The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow

This one goes out to all my fellow Jane Austen nerds, and those whose first foray into the world of Jane started this year with BBC's The Other Bennet Sister.

I adored the show, but happily, before I watched it, I read the book earlier this year, and adored it also! So if you have seen the show and loved it, I highly recommend the book that inspired it: The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow.

I give five stars to both the book and the TV show. But let's start with the book.

This was the first book I read this year (if you don't count books that I started the end of 2025 and finished in 2026). January was cold and snowy, and this was such a cozy book to read during that time; not only because it scratched the Jane Austen itch, but also because it was a genuinely well-written novel.

Without any spoilers, the premise of this novel is the story of Mary Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. The first third of the story takes place during the events of Pride and Prejudice, the other two thirds of the story follow after the events of Austen's novel, as we follow Mary forge a new path for herself.

The first third of this novel has some heartbreaking moments as we see Mary struggle with being the after thought of her parents, constantly comparing herself to her sisters-- all beautiful, accomplished, fun, and visible. Mary compares herself, because her mother does the same. Knowing her relationship with her mother is a lost cause, Mary turns her attention on her father, only to find very little there for her. Her sisters either torment her, or are kind to her but without understanding. It was fascinating to see the well-known characters of Pride and Prejudice at a slightly different angle.

The second and third portions of the books are where we see Mary truly begin to find herself beyond, and outside of, her family. While still including characters from Pride and Prejudice, such as the Gardiners, the Bingleys, the Collins, and continued cameos from various members of the immediate Bennet family, Mary begins slowly making choices for herself outside of the familiar voices that have so often held sway over her.

We have all compared ourselves to others, we have all learned to shrink ourselves to fit a narrative laid out for us by others. We have all taken a back seat to our own lives, and let someone else drive the plot. In Mary, we find a soul sister here: the wallflower, the quiet one, the awkward one, the one who is "too much" as soon as she steps even a toe out of the shadows, the one who lives their lives to the beat of someone else's drum.

But we have all also had to learn how to step away, build boundaries, and speak up on behalf of ourselves. We have all experienced the struggle of finally taking that big, scary step of doing what is best for ourselves despite the contrary opinions of others. We have all learned to stand up for ourselves in big and small ways. And here we find Mary again: slowly, softly, gently, and quietly stepping out further and further until she finds herself.

Mary is still awkward, still a wallflower, but also strong, resilient, intuitive, and kind. We can learn from her how to be gentle with oneself after years of unkindness. We can learn from Mary how to find our voice, no matter how different it sounds to everyone who has ever known us. And we can learn from her that everyone deserves love.

The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow accomplishes so much in one novel:

1. It scratches that unique Jane Austen "itch" that comes with having read and reread all her novels and wishing there was more.

2. It transports you back to the familiar world of Pride and Prejudice, complete with character cameos, and a similar writing style one finds in Austen's novels.

3. It doesn't re-tell a story, but tells a new one, giving a voice to one of Austen's minor characters.

4. Finally, it is a love story, a coming-of-age story, and a story with depth, heart, and a heroine so unique and lovable that she leaves you wanting more.

Even if you have watched the BBC's The Other Bennet Sister show, I still highly recommend reading The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow. The show does an excellent job of adapting this beautiful novel. But TV and books are two very different mediums, so I am confident you will find something to love in both, even if you already know the ending of the story.

Let me leave you with one of my very favorite quotes from the book, that luckily made it's way into the show as well, delivered by the wonderful Lucy Briers as Mrs. Hill.

(Fun fact: Lucy Briers plays Mary Bennet in the 1995 BBC Pride and Prejudice miniseries).

"But in truth, I don't think you see yourself quite clearly, miss. Your sisters get in the way. A daffodil seems quite ordinary when planted between lilies. But looked at without them, it has its own kind of beauty.”