* * * 1/2
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?
I’ll make a confession here: I’ve never read Pride & Prejudice all the way through BUT I have seen the series with the charming Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. Does that
count? Anyway, I mention this because not having read P & P, I wondered if
that would hinder me at all when I tackled The Pursuit of Mary Bennet.
If you’re
looking for a sequel, this is certainly not it. Instead, Mingle has decided to
write a story about the one sister we hardly know anything about. It seems daunting but I think Mingle steps up to the challenge nicely.
Rather than mimic Jane Austen’s writing, she has planted Mary as the narrator, giving
her her own distinct voice. What we end
up with is a lovely story about a sister once so easily disregarded by her family who steps out into the spotlight.
What surprised me most as I read Pursuit is how funny it is. Mary is essentially a girl after my own heart. She has a wry sense of
humor, can be sarcastic and often times a bit too blunt. I love her! Her
personality stands in sharp contrast to her sisters and other women of the
time. To be honest, she would fit in easily with today’s crowd. And her
older two sisters notice this change in her. Both Elizabeth and Jane admit to
having ignored her for the most part and acknowledge that she is becoming a
very smart and “well-mannered” young woman. They try to protect her from their family's scandals - though she is strong enough to handle them - and also encourage a potential courtship between her and Henry Walsh.
Her meetings with Henry are funny. They obviously like
each other though customs of that time period forbid them from coming right out
and saying it. That’s annoying. But Mary muddles through because she has plenty
other things on her mind such as the mess that her sister Lydia has landed
herself in. As with P & P, of course
there are hiccups and misunderstandings that lead to a few tears and chaos. But
as with P & P, things do turn around for the better.
I enjoyed reading The Pursuit of Mary Bennet very much. I went it to
it with an open mind and returned with a particular fondness for Mary and her
brand of girl power.
~ Bel
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