What If Mary Bennet Could Turn Back Tiiiiioome?

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Source: Review Copy from Author

TYPE OF NOVEL: Pride and Prejudice Time Travel, Secondary Character

TIME FRAME: Begins just before Mr. Bingley leases Netherfield

SYNOPSIS: Mary’s great-aunt Harriet Gardiner bequeathed her an unattractive and old bonnet with the secret magical ability to travel through time. Now with Mary’s great power, comes great responsibility – she is on a mission to ensure a secure future for her sisters and herself.

WHAT I LOVED:

• Such a Clever Premise: With all the fluke coincidences and chance encounters taking place in Pride and Prejudice it is almost as if there was someone pulling some strings to to bring certain characters and events together. Well, there actually is someone pulling strings – literally – Mary Bennet. Whenever she removes/adds one stitch from her bonnet and places it on her head, she travels one hour backwards/forwards in time. Such a fantastic way to time travel, right? And what an interesting character to bestow this ability on!

• Puppet-Master Mary: Because she has no desire to marry, herself, Mary Bennet’s main goal with her ability to travel through time is to help her sisters find happy marriages that would secure a stable future for their family (you know with the entail and all). Mrs. Bennet has no idea that her middle daughter is such an ally to her own life goals! It was great fun to see how Mary would orchestrate events, meetings, arrivals, etc. to bring about some familiar coincidences and scenes. For example, there was more than one possible new tenant for Netherfield Park and Charlotte originally invited someone else to come visit her at Hunsford. But now Mary is a puppet-master of sorts and she arranges things to best achieve her own aims. And just like in life, Mary learns that things don’t always go according to plan and that even with the ability to go back in time, she can’t always counteract the independent wills of others.

• Magical Bonnet Properties: I loved the magic behind this bonnet! Not only does it allow the wearer to move forwards and backwards, but it also has several other surprises in store (but I shall not divulge them here!) I will only say that these additional capabilities were wonderfully creative and I loved how Ms. Duke (and Mary Bennet) implemented them!

• Charlotte, Mr. Chamberlyne, Mrs. Pepperstock: I adored these supporting characters and the roles they played in this story as Mary’s closest confidants and friends. There were some pleasing and progressive new developments with Charlotte and Mr. Chamberlyne, and I thoroughly approved of them and appreciated the subtle and inclusive ways they were introduced. In addition, I enjoyed the Ms. Duke’s original character – Mrs. Pepperstock. She was a hoot! I loved the thoughtful development of these relationships. Each was meaningful and evolved in a unique way.

• Mary vs. Lydia: Ooh! I enjoyed seeing these two lock horns and duke it out! I applaud Mary for holding her own and not always tolerating Lydia’s nonsense. She can be the worst sometimes. It felt unique to explore this combative dynamic between Mary and Lydia.

WHAT I WASN’T TOO FOND OF:

• A Step Too Far: While there were some parts of the story that I felt could do with a little more tightening and/or less telling, my main point of discontent was with a decision Mary made later in the book that caused her to do something truly immoral. And even though this Mary Bennet is bolder and worldlier. It seemed inconsistent with her overall character make-up, and felt a little implausible when she was not deeply troubled by committing such an unforgivable offense.

CONCLUSION:

Back to the Bonnet is a splendidly amusing adventure that is sure to divert readers who wish to explore some alternate avenues with Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I adored Jennifer Duke’s imaginative ideas, her playful and thoughtful approach to Jane Austen’s characters, and her writing style, which is equal parts frankness, humor, and charm. I highly recommend!

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