Emma. Set in the fictional village of Highbury and the surrounding estates of Hartfield, Randalls, and Donwell Abbey, the novel follows the relationships among individuals in those locations consisting of several families in a country village. The story features youthful hubris and the perils of misconstrued romance. Jane Austen. Jane Austen, an English novelist known for her works of romantic fiction, realism, and biting social commentary. Austen's novels, often set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature and an enviable reputation of historical importance among scholars and critics.