在經典文學《傲慢與偏見》中，最後珍跟賓利先生結婚，伊莉莎白跟達西解開誤會後也結婚了，然後呢？
這次，請聽聽班奈特家最小的女兒，瑪莉的故事...
當我們重讀《傲慢與偏見》，總會記得聰慧獨立的伊麗莎白、溫柔美麗的珍，或是淘氣輕率的莉蒂雅與凱蒂。但你是否記得班奈特家的第五位女兒──瑪莉？
她是那個思想有點激進、總埋首書堆、話不多且外貌平平又不擅交際，在舞會上獻唱卻被父親當眾制止的女孩。對許多讀者而言，瑪莉彷若是陪襯故事的一抹背景色。但如果她也有機會發聲，她會如何掌握並選擇人生的方向呢？
Janice Hadlow 為這位被忽略的角色賦予全新生命。從《傲慢與偏見》中熟悉的舞會場景展開，故事由瑪莉的視角出發，帶我們走進她安靜卻早熟、敏銳而獨特的內心世界。姊妹相繼出嫁後，她與伊麗莎白的摯友夏洛特建立起深厚情誼，甚至與常被視為笑柄的柯林斯牧師，發展出一段充滿智慧與理解的微妙關係。
面對父親去世，家中唯一的經濟支柱消失，瑪莉也必須為未來做打算，她也逐漸明白，若想被真正理解與看見，她也必須有所改變。於是，她離開熟悉的環境，前往倫敦投靠她的姑姑與姑丈，也在那裡展開全新的邂逅。
正因為她在原著中被孤立於姊妹們的兩端，反倒讓她成為最有可能性的存在。這部作品以細緻的筆觸重塑她的成長與追尋，不僅讓她撕去「不起眼」的標籤，更讓我們看見，即使不是典型的女主角，也值得擁有自己的故事與幸福結局。
For Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice fans everywhere, this is Mary Bennet's story . . .
In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Mary is the middle of the five Bennet girls and the plainest of them all, so what hope does she have? Prim and pious, with no redeeming features, she is unloved and seemingly unlovable.
The Other Bennet Sister, though, shows another side to Mary. An introvert in a family of extroverts; a constant disappointment to her mother who values beauty above all else; fearful of her father’s sharp tongue; with little in common with her siblings – is it any wonder she turns to books for both company and guidance? And, if she finds her life lonely or lacking, that she determines to try harder at the one thing she can be: right.
One by one, her sisters marry – Jane and Lizzy for love; Lydia for some semblance of respectability – but Mary, it seems, is destined to remain single and live out her life at Longbourn, at least until her father dies and the house is bequeathed to the reviled Mr Collins.
But when that fateful day finally comes, she slowly discovers that perhaps there is hope for her, after all.
