] Personally, I think Tomalin is way too harsh here.

...is too deep into child psychology study? She mentions bonding or the lack of it. "...bonding between mother and child is largely a modern concept,...It does not mean that they did not suffer,(from the farming out) both in going and coming back."

...I know of one masters student in child psych. who recently told the mother of a three month old that she would never bond with her infant because the baby was sleeping in a bassinet and not in bed with her. Pretty extreme, IMHO.

...As others have pointed out, Mrs. Austen was not home on the chaise, but instead actively running a busy household. Today,it would be difficult to send out ones infant, but that was a custom of the times. The Austens were always quite healthy and close. Doesn't appear that they suffered from it.

...Also interesting that she doesn't describe Movie Littleton as you have described.