Author: Natalie Jenner
Publisher: St. Martin’s Prese
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 320
Date of Publication: May 6, 2025
My Rating: 4 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
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.
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.
MY THOUGHTS:
Unchaperoned and unstoppable, sisters Charlotte and Henrietta Stevenson set sail to cross the ocean. They are intrigued by a letter received from Jane Austen’s brother. They won’t be alone on their journey. On the voyage are Louisa May Alcott, brothers Nicholas and Haslett Nelson, and others. A letter said to be penned by Jane Austen has intrigued all of them, and thus their journey begins.
Austenesque stories are becoming one of my favorite types of reads, and Natalie Jenner does lovers of Austen justice in this book. With Louisa May Alcott being one of the travelers, I was overjoyed. As she is one of my favorite authors, anytime she is mentioned in a book, count me in.
With the setting being in 1865 and mystery as well as convention bring this story to life. With the brother of Jane Austen, Sir Frances Austen, capturing the attention of our protagonists, the story is an addictive delight. There might be more than a bit of romance in this wonderful story, making it an easy one-sitting read.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
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