Young Charlotte Heywood arrives in Sanditon, a newly established seaside resort, with the Parkers: patrons and enthusiastic promoters of the town. Just as the town seeks to reinvent itself as a fashionable destination, Charlotte Heywood attempts to begin anew amongst its residents.

As she begins to settle into Sanditon society, with the Parkers and the rich widow Lady Denham, a slew of new arrivals stir up emotions. Among them are relatives of Lady Denham, seeking her generous fortune; Miss Lambe, a rich heiress; and Sydney Parker, the handsome young man who catches Charlotte`s eye. Charlotte must navigate the complicated web of liaisons, finding herself more involved than she ever intended…

Collected here with her unfinished work The Watsons, and the much-loved novella-in-letters, Lady Susan, Austen’s final, unfinished novel demonstrates her biting sense of humour and will give readers a thrilling glimpse of a genius at work.