The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet by Colleen McCullough

This sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is set about 20 years later.  Mary, the over-achieving, conceited, middle Bennet daughter from Austen’s classic, is now a spinster who has spent the intervening years caring for her ailing, widowed mother.  Previously “the only plain one in the family,” Mary has blossomed into a beauty rivaling her sister Lizzie.  Now that Mrs. Bennet has passed on, Mary is determined to be independent, spurning any suitors. This does not sit well with her brother-in-law, Fitzwilliam Darcy, who views her as a “wretched do-gooder” who may very well spoil his own ambitions.

Inspired by the mysterious reform writer Argus, Mary’s ambition is to write a book, “a serious work about the ills of England.” She sets out by stagecoach on a research tour and soon falls into an adventure beyond anything she could have imagined.  Meanwhile, the story turns to the particulars of the other four Bennet sisters, whose lives have each taken unexpected twists.  When Mary goes missing, her sisters’ lives are also irrevocably changed.  Through her trials Mary finally gains wisdom, and her sisters also find new purpose in life.

Although Colleen McCullough’s style is not that of Jane Austen, this is an entertaining read.  It is an earthier tale than Pride and Prejudice, more of an adventure story, with dashes of romance throughout.  There are some dark moments and villainous characters, but all is drawn to a largely satisfying conclusion.  For those fans of McCullough’s The Ladies of Missalonghi, this novel should not disappoint.

Review by Debby Henrikson, Topeka

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