Treats each novel as to origin and intent, proposes how her life led to her fiction. Originally published in 1986, this edition includes a new preface by the author. Johns Hopkins University Press. 1996R. Paper, 399 pgs. NEW. $9.00