Jane Austen Lover Brings Book Group to Westwood

Washington Township resident Michele Yacovino is not just another book club leader. She’s a Jane Austen enthusiast.

“I just love her books and want to be able to share that with other people,” Yacovino said. “I can’t really pick my favorite because there’s something I love about teaching every one of them.”

She has been a Jane Austen fan for years. Yacovino said Austen seemed to become even more popular in contemporary times than she had been in her own day.

“I think for her books there’s no time limit and everyone loves them, there’s such a huge interest in today’s readers,” she said. “Readers of all ages, everyone seems to pick something by Jane Austen.”

Yacovino e-mailed Director Martha Urbiel, hoping to share her love for Jane Austen’s writing with other township and Westwood residents. Urbiel e-mailed back enthusiastic about the idea and the two worked out a schedule, Yacovino said.

Yacovino has not taught Jane Austen before, but she did participate in online forums and chat groups discussing the author. She has high hopes for the book group.

The first meeting was held June 13 at the Westwood Library and 12 attendees discussed Jane Austen: A Life by Claire Tomalin. Yaccovino said the meeting went well and she was happy with the turnout.

Yaccovino brought a few books from her Jane Austen collection to share with the group. They introduced themselves and then went into discussing Jane Austen: A Life.

"It was OK for a biography," Yaccovino said. "For this particular one I think you needed to have read her books and know a little bit about her before reading this particular biography. That seemed to be the consensus for most people in the group."

The next book, Becoming Jane Austen, is another biography written by Jon Spence.

"I wanted to hold off a bit on reading her novels because October marks the 200th year that Sense and Sensibility has been published and Martha and I are working together to put a few different events to celebrate its publication," Yaccovino said.

Come to the Westwood Library, 49 Park Ave., for the next Jane Austen Book Club meeting Monday at 7:30 p.m.

Yacovino has high hopes for the group.

“I want to bring in movies and authors. There are a lot of contemporary writers writing about her books,” Yacovino said. “There’s going to be a short story collection on Jane Austen characters and things like that so I’d love to have some of those authors come and speak.”

She said she really hopes to get in contact with author Adriana Trigiani.

Urbiel also suggested she ask professors in the area to come in and talk with the group, Yacovino said.

While she is happy with the turnout, she hopes to increase the size of the group over time.

“It’s whoever is interested in talking about Jane Austen,” she said. “The more the merrier.”

Visit the Westwood Library website for more information about the Jane Austen Book Group.