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Jane Austen Manuscript Sells For $1.6M

LINDA WERTHEIMER, host: Forget "Pride and Promiscuity." Never mind "Sense and Sensibility" and "Sea Monsters." Now there is a real Jane Austen manuscript to behold. This week, at Sotheby's in London, an unfinished novel by the adored author, sold at auction for just under one million pounds. That's about $1.6 million.

"The Watsons" is the story of a young woman who returns home to her father's household after being brought up by a wealthy aunt. According to the BBC, the novel was written in 1804 and is the only surviving original draft of a novel by Ms. Austen. And a draft it was - complete with revisions and crossings out. And we're guessing now, notes for a future story about zombies forming a book group. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

As NPR's senior national correspondent, Linda Wertheimer travels the country and the globe for NPR News, bringing her unique insights and wealth of experience to bear on the day's top news stories.