{"product_id":"9780399592218","title":"Mary B: A Novel: An untold story of Pride and Prejudice","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe overlooked middle sister in Jane Austen’s \u003ci\u003ePride\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eand Prejudice c\u003c\/i\u003easts off her prim exterior and takes center stage in this fresh retelling of the classic novel.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eI will tell you the story of how I knew myself to be plain and therefore devoid of the one virtue which it behooves every woman to have.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e What is to be done with Mary Bennet? She possesses neither the beauty of her eldest sister, Jane, nor the high-spirited charm of second-born Lizzy. Even compared to her frivolous younger siblings, Kitty and Lydia, Mary knows she is lacking in the ways that matter for single, not-so-well-to-do women in nineteenth-century England who must secure their futures through the finding of a husband. As her sisters wed, one by one, Mary pictures herself growing old, a spinster with no estate to run or children to mind, dependent on the charity of others. At least she has the silent rebellion and secret pleasures of reading and writing to keep her company.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e But even her fictional creations are no match for the scandal, tragedy, and romance that eventually visit Mary’s own life. In \u003ci\u003eMary B,\u003c\/i\u003e readers are transported beyond the center of the ballroom to discover that wallflowers are sometimes the most intriguing guests at the party. Beneath Mary’s plain appearance and bookish demeanor simmers an inner life brimming with passion, humor, and imagination—and a voice that demands to be heard.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Set before, during, and after the events of \u003ci\u003ePride and Prejudice,\u003c\/i\u003e Katherine J. Chen’s vividly original debut novel pays homage to a beloved classic while envisioning a life that is difficult to achieve in any era: that of a truly independent woman.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAdvance praise for \u003ci\u003eMary B\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“The best part about Mary’s star turn is that it bears little relation to the fates of her sisters. She’s a simmering, churning, smart woman determined to concoct an independent life.”\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Perhaps not even a newly discovered Austen manuscript could exceed the delicious pleasure of \u003ci\u003eMary B\u003c\/i\u003e. From an unswept corner of literature, Katherine J. Chen has conjured a heroine whose story is heartbreaking, hilarious, and, finally, thrilling.”\u003cb\u003e—\u003cb\u003eSusan Choi, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of \u003ci\u003eAmerican Woman\u003c\/i\u003e and\u003ci\u003e My Education\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “In giving Mary Bennet a resonant voice of her own, Chen has fashioned a luminous and enlightening novel that will entrance even, or especially, those who have not read Jane Austen’s masterpiece.”\u003cb\u003e—John Banville, Man Booker Prize–winning author of \u003ci\u003eThe Sea \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e Mrs. Osmond\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Random House Publishing Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47060285620464,"sku":"9780399592218","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780399592218_p0.jpg?v=1763699254","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780399592218","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}