Sense and Sensibility

What happens when a young woman has sense but no feeling, or feeling but no sense? Jane Austen's debut novel asks this question through two sisters who embody its title: Elinor, who guards her heart behind propriety, and Marianne, who offers it up recklessly. When their father's death leaves them nearly destitute, the sisters must navigate a world where marriage is economics and reputation is currency. Elinor's quiet love for Edward Ferrars goes unnoticed while Marianne falls spectacularly for the charismatic Willoughby, only to discover he's not what he seemed. Through heartbreak, scandal, and the slow grinding machinery of society's expectations, both sisters must find their way toward a wisdom that blends head and heart. Austen's wit cuts sharply, but so does her compassion. Two centuries later, the Dashwood sisters still speak to anyone who has ever tried to love wisely in a world that makes it hard.