Six Weeks by the Sea

Summer 1801. Sidmouth, England. The Austen Family descends upon a fashionable Georgian seaside resort in Devonshire for a six-week holiday. Jane''s brother, Frank, is on leave from the Royal Navy, and dearly wishes to unite his sister with his friend Captain Peter Parker. But another holidaymaker, a handsome stranger, catches sight of Jane and is determined to make her acquaintance. This rival to Captain Parker is Samuel Rose: a lawyer, literary man and abolitionist. As the weeks pass, Jane''s relationship with both men brings about unexpected surprises. By the end of the summer, the course of her life will have changed forever. Set against the backdrop of Austen''s family, the tensions of the war against France, and naval and colonial politics, SIX WEEKS BY THE SEA is the fascinating story of how the most famous romance writer of all time fell in love for the first time.

About the author

Paula Byrne is the author of eight acclaimed works of non-fiction, most recently Hardy Women: Mother, Sisters, Wives, Muses. Earlier books include The Adventures of Miss Barbara Pym, The Genius of Jane Austen, and Kick: The True Story of Kick Kennedy. Paula wrote a tie-in book to the award-winning movie Belle. In 2013, to coincide with the bi-centenary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice, Paula wrote an innovative biography The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things. Other books include Mad World (about Evelyn Waugh and the writing of Brideshead Revisited) and Perdita: A Life of Mary Robinson which was longlisted for the Samuel Johnson Award. She is the author of two novels, Look to Your Wife and Blonde Venus and was the historical consultant for PBS series Sanditon. She is founder of ReLit, a charity devoted to the mental health benefits of reading. She is married to Sir Jonathan Bate.

Product details

• Authors: Paula Byrne, Byrne Paula
• Publisher: William Collins
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 28.08.2025
• EAN: 9780008753221
• ISBN: 978-0-00-875322-1
• Dimensions: 141 mm x 222 mm x 18 mm
• Subjects: Fiction > Narrative literature; FICTION / Coming of Age, NON-CLASSIFIABLE, FICTION / Historical / General, FICTION / Women, FICTION / Romance / Historical / Regency, c 1800 to c 1900, Narrative theme: Coming of age, Narrative theme: Love and relationships, FICTION / Feminist, Early 19th century c 1800 to c 1850, Stationery and miscellaneous items, Miscellaneous items, Biographical fiction / autobiographical fiction, Fiction based on or inspired by true events