The Other Bennet Sister Book Puts Pride & Prejudice In A New Light

BritBox’s The Other Bennet Sister may not be a technical sequel to Pride and Prejudice — rather, it’s based on a 2020 novel written by Janice Hadlow. But it’s in conversation with Jane Austen’s work in a way that Regency romance fans will love. Here’s how Mary’s love story unfolds in the book, culminating in a touching ending.

Hadlow’s novel both reimagines key Pride and Prejudice lore from Mary’s perspective and tells a new, original story for the so-called “plain” and often-overlooked middle sister. The book begins by retracing Mary’s life at home as her sisters marry off. She offers herself as a potential match for Mr. Collins (who’s due to inherit Longbourn) as they have much in common, but her mom casts her input aside.

Later, after Mr. Bennet’s sudden death, Mary and her mother visit their new in-laws, but feeling dejected and missing home, Mary retreats to Longbourn and stays with her old friend Charlotte, now married to Mr. Collins. She develops a friendship with Mr. Collins as they study together, but ultimately leaves to stay with her aunt and uncle, the Gardiners, once she worries that she’s overstayed her welcome.

Things open up for Mary with the kind Gardiners in London. She’s introduced to family friend Tom Hayward, and they forge a strong bond over books, as she begins to share his love of poetry. She also catches the attention of his friend, William Ryder, but her true feelings are for Tom.

During an idyllic trip to the Lake District, Mary is hopeful that she and Tom might exchange their feelings for each other. However, Ryder crashes the trip with Caroline Bingley (Mary’s cruel sister-in-law) and her family in tow — and without explanation, Tom begins pulling away from Mary.

The day after an ill-fated mountain climb, where Mary expresses her frustration, Tom makes a sudden departure for his family home in Hampshire. In his absence back in London, Ryder proposes to Mary, but she turns him down. Her mother is disappointed, but Caroline is glad to hear it because, as she tells Mary, she is pursuing Ryder instead.

Ultimately, Tom comes back to London, and Mary confesses her feelings for him. He returns her love and proposes, explaining that he’d only pulled away because on the trip, Ryder had revealed he suddenly stood to inherit Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s fortune, and Tom didn’t want to deprive Mary of a potentially lucrative match.

However, he regretted his actions and returned to London to explain himself — and after Miss Bingley had written to Tom and passed along Mary’s true feelings, he knew he had a chance.