The Other Bennet Sister

As seen on BBC One, starring Richard E. Grant, Ruth Jones and Ella Bruccoleri

'Will delight Pride and Prejudice fans' – The Independent

One by one, the Bennet sisters have found their place. But what happens to the one left behind? The Other Bennet Sister is the brilliant, witty, and heartbreakingly relatable story of Mary Bennet.

In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, we know the fates of the five Bennet girls. But while her sisters are celebrated for their beauty or their wit, Mary is the "plain" middle sister, the introvert in a family of extroverts, and a constant disappointment to her mother.

Lonely and lacking connection, Mary turns to the only place she feels safe: her books. Determined to be "right" since she can never be "beautiful," she prepares for a life of solitude at Longbourn.

One by one, the other sisters move on: Jane and Lizzy for love, and Lydia for respectability. Mary is destined to remain single, at least until her father dies and the house is bequeathed to the reviled Mr Collins.

But when that fateful day finally arrives, the life Mary expected is turned upside down. In the face of uncertainty, she slowly discovers that there is hope for the "plain" sister after all. . .

Experience the witty, life-affirming tale of a young woman finally finding her place in the world.

This is Mary Bennet's story.

Review

Janice Hadlow has dusted down Mary, the ugly Bennet sister, and fashioned her into a heroine that even Miss Austen would approve of. A treat -- Daisy Goodwin, author of Victoria and The Fortune Hunter

It's difficult not to race through those final pages -- Jo Baker, author of Longbourn and The Body Lies

This gorgeous book pays homage to Pride and Prejudice - and follows Mary Bennet, the overlooked middle Bennet sister. It's a wonderfully warm, comforting read - perfect on a winter's night ― The Sun

I absolutely love this novel - as will any young woman who has felt herself plain, shy, bookish and crushed -- Amanda Craig, author of The Lie of the Land and The Golden Rule

Fans will need no persuasion . . . worthy of any Austen heroine ― Metro

Jane fans rejoice! I loved this thoroughly estimable, worthy homage to Austen. Exceptional storytelling and a true delight -- Helen Simonson, author of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and The Summer Before the War

Puts Mary front and centre stage exploring why she was so heartbreakingly sidelined by Mrs Bennet and gives humour and sensitivity to the most overlooked of the sisters -- Stylist magazine - best books of 2020

Impeccably researched, this lifts Mary from obscurity, as she breaks out of her mother's world and follows her own path ― Daily Mail

A wonderful, absorbing, accomplished book. I loved it -- Stephanie Butland, author of Lost for Words and The Woman in the Photograph

About the Author

Janice Hadlow was born in London and studied history at university. After a few years working for the House of Commons, she joined the BBC and became a television producer. There, and later at Channel Four, she played an important role in popularizing history on TV, making a number of highly regarded series, including Simon Schama’s History of Britain.

She went on to run two of the BBC’s major television channels, first as Controller of BBC 4 and then BBC 2, and she commissioned hits across a wide range of genres, from Great British Bake Off to the dramas Wolf Hall and Line of Duty. She was the recipient of a number of awards, and is a Fellow of the Royal Television Society, as well as of King’s College, University of London.

The Other Bennet Sister is her first novel although she has previously written one non fiction book, The Strangest Family, which told the story of the troubled relationship between George III and his wife and children. Her newest novel, Rules of the Heart, is a sweeping Regency romance, featuring a real-life scandalous affair.

She currently lives in Edinburgh with her husband and has two sons.