Step into an alternate 1985, where literature is sacred, cloning is a reality, and time travel is just another tool in the arsenal. Thursday Next, a seasoned literary detective, helms the action in this wildly imaginative tale. The latest peril to the bookish order? Characters are being kidnapped right out of their stories, with Jane Eyre herself the latest victim. Thursday must navigate a maze of intrigue, false trails, and literary conspiracies to rescue her, all while the shadow of the Crimean War looms and personal life complexities arise. Can she juggle her professional duty, historical disputes, romantic entanglements, and the weighty question of Shakespeare's true identity? Jasper Fforde's debut novel is a literary joyride that will whisk readers through an England where dodos waddle and Aunties may get lost in poetry.