Tea With Jane Austen

Tea With Jane Austen

by Kim Wilson

 Illustrated with period illustrations and peppered with quotes from the novels and other books of the period, this slim volume contains all you ever wanted to know about the social history of tea in Jane Austen's World. The book is broken down into times of day and explains why and how tea was taken with examples from Jane Austen's writings. There are also a few recipes for tea treats and you can even make them at home with the handily provided modern recipe. The recipes use both British and American measurements so hostesses on both sides of the Atlantic can serve a proper tea. The book concludes with directions on how to make the perfect cup of tea. 

I thought this book would be more of a cookbook, but I really enjoyed learning about the history of tea as a meal in 19th century Britain. The period illustrations (in color) and recipes make the book even more enjoyable. This is a good book for the reference shelf if you attend or host a lot of period teas. Most casual readers will enjoy reading this book to learn about the importance of tea, but may not want to own it. Warning! You will find yourself craving tea when you read this book.