There is a dilemma to be faced in daring to write about the inner life of a woman who queried 'What is become of all the shyness in the world?' (letter to Cassandra Austen, February 1807).  Jane Austen's question is particularly valid in the age of social media and, throughout the three year process of writing the Austen Chronicles, I have worried about whether I should intrude into the thoughts of such a private person.

Curiosity got the better of me and the more I found out about her life through her letters, the more I wanted to piece together a suggestion of how it might have felt to inhabit her skin. There are many fascinating books about all aspects of Jane Austen's life and work, but I often finished reading them with a sense that she had eluded me, yet again. I hope that others who love her will forgive my extreme impertinence in attempting to rectify this.