Emma Woodhouse is beautiful, clever and rich. She lives alone with her father, and spends a lot of her time thinking about future husbands - for her friends. When she meets Harriet Smith, a poor girl with no family, Emma decides that she must find a husband for her. Harriet is pleased to be Emma's friend - but will Emma's matchmaking make Harriet happy? Jane Austen (1775-1817), one of Britain's best-loved authors, led an uneventful life. Her novels deal with the relationships and manners of the English middle-class, and she wrote with a wit and sharpness of observation that have made her famous to this day.