{"product_id":"9780525631811","title":"Mary B: A Novel: An untold story of Pride and Prejudice","description":"\u003cp\u003e\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 \u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\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 \u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\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 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAdvance praise for \u003ci\u003eMary B\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003ci\u003eMary B\u003c\/i\u003e is so much more than a retelling of \u003ci\u003ePride and Prejudice\u003c\/i\u003e from the point of view of one of Elizabeth Bennet’s sisters. It is a retelling for our time—bold, provocative, and thrilling. Bravo!”\u003cb\u003e—Gish Jen, author of \u003ci\u003eMona in the Promised Land\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Love Wife\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Katherine J. Chen re-imagines Austen’s universe with humor and heart. Elegant, imaginative, and empathetic.”\u003cb\u003e—Jennifer duBois, author of \u003ci\u003eCartwheel \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eA Partial History of Lost Causes\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Chen has made alive Jane Austen’s irresistible Bennet family by her interest in all that we do not know, rather than what we do.”\u003cb\u003e—Susanna Moore, author of \u003ci\u003eIn the Cut\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eParadise of the Pacific\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Diversified Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47060691615984,"sku":"9780525631811","price":29.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780525631811_p0.jpg?v=1763710926","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780525631811","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}