Confession. I just finished re-reading one of my own books… again: The Persuasion of Miss Jane Austen. It is arguably my favorite, or at least the one of which I’m most proud, so it holds a special place in my heart. And it’s dedicated to.

“.. every fan who has wished Jane Austen herself might have enjoyed the romance and happy ending she so carefully crafted for all her heroines. I have endeavored to grant you wish.”

So it’s dedicated to me and to you too! And one really ought to read a book that has been dedicated to one. Right?

My books are like old friends, whom I start to miss if it goes too long between visits. Besides, I’ve got Persuasion on my mind since I’m working on Captain Wentworth in His Own Words. So I think I can legitimately call this research… or inspiration… or at least keeping my head in the right game!

Since I was reading on my Kindle, I periodically came across an underlined “popular highlight.” Are you familiar with this feature? It shows which lines in a book have been highlighted most by other readers. It’s not designed primarily for the author’s amusement, but I enjoy it. It’s so interesting (and gratifying) to see which things I’ve written have been marked, indicating that people especially loved or valued them.

So today, I’m going to share the most frequently highlighted lines from The Persuasion of Miss Jane Austen. Will there be a memorable line or a bit of wisdom to be found? Let’s see!

To begin is to risk everything – crushing defeat, utter failure or, worse still, mediocrity. However, not taking the risk is unthinkable.

It is a humbling thing to find oneself utterly helpless, and yet it can be a gift as well. One who is too proud to admit a weakness will never experience the compassionate care of others. It is only when that person is brought low, dropped to the bottom of a deep pit, that he or she will look up for relief and find it.

Though I should be sorry to leave the pleasures of this world, I will not be sorry to leave behind its pain and heartaches. I will go when He calls me, confident that the best is yet to come, that the blessings of heaven will far outshine what I leave behind.

“Sensible girls stop believing in fairy stories when they grow up, else how are they to marry ordinary men and be happy?” (Mrs. Austen)

“Sadly, though, what one wants and what is best are not always the same thing. In fact, they are very often quite different indeed.” (Madam Lefroy)

People do not always choose wisely for themselves when it comes to love. Or if wisely, perhaps not fortunately. One’s affection must be returned. I understand something about the matter.

All the privilege I claim for my own sex is that of loving longest when all hope is gone.

Because of it, I know I was once well and truly loved by a man of superior worth. That can never be taken from me.

Denying one’s own frailty is a form of pride, one that I can no longer afford to maintain.

[He] had been less interested in cultivating a new literary garden in her fallow mind than in reaping the already well-grown harvest in mine.

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As other readers did, I’m sure you noticed the Jane Austen quote from Persuasion, one of many I included in the book. Actually, since this book is written in first person from Jane Austen’s point of view, ALL of these (except the two credited to others) can be considered her words. Those of us who choose to believe this book represents what really happened certainly will!

Do you have a favorite among them? If you’ve read the book, do you remember any of these? (And if you haven’t, why not???) I think my personal favorite is the last one. I love incorporating gardening images into my writing!

Learn more about The Persuasion of Miss Jane Austen here. Purchase it here.

[If you’re interested in Popular Highlights from my other novels, check out these other posts: Popular Highlights: Romance, Popular Highlights: Wisdom, and Popular Highlights: “Return”

PROGRESS UPDATE on Captain Wentworth in His Own Words: I now have 260 pages and 80,000 words! I figure 3 or 4 more chapters ought to do it, so I’m getting close to the finish line. Still too early to predict a publication date though, so stay tuned! (Read preview excerpts here and here.)