Jane Austen’s unfinished novel Sanditon (1817) tells the story of a quaint seaside village and its inhabitants. Charlotte Heywood is invited by Mr. and Mrs. Parker to stay the summer with them at Sanditon, where Mr Parker spent his youth and where he now wants to create a tourist resort. While there, Charlotte gets to know and observe the many colorful residents of Sanditon, including the wealthy, twice-widowed Lady Denham; her ward, Clara Crereton, an impoverished girl; and her handsome, but penniless nephew Edward, who may have eyes for the beautiful Clara. Austen completed eleven chapters before stopping in mid-March 1817, probably because of the illness that eventually took her life.
About the author
Jane Austen (1775-1817) was an English writer focusing mainly on romantic fiction, and society and life in the 19th century. Austen’s titles are revered around the world and still widely sought after. Austen had her family encouraging her throughout her writing career. She originally published her writing anonymously. Austen’s novels include: Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion.