The Pursuit of Mary Bennet: A Pride and Prejudice Variation – The Overlooked Sister Discovers Romance in Jane Austen's Regency World of Courtship - Softcover

Mingle, Pamela

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0062274244 ISBN 13: 9780062274243

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks, 2013

Synopsis

A tale of love and marriage, society balls and courtship, class and a touch of scandal, Pamela Mingle's The Pursuit of Mary Bennet is a fresh take on one of the most beloved novels of all time, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

Growing up with four extraordinary sisters—beautiful and confident Jane and Elizabeth, and flirtatious and lighthearted Lydia and Kitty—wasn't easy for an awkward bookworm like Mary Bennet. But with nearly all of her sisters married and gone from the household, the unrefined Mary has transformed into an attractive and eligible young woman in her own right.

When another scandal involving Lydia and Wickham threatens the Bennet house, Mary and Kitty are packed off to visit Jane and her husband, Charles Bingley, where they meet the dashing Henry Walsh. Eager and naïve, Mary is confused by Henry's attentions, even as she finds herself drawing closer to him. Could this really be love—or the notions of a foolish girl unschooled in the art of romance and flirtation?

About this title

About the Author

Pamela Mingle is the author of Kissing Shakespeare, a time-travel romance for young adults set in Elizabethan England. She is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Pikes Peak Writers, Romance Writers of America, and the Jane Austen Society of North America.

From the Back Cover

The enthralling story of Pride and Prejudice's middle sister, Mary Bennet—an enchanting modern sequel to the beloved classic

For most of her life, Mary, the serious and unpolished third daughter of the Bennet family, has been overshadowed by her sisters—beautiful and confdent Jane and Elizabeth, and firtatious and lighthearted Lydia and Kitty. But with nearly all of her sisters married and gone from the household, awkward, unrefned Mary has blossomed into an attractive young woman with a quiet poise of her own.

When a very pregnant Lydia unexpectedly returns to the Bennet home and scandalously announces she's left Wickham, Mary and Kitty are packed off to visit Jane and her husband, Charles Bingley, in Derbyshire. Yearning for the solitude of home, Mary is dismayed to discover Bingley's handsome and eligible friend Henry Walsh everywhere she turns. Unschooled in the game of love, Mary fnds Henry's warm attentions confounding. Is his interest genuine or does she foolishly mistake friendliness for something more? With her heart and her future at risk, Mary must throw caution to the wind to fnd the truth—a journey of discovery that will teach her surprising lessons about herself and the desires of her heart.

Reviews

*Starred Review* In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Mary Bennet is the socially awkward, bookish middle sister who is rarely mentioned. In her first adult novel, YA author Mingle (Kissing Shakespeare, 2012) plucks the character from obscurity and brings her to life in this delightful spin-off. Of the five Bennet sisters, Mary is the one viewed by everyone as least likely to wed. Twenty-two years old and still living at home with her younger sister Kitty, Mary resents her predicament and her parents’ expectations. Her life takes a turn when her very pregnant and disgraced sister Lydia arrives home, and Mary and Kitty are shuttled off to live with their older, married sister, Jane. There, at High Tor, Mary meets the handsome and prosperous Henry Walsh. While Kitty vies for his attention, it’s Mary who holds Henry’s interest. But Mary is reluctant to open her heart to the love she longs to receive. The Pursuit of Mary Bennet is the story of a woman’s search for acceptance and identity and a man’s quest for her affections. Mingle makes no attempt to replicate Austen’s voice. Rather, she lets Mary speak for herself in this romantic charmer that will leave the reader sighing with pleasure and remembering what it feels like to fall in love. --Diane Holcomb

Edition details

• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0062274244
• ISBN 13: 9780062274243
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 302