Finished on 6/22/09:

CASSANDRA & JANE by Jill Pitkeathley, 2008.

This novel tells the story of Jane Austen's life from the POV of her elder sister Cassandra. Lifelong companions, as well as sisters, Cass probably knew Jane better than any other sibling or contemporary. Author manages to convey a sense of Jane's times through her use of language, writing style, and period detail, but doesn't bog down the story. Shows the trials and tribulations of being an unmarried, well educated, middle class sort of female during the English Regency, as well as Jane's struggles to write and have her novels published, and how Jane handled the fame and adoration that came with the notoriety of being a published author. Pitkeathley also touches on the two sisters' love affairs (including the Tom Lefroy episode) and their sometimes prickly relationships with their parents and siblings. A good read based on solid facts.