In year 1830, Cassandra Austen, the sister of the late Jane Austen, visits the family Fowle, when Reverend Fowle is dying, and promises him that his daughter Isabella will go to live with one of her sisters. Additionally, she looks for the letters Jane has written in her youth to Fowle's wife Elizabeth, planning to destroy them so that the private themes discussed cannot stain Jane's reputation. Mary Austen, James Austen's widow, also looks for these letters, in order to write a biography about Jane and James Austen. Reading the letters, Cassandra reminisces about the past, which is shown in flashbacks. These cover Cassandra's engagement to Tom Fowle, who dies soon after, Mary's marriage to James Austen, losses of relatives and homes for the Austen family, new chances for love, and Jane's literary trials and successes. They end before her death. Cassandra burns most of the letters, except for a few she leaves for Mary to discover. She departs after Isabella has reconciled with a former suitor, going against the will of her father, but following her own heart.