I suppose if this were a proper book I'd begin it something like, "Miss Lydia Bennet, youngest of five daughters to a father hopelessly entailed, had few advantages in life, but not too few to squander." That sounds fine, and important, and promises that no matter how exciting the story may become it will all resolve with a tidy boring moral at the end. That is why Kitty and I prefer to skip the last chapter of novels.However, that bit about squandering isn't true. Oh, I daresay many in Meryton would whisper that I had indeed squandered all my advantages of birth and position; and Lord knows I have shed many a tear over it...
***
Miss Lydia Bennet may be the youngest, but what she lacks in maturity and responsibility, she more than makes up for in energy, fun - and magic.
In this exuberant reimagining of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Lydia Bennet puts pen to paper to relate the real events and aftermath of the classic story from her own perspective. Some facts are well known: Mrs. Bennet suffers from her nerves; Mr. Bennet suffers from Mrs. Bennet, and all five daughters suffer from an estate that is entailed only to male heirs.
But Lydia also suffers from entirely different concerns: her best-loved sister Kitty is really a barn cat, and Wickham is every bit as wicked as the world believes him to be, but what else would you expect from a demon? And if you think Mr. Darcy was uptight about dancing etiquette, wait till you see how he reacts to witchcraft. Most of all, Lydia has yet to learn that when you're a witch, promises have power . .
Full of enchantment, intrigue, danger, and boundless magic, The Scandalous Confessions of Miss Lydia Bennet, Witch, has all the irreverent wit, strength, and romance of Pride and Prejudice - while offering a highly unexpected redemption for the wildest Bennet sister.
***
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is one of my favourite books. I am always a little hesitant to read books which move the story on in one way or another, although I have read some that make an excellent job of it, The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow springs to mind of an excellent example of this. Sadly this is not always the case.
However, Melinda Taub delivers a book based on the youngest Bennet sister, Lydia, and takes the story off in a direction that is both fun and amusing. This is an entertaining romp of a story centred around witchcraft in Recency England.
It is very much a book that does not take itself too seriously. Austen purists may not care for the liberties taken with the characters. However, read as a book that is intended to be read as a lively, witty and enjoyable retelling of a familiar story, it cannot fail to please.
The author has taken a familiar tale and spun a whole new perspective of the story from it. The characters are all recognizable from the original story, but seen through Lydia's eyes we observe a very different perspective.
Pride and Prejudice is a book I re-read often. However, I will never be able to look at Kitty Bennet in quite the same way again. I shall say no more as I would hate to spoil your own discovery and enjoyment of Kitty's place within the family.
Happy reading!
ISBN: 978 1529426243
Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books
Formats: e-book, audio and hardback
No. of Pages: 400 (hardback)
About the Author:
Melinda is the former head writer and executive producer of
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee and was the co-producer of the 2020
Daily Show special on the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The idea for Lydia Bennet came to her when she was Sam Bee's head writer during the Trump years and, often stressed and sad, all she could read were her best-loved books -
Pride & Prejudice being high on the list.
(book courtesy of the publicist)
(all opinions are my own)
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