Lizzy and Jane [Paperback]

Reays second Jane Austen-inspired tale is a layered and nuanced story of faith and hope, enriched by complex but relatable characters. Recommended for lovers of character-driven womens fiction.Okay, Im just going to say it upfront. This isnt so much a review as it is a love letter to the uber-talented Katherine Reay.I have been eagerly awaiting the release of Lizzy and Jane since I forlornly turned the final page of Katherine Reays critically acclaimed, beloved, double Carol Award-winning debut, Dear Mr. Knightley last year (sidebar, if you havent read Dear Mr. Knightley run, do not walk, to your nearest bookstore for a copy). . . .Bookstores are packed with novels starring characters battling with cancer. Where Katherine Reays storytelling sets itself apart is with this  she has managed to write a book that is all about cancer, yet at the same time not about cancer at all. The stars of the show here are Lizzy and Jane  their taut relationship, their fears, regrets and failures, their hopes and dreams and yes, their grappling with the disease that has already cost them so dearly.Classic literature lovers will again enjoy the way Reay seamlessly weaves in literary references  from Hemingway to Austen to Dickens. Not in a snobbish, showboating way, but with a deft hand that adds color and depth to the story. . . .Buy this book. Savor this book. Its poignant, its witty, its got romance and drama and complex characters and dialogue and its clever and it makes you think and sigh and, yes, even swoon and the food, oh the food. Its the kind of book that makes you want to start again from the beginning as soon as youve reached the end because it has so many layers, subtleties, and depth, its impossible to absorb it all in one mere read.As I knew it would, Lizzy and Jane has firmly enshrined itself as one of my ten must-reads for 2014. Seriously, why are you still reading this? GO AND READ LIZZY and JANE INSTEAD.'A Rising Star in Contemporary FilÓ(