by Brenda S. Cox
Are you looking for Jane Austen-related gifts for friends or relatives? Or maybe for gifts you can put on your own wish list, or buy with Christmas gift cards? You have many, many options! Today at Jane Austen’s World I’ve listed many categories of Jane Austen gifts, with a few examples of each. Check it out!
Since you’re here, you probably are interested in gifts relating to faith and science. So here are some of my favorites:
Jane Austen and Faith
A devotional based on Jane Austen’s prayers, such as our own Rachel Dodge’s Praying With Jane, or Shannon Winslow’s Prayer and Praise, would be a precious gift to a person of faith.
Rachel Dodge’s other devotionals would also be good gifts for those who love The Secret Garden, Anne of Green Gables, or Little Women.
Or you could give my new book, Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England, to anyone who wants to see more about how the church of Austen’s day affected her life, novels, and world.
Jane Austen and the Clergy by Irene Collins goes into the clergy of Austen’s novels in depth.
Jane Austen: The Parson’s Daughter by Irene Collins shows Austen’s life from the perspective of her Anglican family.
The Spirituality of Jane Austen by Paula Hollingsworth, also explores Austen’s personal life and faith.
The Call to Seriousness, by Ian C. Bradley, explores the legacy of the Evangelicals of Austen’s age and how their work led to the following Victorian age.
Jane Austen and Religion, by William Jarvis, is my favorite book on religious aspects of Austen’s novels. It’s a tiny book, though, and rather pricey at the moment.
Science
I don’t know of any books that explore Jane Austen’s connection with science. However, there are several fascinating books about the science of her time. Any of them would make great gifts for the person who loves science.
The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science is a fascinating story the development of science, through the stories of individuals ranging from Joseph Banks, who sailed with Captain Cook, to Humphry Davy who revolutionized chemistry.
London Lights by James Hamilton explores “the extraordinary characters” of London who pioneered the growth of “art, technology, and science” in the early nineteenth century.
The Lunar Men by Jenny Uglow moves to Birmingham, England, focusing on a group of amateur scientists who brought about the Industrial Revolution.
The English Parson-Naturalist: A Companionship Between Science and Religion by Patrick Armstrong tells the stories of men like Gilbert White, who made scientific discoveries while they worked as country clergymen (their wives also made discoveries!).
The Stargazer’s Sister and Double the Stars are well-written historical novels about Caroline Herschel.
Remarkable Creatures is Tracy Chevalier’s novel on Mary Anning, the Lyme Regis pioneer of paleontology.
Trailblazing Women of the Georgian Era and What Regency Women Did For Us both include inspiring stories of women of science.
Jane Austen Books also offers others.
Fiction
Check out my book reviews on this site for many recommendations of great Austen variations featuring faith and/or science!
Or, try these Jane Austen-themed Christmas books:
A Very Austen Christmas, an anthology of some of my favorite Austen variation writers
Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas, an Austen mystery by Stephanie Barron
A Jane Austen Christmas: Regency Christmas Traditions, nonfiction by Maria Grace
You may want to add some of the books I’ve listed today, or some of the many other items in my Jane Austen’s World post, to your own wish list!
May you have a joyous Christmas, and may God send you many blessings in the coming New Year!
Faith, Science, Joy, and Jane Austen 