Mariella begins with Jane Austen. She heads to Hampshire to discover how its distinctive landscape influenced Austen when writing landmark novels such as Mansfield Park and Sense and Sensibility. She also uncovers what life was really like in Austen's time and how well her novels reflected reality. Mariella visits a former home of the wealthy landed gentry, to find out how their ancestors may have been the basis for characters like Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. She discovers how living in 18th-century Hampshire means Austen could potentially be considered a war novelist, and also reveals why although none of her novels are actually set in Hampshire, Austen only seemed to be able to write in this county.