Confessions of a Jane Austin Addict
Laurie Viera Rigler
Dutton, Aug 2007, $24.95
ISBN: 9780525950400

In twenty-first century Los Angeles, Courtney Stone is heart broken that her engagement with Frank is over; to heal thine self she chooses a night of Jane Austen novels with alcohol. However, when she awakens Courtney realizes she is no longer in her Southern California home, the right century; and worse this is not even her body. Instead she is in England in 1813 residing in the body of thirty years old spinster Jane Mansfield.

Middle class Jane finds herself an aristocrat, but though she has read regency romances all her life, she realizes her knowledge is superficial and that she is totally unprepared for "modern conveniences like the bathroom facilities being a chamber pot. Chaperones are everywhere and mother is Miss Bossy demanding she marry making her miss her supportive warm LA mom. Muddling her thought process are the memories of technological life in Los Angeles and an attraction to Charles Edgeworth, who seems to like her, but she is not sure which Jane he desires though at times she muses who does not matter as she is Jane.

It happened to Jane is a fun time travel parody of the Austen craze that is in vogue. The story line is amusing as Jane, though her social status is higher than before, struggles to adapt to a lesser convenient period while hiding her lack of knowledge from family, friends, servants, and especially Charles. Jane Austen fans will appreciate this fine tale (the great author even shows up) as the heroine ponders will the real Jane stand up?

Harriet Klausner