Austen at Sea

A Novel

By: Natalie Jenner

Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Two pairs of siblings, devotees of Jane Austen, find their lives transformed by a visit to England and Sir Francis Austen, her last surviving brother and keeper of a long-suppressed, secret legacy.

In Boston, 1865, Charlotte and Henrietta Stevenson, daughters of a Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice, have accomplished as much as women are allowed in those days. Chafing against those restrictions and inspired by the works of Jane Austen, they start a secret correspondence with Sir Francis Austen, her last surviving brother, now in his nineties. He sends them an original letter from his sister and invites them to come visit him in England.

In Philadelphia, Nicholas & Haslett Nelson—bachelor brothers, veterans of the recent Civil War, and rare book dealers—are also in correspondence with Sir Francis Austen, who lures them, too, to England, with the promise of a never-before-seen, rare Austen artifact to be evaluated.

The Stevenson sisters sneak away without a chaperone to sail to England. On their ship are the Nelson brothers, writer Louisa May Alcott, Sara-Beth Gleason—wealthy daughter of a Pennsylvania state senator with her eye on the Nelsons—and, a would-be last-minute chaperone to the Stevenson sisters, Justice Thomas Nash.

It's a voyage and trip that will dramatically change each of their lives in ways that are unforeseen, with the transformative spirit of the love of literature and that of Jane Austen herself.

©2025 Natalie Jenner (P)2025 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Jane Austen fans will adore the spontaneous Stevenson sisters of Boston, Charlotte and Henrietta...With a deep understanding of Jane Austen history and a whip-smart sense of plot and pacing, this is a comedy of manners in the true Austen tradition.”—Helen Simonson, New York Times bestselling author of The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club

“Step into history with Austen at Sea, a fascinating literary treasure hunt and a transporting ride through one of the most pivotal periods of American and British history. When two daughters of a Massachusetts Supreme Court justice begin a correspondence with Jane Austen’s brother, lives are upended, court cases ensue, and a mystery unfolds. With vivid historical detail and a wild and wonderful cast of characters from Louisa May Alcott to theatre impresarios, suffragists, and fortune tellers...Natalie Jenner does it again, [bringing] us into the life of Jane Austen with a fresh eye and a dazzling story.”—Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Book of Flora Lea

“Austen at Sea is an utterly immersive novel set just after the Civil War as a handful of American book-lovers journey to England by sea to meet Jane Austen's last remaining sibling, an aging sea captain now in his 90s who is hoping to preserve his sister's legacy before he passes away. Unexpected friendships form, romance blossoms, and deception lurks in this heartfelt story that Austen herself would certainly have loved... If you've ever found sustenance in a Jane Austen novel—or sought meaning in your own life through the power of books—this is the novel you've been waiting for. Full of heart, hope, and history.”—Kristin Harmel, #1 internationally bestselling author of The Paris Daughter