Actress Helena Bonham Carter reads episodes from author Jane Austen's works "Pride & Prejudice," "Persuasion," "Sense & Sensibility," "Emma" and "Mansfield Park". These passages contrast in their settings and characters in a way that illustrates the basic consistency and the variety of Jane Austen's genius. The CD was recorded at Fenton House, and the readings are interspersed with music from Austen's lifetime (1775-1817).