Jane Austen’s Guide to Good Manners – Compliments, Charades & Horrible Blunders, by Josephine Ross
For those of us who write regency period books or just want the skinny on all things Jane Austen, this is a handy reference! It’s short – only a bare 133 pages, including romantic-Austenesque illustrations by Henrietta Webb.
The writing is cheeky and just informative enough to leave the reader with the feeling of confidence that she could handle a regency social occasion without making (gasp!) a “horrible blunder.”
It’s well organized, divided into mini chapters by categories such as The Forms of Introduction, Calling and Conversation and touches on dress, style, matrimony and getting on with the servants.
It’s an easy-to-hold size and the pages are deliciously thick and wonderful to finger as you turn one to another – you can see from the photo that my copy has been enjoyed several times. An attached ribbon bookmark finishes the Georgian vibe. Kudos to the parents of both the author and illustrator for providing them with such appropriately old-fashioned first names! Jane would approve!