“It’s almost like we’re getting a new Jane Austen story in itself”
In a society that afforded women limited pathways to fulfillment beyond marriage, two sisters forged an extraordinary bond that would ultimately shape English literature forever. BBC’s new drama “Miss Austen” turns our gaze away from Jane Austen’s beloved heroines to explore the author’s own remarkable story and her relationship with her sister Cassandra—a connection so profound it altered literary history.
Based on Gill Hornby’s acclaimed novel, this three-part series delves into one of literature’s most intriguing mysteries: why did Cassandra Austen burn her famous sister’s letters after Jane’s death? What secrets did those pages contain, and what does this act of destruction reveal about their extraordinary relationship?
The Mystery at the Heart of the Story
“Miss Austen” begins in 1830, many years after Jane’s death. Cassandra Austen (played with quiet resilience by Keeley Hawes) arrives at the home of Isabella Fowle (Rose Leslie), the niece of her long-deceased fiancé. While ostensibly there to help Isabella cope with her father’s recent death, Cassandra’s true mission is to retrieve a hidden bundle of private letters—correspondence she fears could damage Jane’s reputation if discovered.
“I was sent the first episode knowing nothing at all about this story, and instantly I found it absolutely fascinating and charming,” says Hawes, who also serves as executive producer. “I think people will love it, because for anyone who is not aware of this backstory it’s almost like we are getting a new Jane Austen story in itself, and what a lovely surprise that is.”
When Cassandra discovers these letters, she is transported back to her youth. Through flashbacks, we meet Young Cassy (Synnøve Karlsen) and Jane (Patsy Ferran) as they navigate romantic infatuations, family dynamics, and societal expectations. These memories force Cassandra to re-evaluate her past and the choices that shaped both sisters’ lives, while also guiding Isabella toward her own path to happiness.
A Different Kind of Love Story
“What I love about ‘Miss Austen’ is that it’s a love story between two sisters,” explains Patsy Ferran, who portrays the young Jane. “Cassandra and Jane aren’t just sisters, these two women are best friends, soulmates and the loves of their lives. There are love interests for them, but at the end of the day it’s each other that they adore and rely on.”
The series explores how these “two women who by their own choice decide not to marry” created a world of independence in an era that offered few opportunities for unmarried women. As Ferran notes, “There’s an amazing line in Gill’s novel that says ‘the blessing of spinsterhood is that one’s walls are one’s own.'”
Writer and executive producer Andrea Gibb describes the relationship as one of complementary strengths: “They are each very different young women: Cassandra is very solid and stable and practical, whilst Jane is the maverick and the creative, but one would not exist without the other. Jane needs Cassandra’s encouragement and her belief and faith in Jane’s ability to be an author, in order for her to be an author.”
The Woman Behind the Novels
For Ferran, discovering Jane as a person rather than simply an author was revelatory. “I personally didn’t know that much about her,” she admits. “In the script, I found this woman who was vivacious, highly intellectual, funny and complex, but she also has her flaws—she’s judgemental. The reason I think she’s such a good writer is because it seems she was an incredible observer of the world and of society.”
The series suggests that many of Jane’s astute character observations may have been drawn directly from her own experiences. “I think lots of Jane’s stories are probably influenced from real life events or encounters she had, and some could have been influenced by Cassandra and Jane growing up together as young women,” says Karlsen. “What will draw viewers in is that we go behind the scenes and explore what or whom could have been the real influences behind Jane’s novels.”
A Life Shaped by Loss
At the heart of “Miss Austen” is a profound story about grief, devotion, and choosing one’s own path. Hawes’s Cassandra is a woman marked by early loss—engaged to Tom Fowle, who died before they could marry. “For the rest of Cassandra’s life she doesn’t marry and have a family of her own, despite second chances of love and happiness of that kind later in her life,” Hawes explains. “That alone is heartbreaking, and I think tells you an awful lot about her.”
The series explores how this loss shaped Cassandra’s choices, including her decision to support Jane rather than pursue another marriage. Max Irons, who plays Henry Hobday—a potential second chance at love for Cassandra—reflects on why his character’s proposal is ultimately rejected.
“I think the very qualities that make Cassy attractive to him and make her such a special individual are the very qualities that may undermine the potential for a relationship between her and Henry,” Irons says. “Cassy’s moral certainty and her duty to her family and her previously betrothed… it’s a very unfortunate case of a man being perfect on paper, but coming along at the wrong time and being undermined by circumstances to the detriment of them both.”
The Burning Question: Why Destroy the Letters?
The most controversial aspect of Cassandra’s life—her destruction of Jane’s letters—becomes a focal point for exploring questions about privacy, reputation, and who controls an artist’s legacy. As Jessica Hynes, who plays Mary Austen (Jane’s sister-in-law), observes: “One of the elements of the story that perhaps is contentious is what Cassandra does with the letters, which asks whether everything should be laid out for everyone all the time.”
The cast has varying perspectives on this act. “Jane’s fans are very divided over what Cassy did with her letters, but I personally think she was trying to protect her sister’s legacy and control the narrative,” says Karlsen. “Patsy has a lovely line in the series where Jane says she wants to ‘only be known for her stories, not her sadness’ and I think Cassy wanted to preserve the memory of her sister in that way too.”
Hawes offers a more contemporary reflection: “It’s interesting looking at Cassandra’s impact on Jane’s legacy now, as we now live in a world where we know everyone’s thoughts and feelings – people are very open, we have social media, autobiographies… but I think there is something still worthwhile about what Cassandra did, as we don’t know Jane’s innermost thoughts. That makes her a bit of an enigma, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.”
Women’s Lives in Regency England
Through its exploration of the Austen sisters and the women around them, “Miss Austen” provides insight into the limited options available to women in Regency England. As Kevin McNally, who plays Mr. Austen, explains: “It’s undoubtably true that women were passed from parents to husband, and there were great pressures on them to marry. In our story, Mrs Austen is constantly on the lookout for eligible men – and it’s more about a suitable match than about love.”
The series particularly examines what happened to women who remained unmarried. “This is a story that explores the female relationships within the context of a society that doesn’t give women the kind of freedom that certainly Jane as a character or Cassandra as a character are craving,” says Alfred Enoch, who plays Mr. Lidderdale. “It explores beyond the romantic relationships, and looks at the women who don’t get married and examines the difficulty of those choices and the lack of channels society leaves open to them.”
Rose Leslie’s character, Isabella, faces this precise dilemma when her father dies. “As a result of her father’s passing, Isabella is faced with having to move out of their rectory and needs to find a new home for herself and also a new path in life,” Leslie explains. Cassandra’s arrival forces Isabella to consider whether to follow society’s expectations or seek her own happiness.
A Female-Led Production
“Miss Austen” stands out not only for its female-centered story but also for the women behind the camera. It marks the first drama series produced by Bonnie Productions, with a largely female creative team including writer Andrea Gibb and executive producer Christine Langan.
“It does have a different vibe; it’s been very calm I would say,” reflects Phyllis Logan, who plays Mrs. Austen. “I’m not saying working predominantly with men is manic, but I think being surrounded by women on set grounds us all and of course given this is really a woman’s story, whilst many a male producer could have taken on the job, to have that sensibility I just think it’s a really appropriate choice.”
For the actors, this environment enhanced their ability to portray the nuanced female relationships at the heart of the story. “It feels very fitting to be celebrating and exploring stories from the women who really loved Jane, in such a powerful female creative environment,” says Hynes. “It feels that our writer, Andrea Gibb, has captured the reality and confusion of complex female friendships and it’s really exciting to be in that playing space to explore those stories.”
Hallmarks of Austen
While “Miss Austen” tells a different story than Jane’s novels, viewers will recognize many themes from her work. “There’s definitely repressed love – that old ‘will they, won’t they?’ and the joy and deliciousness of the chase,” says Gibb. “When two people love each other desperately but keep getting thwarted by obstacles, there’s a pleasure in something taking its time to unfold and you kind of want that as an audience.”
The series also contains hints of what may have inspired Austen’s fictional creations. “What I think viewers will love about this particular story is that it feels unknown,” says Mirren Mack, who plays Dinah. “You can see throughout Jane Austen’s work that sisterhood is beautifully important to so many of her characters. And in fact, you can see so many of Jane’s characters within this, with hints of obnoxious vicars and overbearing mothers.”
A Question of Second Chances
Perhaps most poignantly, “Miss Austen” examines the concept of second chances—both those taken and those declined. “This is a story that allows people to have the opportunity to live again, and whether or not they choose to take that opportunity is entirely a personal decision,” reflects Gibb. “Cassandra is given a second chance at love, it’s there for her and for all intents and purposes he is perfect, but she cannot go forward in the relationship.”
Yet through her experience with Isabella, Cassandra receives another type of second chance—the opportunity to help a young woman make different choices than she did. “There are a couple of second chances in ‘Miss Austen’ that we get to see,” explains Mack, “the main one being that Cassandra has made choices and promises in her life, and so when she makes a promise to Isabella’s father and swears that Isabella will live with her sisters, she gets a second chance to go against that promise in order for Isabella to have the life that she wants.”
Beyond the Grand Estates
Unlike many Austen adaptations set in palatial estates, “Miss Austen” offers a more authentic portrayal of the author’s middle-class existence. “A lot of Jane Austen adaptations are in these big, grand houses, but that’s too big a scale for the reality of the story that we are telling,” explains producer Stella Merz. “Jane and her family had much more of a middle-class life, so a lot of effort has been put into finding locations that are on the right scale.”
The settings reflect important transitions in Jane’s life and work. “There was a time in their lives where the Austen sisters didn’t really have a home – the dwellings we’ve pictured for them and brought to life are quite humble, impersonal and a little dog eared,” says executive producer Christine Langan. “Houses feature largely in Jane’s novels with their roots and meaning and air and atmosphere. It seems that this period of being unmoored was detrimental to her health and work. Cassandra’s efforts in securing their home were a vital part of getting Jane writing again.”
The Midwife to Jane’s Writing
Central to the series is the suggestion that without Cassandra’s support, Jane might never have become the author we revere today. “We like to think of Cassandra as the midwife to Jane’s writing – the first reader, the first audience, and the protection of Jane’s reputation and cannon thereafter,” says Langan, “so that Jane would be known through her work as opposed to us eavesdropping into more private moments of her life.”
Patsy Ferran puts it most succinctly when she asks: “Would Jane have been the author she is without Cassandra? I think that’s the question ‘Miss Austen’ poses.”
The answer, the series suggests, is no. In an era that offered limited opportunities for women to express themselves, Cassandra provided Jane with the encouragement, stability, and freedom to create. Their extraordinary bond not only sustained them through life’s hardships but ultimately gave the world six novels that continue to captivate readers more than two centuries later.
“Miss Austen” is a moving tribute to an often-overlooked woman whose devotion helped shape literary history—and a reminder that behind every great writer, there may be a great sister.
“Miss Austen” will be available in full on BBC iPlayer from Sunday, February 2nd. It will air in the USA on PBS Masterpiece this May 2025.
