After detailing the tragic circumstances of Jane Austen’s early death, Fay tells Alice that although it is painful to contemplate a person’s death, it should nonetheless be considered as only one part of that person’s story, rather than a defining characteristic. Accordingly, she urges Alice take risks while she is alive and try to use her novel to contribute to the world, much as Jane Austen did in her own time.

This quote illustrates both the power of literature’s interaction with history and its uncertainty. Fay admits that Alice’s book may meet rejection, but she argues that it is nonetheless…