Bonnets At Dawn

Great discussions and deep dives into well loved classics but also a place to discover the buried treasure of lesser well known authors.

I stumbled across this gem at the beginning of this year, it having been mentioned in an Austen facebook group, and although I have never podcasted before I dove right in and it's become the soundtrack to me and my toddlers past few months. Lauren and Hannah have created a hugely entertaining and informative series. They have re-ignited my love for reading, which, after becoming pregnant had fallen to the wayside. I vowed to read Pride and Prejudice to my little girl every night, which didn't quite happen. Maybe the Little Miss Austen board book counts, right? Their clever, genuinely laugh out loud conversation is so engaging; they make you feel like you are a group of like-minded friends casually talking about the incredible women that have shaped our lives in a cosy pub. And they have introduced me to so many other incredible female writers! I am an avid TV period drama watcher, and have often told myself I would look into the novels that inspire the adaptaions, but that had only ever really happened with Austen and Bronte. And today I have finished a novel, Anne of Green Gables, within a month of beginning, which I have not been able to do in over 2 years. Thank you so much Lauren and Hannah, I can't wait for the next time my little girl Lizzie has a nap so I can catch another episode!

Love this podcast! I've been solidly Team Austen for 14 years and I feel like I've finally found a bunch of people who want to talk about it as much as me!! It's also reintroduced me to the world of the Brontes which I'd previously dipped a toe into but not fallen in love with; Lauren's enthusiasm for all the nutcase Gothic nonsense has opened up a new appreciation for me. And Anne Bronte's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is legit the best thing I've read since Anna Karenina. If you like smart, funny women having smart, funny discussions on the topics that really matter, like 'What is Rochester's deal though?' and 'Edward Ferrers: Bad Lad or Sad Lad?' then this is for you! Also Lauren and Hannah, I'd love to hear your take on Eliza Haywood! She's an early novellest who wrote Betsy Thoughtless, among other things, and is super interesting in the context of how the novel worked and was being developed, and how women wrote about other women, in the decades immediately before Jane Austen and the Brontes :)

I’m already a Brontë and Austen fan, and studied Wuthering Heights multiple times at school and university, but Hannah and Lauren provide a fresh, fun and informative look at both the things I already know about and those that are new to me. I haven’t read any Elizabeth Gaskell yet and am feeling inspired to do so. They are both great hosts and it really feels like joining a conversation with friends. I love the variety of interesting people they meet and interview, showing that these authors are still very much relevant today. I’m racing through the back catalogue and want to thank you both, you brighten up my day. #TeamColonelBrandon (PS Lauren, my breakfast was Weetabix with mango and passion fruit yoghurt)