The Other Bennet Sister : : a Novel

Locations
Call Number: Fiction / Hadlow, Janice, Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / Hadlow, Janice
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Traverwood Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fiction / Hadlow, Janice	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Traverwood Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / Hadlow, Janice	4-week checkout	Reshelving
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / Hadlow, Janice	4-week checkout	Due 05-23-2024

"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"-- Provided by publisher.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

An enjoyable read submitted by Ann H Kim on July 13, 2023, 4:48pm I love Austen re-tellings, and this one was particularly good. The book starts out covering familiar P&P territory but from Mary's perspective and then treads into new material that feels fresh and fun. I listened to the audiobook and had trouble stopping because it was so compelling.

Enjoyable! submitted by sarajowaycee on July 25, 2023, 1:01pm I enjoyed this book a lot, and like the previous reviewer, I had a hard time putting it down!

Mary Bennet finally gets her story told submitted by rshah on August 2, 2023, 7:38am The Other Bennet Sister focuses on the much maligned middle child, Mary Bennet. Part I runs parallel to P&P, while Parts II-IV tell Mary’s own story. I’m so glad Mary finally got her happy ending, but I could have done without the love triangle, mostly because I found one of the characters to be utterly insufferable. This could have been about 50 pages shorter, but it’s still an enjoyable read!