Sense & Sensibility

When Mr. Henry Dashwood dies, his house, Norland Park, must pass directly to his grandson, the son of John Dashwood, the child of the elder Dashwood's first wife. His second wife, Mrs. Dashwood, and their daughters, Elinor, Marianne and Margaret, inherit only a small income, but John makes a promise to his father that he will take care of his half-sisters. However, John's greedy wife, Fanny, persuades him to renege on the promise and the Dashwood women soon become the unwelcome guests in Norland Park. Mrs. Dashwood decides to move her family to Barton Cottage in Devonshire, near the home of her cousin, Sir John Middleton. The story follows the young women to their new home with their widowed mother, a meager cottage on the property of a distant relative, where they experience love, romance and heartbreak.

Jane Austen (1775-1817) was an English author known for her novels which interpret, critique and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots often explore the dependence of women on marriage in the pursuit of favorable social standing and economic security. Her best known works include Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Emma. Austen's works are part of the transition to 19th-century literary realism, and her use of biting irony, along with her realism and social commentary, have earned her acclaim among critics and scholars.