Why We Return to Austen in Times of Change

Cozy morning setup with a cup of coffee, a notebook with handwritten notes, and a copy of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice."

There are certain writers who become companions, not just authors. They sit quietly on our shelves until the world outside feels unsteady, and then, like clockwork, we reach for them. For me and, I suspect, for many of you that companion is Jane Austen.

Whenever the news cycle feels relentless, or my own life tilts off balance, I find myself slipping Pride and Prejudice into my tote bag like a talisman. Sometimes it’s Persuasion, with Anne Elliot’s quiet strength; sometimes it’s the sharp wit of Emma. Each novel offers a world where, despite social chaos and personal heartbreak, wit and kindness prevail.

What makes Austen the writer we return to in times of change is not nostalgia alone. It’s the reminder that human concerns love, pride, longing, resilience remain universal, no matter the century. Her heroines stumble and misjudge and ache, but they also endure. They learn. And in watching Elizabeth Bennet outsmart her own prejudice, or Elinor Dashwood hold steady against uncertainty, we see something of ourselves: our wish to believe that good sense and integrity still matter.

Re-reading Austen isn’t an escape from the present moment. It’s a way of anchoring ourselves within it. Her work insists on the importance of conversation, of community, of finding humor even in precarious times. In an era where irony often overshadows sincerity, Austen reminds us of the radical power of empathy.

Perhaps that’s why her novels so often resurface during transitions: moving to a new city, starting a new job, or even just turning the page on a complicated year. Beginnings rarely feel tidy. Austen knew that. But she also knew that clarity arrives slowly, that even the most uncertain chapter can resolve with dignity and grace.

So here’s to beginnings messy, thrilling, sometimes daunting. And here’s to the books we return to when we need to feel less alone.

Tell me: Which Austen novel do you reach for in times of change?

Share your answers, we’ll feature some in The Book Nook later this month.