A Completion of Sanditon, Jane Austen’s Unfinished Novel

Jane Austen’s intentions for her Sanditonians can only be guessed at. Had she lived to complete “Sanditon,” it would no doubt have been treasured alongside her other works. The mysteries of this often overlooked fragment still intrigue readers. This particular continuation sets out, with every hope of remaining faithful, to solve just some of them. Charlotte Heywood, recently arrived in the town of Sanditon, found amusement enough in standing at her ample Venetian window and looking over the miscellaneous foreground of unfinished buildings, waving linen and tops of houses, to the sea, dancing and sparkling in sunshine and freshness. But there is more to the promising little coastal resort than a pleasant atmosphere and the benefits of the sea and the sea air. Before long, Charlotte discovers that scandals abound. To the great delight of her eccentric host Mr. Parker, she becomes captivated by the romance of the sea-side lifestyle. So is Sanditon truly the haven that Mr. Parker likes to think it is, and will Charlotte Parker ever leave?