Jane Austen has been on my mind a lot lately, especially with the 250th anniversary of her birth celebrated in December 2025. I first encountered her novels through my older sister, whose enthusiasm for Austen rubbed off on me. Although Austen’s novels are often remembered today as stories of courtship and romance, what captivated me as a girl were her depictions of friendship, family, and sisterhood.

The first of her works that I came to know well was Sense and Sensibility, initially through Emma Thompson’s brilliant 1995 film adaptation. The novel explores many themes, but the one that resonated the most with me as a girl was the enduring bond between sisters. People will come and go in our lives, but sisters will always be there, offering support and sustaining one another through all of life’s ups and downs.

What also drew me to Austen’s novels was how women characters expressed themselves and moved within a world that was designed to constrain them. Although it may seem that women’s lives today are much different than in Austen’s time, women still encounter expectations and pressures that echo those of Austen’s time. Her novels taught me that empathy, wit, intelligence, resilience and courage are essential in navigating the challenges and complexities of life.

My girlhood encounters with Jane Austen continue to shape my life in myriad ways today. My fascination with Austen’s world—and my desire to understand all its intricacies better—fostered in me a lasting love of history and British literature and culture, an interest that has persisted down to the present day and influenced my decision to become a British historian. 250 years after her birth, Jane Austen’s insights into the resilience of women and the power of their relationships remain enduring sources of hope, joy, and empowerment.

-Elizabeth D.