Tuesday 14th October 2025
Venue: Online
7pm BST
Visit our digital living room for the second event for our Jane Austen Book Club series.
Austen at Sea
Natalie Jenner
Henrietta and Charlotte Stevenson, the only children of a widowed Massachusetts supreme court judge, are desperate to experience freedom of any kind, at a time when young unmarried women are kept largely at home. Striking up a correspondence with Jane Austen’s last surviving sibling, ninety-one-year-old retired admiral Sir Francis Austen, the two sisters invite themselves to visit and end up sneaking on board the S. S. China, a transatlantic mail packet steamship heading to Portsmouth.
They are joined on the China by a motley crew of fellow Americans including a reluctant chaperone, two Philadelphia rare book dealer brothers secretly also sailing at Admiral Austen’s request, a young senator’s daughter and socialite in hot pursuit of the brothers, and Louisa May Alcott, traveling to Europe for the first time as an invalid’s companion.
Landing in Portsmouth, the American visitors soon learn Sir Francis’s real purpose in receiving them, and the battle begins over a piece of Austen’s legacy so controversial, it will result in historic and climactic court cases on both sides of the Atlantic. Austen at Sea is a celebration of literature and the lengths we will go to, to protect who and what we love.
About the Author
Natalie Jenner is the internationally bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society, Bloomsbury Girls, Every Time We Say Goodbye and Austen at Sea, which have been published in over twenty languages worldwide. Natalie is formerly a lawyer and independent bookshop owner. She was born in England and raised in Oakville, Ontario, where she lives with her family.
Tickets: £6 | £50 season ticket to all JABC events onsite and online. For the full list, click here.
This is an online event. It takes place 7-8pm BST. The cut off to purchase tickets is midnight on the day before the event. The Zoom link should be visible on your ticket, but ticket holders will be also emailed the Zoom link on the day of the event. If you do not receive joining details by midday (UK time) on the day of the event, please email info@chawtonhouse.org with your order number. The talks will be recorded and emailed out to those who cannot join synchronously within 7 days. Access to working internet is required. Please note this event will take place live.
What is the Jane Austen Book Club?
Jane Austen’s anniversary year has seen multiple books about her life and work published. Over the Autumn and Winter of 2025, we speak to some of the authors working on Austen—novelists, biographers, and graphic artists—about their love of Austen, the inspiration behind their work, and the fresh perspectives they bring to her world. Each session offers the chance to hear lively conversation, ask questions, and explore how Austen continues to spark joy and creativity today.