Disgraced eldest sister Claire Summers has been living in exile as companion to a stern great-aunt in Scotland. About to lose her place and longing to be reconciled with her estranged family, Claire sees an advertisement from someone looking for a "respectable female partner" in a Sidmouth boarding house. Is it a sign? She answers the ad, hoping she has not made another reckless mistake. When she meets the handsome, secretive proprietor, she wonders what he's hiding and if he's any more trustworthy than the nobleman who betrayed her years ago. Claire is drawn to him even though she fears he will reject her when he discovers her genteel façade hides a less-than-respectable past.
Meanwhile, the Summers family learns their great-aunt has died and Claire has disappeared without a word. The sisters rally together to find their lost sibling, but will their unexpected reunion heal old wounds and rekindle their bonds . . . or deepen the divide?
Return to the captivating Devonshire coast as the Summers sisters navigate romance, second chances, and the enduring strength of sisterhood in the face of adversity.
For those of us who have lived for several decades, we are keenly aware of our imperfections. None of us is free from the sting of regret, as we recall the mistakes we have made and the wrongs we have done. The question becomes, how do we respond to those mistakes? Do we ask for forgiveness from those we’ve hurt? Do we show true remorse and strive to never repeat the mistakes of the past? Many people will exercise their religious faith and ask God for forgiveness as well. While spiritual pardon from God is available, those who have transgressed may still struggle with feelings of guilt or shame. This is keenly seen in the lead character of Claire Summers in Julie Klassen’s latest novel, The Seaside Homecoming.
The prior novels in the series, The Sisters of Sea View and A Winter by the Sea did mention an elder sister Claire. Readers were not offered many details, but we were given to know that she was the “fallen” elder sister who had been effectively cast out of the family. Her four younger siblings missed her dearly, and their longing was mentioned on occasion. Now with The Seaside Homecoming, author Julie Klassen divulges the whole of Claire’s story. We learn what specifically led to her banishment, and the events that rippled out as a consequence. Readers of Regency fiction will not be surprised to find that a botched elopement to Scotland was involved. Not only did Claire run off alone with a sweetheart, but she returned unmarried, alone, and essentially ruined. In an effort to protect her four younger sisters from shame by association, Claire’s parents disowned her as their daughter. Events transpire which lead Claire back into her family’s town, but she is not universally welcomed back with open arms.
The Seaside Homecoming maintains a large focus on Claire’s shame, the ways in which she deals with her choices, and the repercussions of the beliefs of all those involved. As a Christian, I grieved at the amount of contempt that was directed at Claire from members of the believing community. Although this is a fictional tale, I know that condemnation still occurs even today. It is sad that we often refuse to forgive others, when God Himself offers forgiveness to each one of us. It is my belief that part of our instinct to shame and condemn comes from our God-given desire to see wrongs righted, and for villains to receive their comeuppance. Unfortunately, the desire for righteousness often becomes warped, and we forget to also extend grace to others as well. Sometimes we also neglect to extend grace to ourselves, even when some or all parties involved have offered forgiveness. Claire Summers struggles with this as well. Not only does she face judgment from those without, she wars against the shame within. As a character she must grow and learn to accept God’s forgiveness, and trust that she is worthy of love from others.
In addition to the theme of redemption that is strong in The Seaside Homecoming, other social issues are addressed. I highly enjoyed the narrative related to the Asian Indian community, and relished the development of the Indian characters present on the Devonshire coast. They realistically had to endure unjust prejudice and shaming of their own, although their only “fault” was the color of their skin and difference of heritage. I loved the manner in which Klassen touched on Indian culture, such as their food, fashion, and even toiletry techniques. Although differences in religion were not overtly addressed, the characters in the story are in at least some measure theists, as they refer to “God”. It can be assumed that Klassen did not have the bandwidth available in the novel to address the complex issues of religion as they relate in native English and Indian cultures. However, she handled the matter well, considering the matters at hand.
As is always the case with Julie Klassen’s novels, The Seaside Homecoming is very family-friendly and a pleasure to read. There are dramatic moments of tension, but the general feel of the entire story is one of comfort. Difficult adult issues are addressed, such as unwed pregnancy, judgmental members of society, a brief mention of a suicide, and racial prejudice. Klassen handles these concepts with grace and in a realistic manner, not shying away from difficult realities, but not turning them into opportunities for sensationalism either. As has been alluded to, mentions of faith, sin, forgiveness, and God are important aspects of the plot, but sweet romance and a touch of possible espionage are involved as well. The Seaside Homecoming is certainly a story of redemption, but it offers so much more. It is a fine addition to the On Devonshire Shores collection, and answers many questions that have been lingering since the series began. The story of the Summers family comes to a conclusion next year in A Sea View Christmas, and I look forward to returning to Sidmouth one last time in September 2025.
About the Author
Julie Klassen loves all things Jane—Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. Her books have sold more than 1.5 million copies, and she is a threetime recipient of the Christy Award for Historical Romance. The Secret of Pembrooke Park was honored with the Minnesota Book Award for Genre Fiction. Julie has also won the Midwest Book Award and Christian Retailing’s Best Award and has been a finalist in the RITA and Carol Awards. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Julie worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full-time. She and her husband live in St. Paul, Minnesota. For more information, visit julieklassen.com.
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