The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow

Blurb

"Mary, the bookish ugly duckling of Pride and Prejudice’s five Bennet sisters, emerges from the shadows and transforms into a desired woman with choices of her own.

What if Mary Bennet’s life took a different path from that laid out for her in Pride and Prejudice? What if the frustrated intellectual of the Bennet family, the marginalized middle daughter, the plain girl who takes refuge in her books, eventually found the fulfillment enjoyed by her prettier, more confident sisters? This is the plot of The Other Bennet Sister, a debut novel with exactly the affection and authority to satisfy Austen fans.

Ultimately, Mary’s journey is like that taken by every Austen heroine. She learns that she can only expect joy when she has accepted who she really is. She must throw off the false expectations and wrong ideas that have combined to obscure her true nature and prevented her from what makes her happy. Only when she undergoes this evolution does she have a chance at finding fulfillment; only then does she have the clarity to recognize her partner when he presents himself—and only at that moment is she genuinely worthy of love.

Mary’s destiny diverges from that of her sisters. It does not involve broad acres or landed gentry. But it does include a man; and, as in all Austen novels, Mary must decide whether he is the truly the one for her. In The Other Bennet Sister, Mary is a fully rounded character—complex, conflicted, and often uncertain; but also vulnerable, supremely sympathetic, and ultimately the protagonist of an uncommonly satisfying debut novel."

Published: March 31st 2020 by Henry Holt and Co.
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, many thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity.

My Review

Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite novels so I was intrigued and a little apprehensive to read a book which would add to the story for better or worse. However, this felt like a really valuable addition to the original adding more without taking anything away from the classic.

The story focuses on the quietest and least popular Bennet sister Mary from childhood to adulthood. I found it intriguing how the author depicted Mary's childhood and adolescence as an emotionally neglected child. Mrs Bennet is portrayed as being much more interested in her other daughters as they are all a lot prettier than Mary. This feels true to the original. Meanwhile Mr Bennet is only interested in Lizzie to Mary's disappointment. I really felt for her as she tried repeatedly to find ways to engage with Mr Bennet and be interesting to him, spending so much time in the library to try to be closer to him and felt her heartbreak when it didn't work. The only thing that felt a bit uncomfortable was that Mr Bennet who I really liked in Pride and Prejudice is almost shown to be cruel in this book which was a little disappointing.

Eventually the story moves forward past the contents of the original novel and this is where it really begins to stand strong in it's own right. Mary spends time in different households trying to find a place for herself in the world. I enjoyed seeing characters like Lizzie and Mr Darcy in their married life, and Jane with Mr Bingley. One of the most enjoyable sections of the story is spent with Mr and Mrs Collins. The author paints him in a much more sympathetic light than the original which I enjoyed.

Eventually Mary goes to stay with the lovely Mr and Mrs Gardner in London where she meets Mr Hayward. This is where Mary begins to find the love and respect that she has always craved and it was a pleasure to read about it and to see how grow into a more confident person.

I highly recommend this book for any fans of the original book as this adds a lot of depth and understanding to Mary's character. I give this 4 out of 5.

The Author

Janice Hadlow has worked at the BBC for 28 years, including more than 10 years as a top executive. She was educated at comprehensive school in Swanley, in north Kent, and graduated with a BA in history from King’s College London. She currently lives in Bath. A Royal Experiment was her first book.