As an amateur historian, and someone who is terribly interested in this period and JA, I really am glad these lettees ,and letters like them exist. I really would read a shopping list left behind by JA.

I think they shed great lights into her ife and work.

However, this is what is left. If Cassandra destroyed any of the lettrs,she didnt destroy them all and by the time of her death interest in JA was becoming greater,so she would have known IMHO that there would also be interst in the letters and the family.What I'm saying is that she could have destroyed it alll, but she didnt.I take that as some sort of tacit permission to read tehm.

But I understandsome of your sqeamishness