Austen's niece, Caroline Austen, noted in 1869 that Sense and Sensibility was first told in letters: "Memory is treacherous, but I cannot be mistaken in saying that Sense and Sensibility was first written in letters, and so read to her family." This was well after Austen had passed; however, it is important to know that it was at first a beloved story told between letters and shared within the family, and it was soon loved by the whole world.

Crossey, Paul. “Time Flies by in Sense and Sensibility.” Jane Austen Centre, 20 June 2011, janeausten.co.uk/blogs/jane-austen-books-and-characters/time-flies-by-in-sense-and-sensibility.