Description
For fans of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Janice Hadlow's The Other Bennet Sister tells Mary's story...
It is a sad fact of life that if a young woman is unlucky enough to come into the world without expectations, she had better do all she can to ensure she is born beautiful. To be handsome and poor is misfortune enough; but to be both plain and penniless is a hard fate indeed.
In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Mary is the middle of the five Bennet girls and the plainest of them all, so what hope does she have? Prim and pious, with no redeeming features, she is unloved and seemingly unlovable.
The Other Bennet Sister, though, shows another side to Mary. An introvert in a family of extroverts; a constant disappointment to her mother who values beauty above all else; fearful of her father’s sharp tongue; with little in common with her siblings – is it any wonder she turns to books for both company and guidance? And, if she finds her life lonely or lacking, that she determines to try harder at the one thing she can be: right.
One by one, her sisters marry – Jane and Lizzy for love; Lydia for some semblance of respectability – but Mary, it seems, is destined to remain single and live out her life at Longbourn, at least until her father dies and the house is bequeathed to the reviled Mr Collins.
But when that fateful day finally comes, she slowly discovers that perhaps there is hope for her, after all.
Simultaneously a wonderfully warm homage to Jane Austen and a delightful new story in its own right, Janice Hadlow's The Other Bennet Sister is, at its heart, a life-affirming tale of a young woman finding her place in the world. Witty and uplifting, it will make you feel – and cheer – for Mary as you never have before.
Review
It can be a little scary if you love Pride and Prejudice to read a book that bases itself on the very same characters, however, you can be sure you are in safe hands with this author. I felt every time I left the book I was thinking about it, almost like it was running on without my reading it. Every time I went back to read it was like slipping into a cosy room by the fire and settling down - I loved it. I will admit though it is a long book and I read another book in between at times to stop myself rushing ahead and not savouring this book.
The first part of the book sets the scene and introduces to Mary's character in depth - her likes and dislikes, how she sees herself fitting into the Bennet family and a little story of her own. The book then runs parallel to Pride and Prejudice with the recognisable events of the arrival of Mr Bingley and then his friend Mr Darcy. We go to the ball but this time we see it through the eyes of Mary and hear those famous words spoken by her sister when she overhears Mr Darcy discussing her to be "tolerable".
Then the book fast forwards two years and we find Mary taking advantage of her sisters good fortunes by staying with them as her father has passed away and Mr Collins is now the owner of Longbourn. What ensues is soley Mary's story and a very good one it is too. With misunderstandings in the very vein of Jane Austen's writing and the words from Mrs Bennet could have come from the pen of Austen herself so true they ring.
I loved the ending - I could read it again and again. It was so wonderful and beautifully written. I'm thankful to the author for bringing alive the characters of Pride and Prejudice and for her own interpretation which I thought was eloquently done. If you are a staunch P&P or Austen pedant you may not find it exactly to your taste, but it suited me very well and will read it again, not something I do very often.
I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review.
