Martha Lloyd first befriended a young Jane Austen in 1789 and later lived with Jane, her sister Cassandra, and their mother at the cottage in Chawton, Hampshire, where Jane wrote and revised her novels. Eventually, Martha married Jane's brother Francis Austen, making her an authority on day-to-day life in the Austen family.

Martha Lloyd's Household Book is a remarkable artifact, a manuscript cookbook featuring recipes and remedies handwritten over thirty years. Austen fans will spot the many connections between Martha's book and Jane Austen's writing, including dishes such as white soup from Pride and Prejudice. Readers will also learn the author's favorite foods, such as toasted cheese and mead. The family, culinary, and literary connections detailed in the introductory chapters of this work give a fascinating perspective on the time and manner in which both women lived.

Passed down through the Austen family, the Household Book offers unprecedented access into the family home. In this first facsimile publication, Martha's notebook is reproduced in color, accompanied by a complete transcription and detailed annotations.