Gen Z History Buff Stunned To Find Wartime Message in Jane Austen Novel

Newsweek

6 days ago

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A 26-year-old history enthusiast's unique find has sparked a wave of online fascination after she showed off the World War I-era message she discovered tucked inside a book.
Meg, from the U.K., who would prefer to keep her full name private, had shared the worn edition of the Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice to Instagram on November 10, 2024. She flipped open the front page to show two poignant handwritten notes. One was addressed to the recipient of the gift and was signed off, "with love, from Eyre, Christmas 1915."
The second, written below in a different hand, adds a somber footnote: "Eyre was reported missing on the Battle of Somme." The short clip, posted under @historywithmegs, has been liked almost 100,000 times to date.
The discovery—likely missed by countless hands that handled the book over the decades—has captivated viewers, many commenting in awe at the glimpse into a personal story from a war now more than a century past.
"I was actually shown the copy by one of my colleagues at my old place of work, Bookends bookshop in Carlisle, England," Meg told Newsweek. "The store is run alongside Bookcase, an antiquarian and secondhand bookshop, and we would often marvel at the many treasures held there during quiet times or on our breaks.
Meg looks into the camera lens, left, and shares the inside of the book with viewers, right.
Meg looks into the camera lens, left, and shares the inside of the book with viewers, right.
@historywithmegs
"I believe it had come into the store either through a donated collection, or as stock bought at an estate sale or auction," Meg said.
Her video struck a chord with her audience, many of whom expressed admiration for the simple act of love preserved in the fragile pages of the book. In her caption, Meg wrote: "Lest we forget … This amazing little piece of social history has survived over 100 years and two world wars and continues to speak of kindness and humanity in its legacy … Today is an important time to reflect, remember and commemorate."
Meg's caption, paired with the emotional nature of the find, helped the video resonate widely, turning the artifact into a symbol of remembrance ahead of Veterans Day.
"It has been amazing to see the way that people online have connected with the post and the story behind the book," Meg said. "I think it is wonderful that this simple act of kindness, the Christmas gift of a book, is still inspiring people and touching lives over a hundred years later."
Meg poses inside two British historical attractions.
Meg poses inside two British historical attractions.
@historywithmegs
For Meg, the find is more than a moment of historical curiosity—it is a personal tribute to the humanity behind the war and the young lives lost.
"Of course, the poignant inscription, referencing the fact that Eyre was declared missing in action at the Battle of the Somme, adds a whole new dimension, too," she said. "I hope that, by sharing the book on social media, I have contributed in some small way to preserving Eyre's legacy of kindness."
The Battle of the Somme, which began in July 1916, remains one of the bloodiest campaigns in British military history, with more than 1 million men wounded or killed over the course of the monthslong offensive. The brief message in the book—spared by time and fate—offers a rare and intimate window into the individual stories lost in the scale of war.
"As the First World War becomes evermore distant, it is incredibly important that we remember the lives of young people like Eyre who were involved in the conflict," Meg said. "Eyre was not just a soldier; he was a human being, with his own dreams and loves and hopes.
"I think that this little book does a beautiful job of reflecting this," the finder added.