The Bad Miss Bennet: A Pride and Prejudice Novel

In her debut novel, Burnett picks up Lydia Bennet, Elizabeth’s frivolous and shallow sister in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, after Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy live happily ever after. Lydia isn’t quite so lucky in love. As a widow of the less-than-honest Mr. Wickham, she now resides with sister Elizabeth and brother-in-law Darcy, but her sights are set on Paris and a life of high society and glamour. After convincing Darcy to allow her to join her friends in London, she begins plotting her climb up the social ladder, her main objective to gain entry to a dance at Almack’s in King Street, “the acme of society,” in the hopes of scoring a wealthy husband. But between gambling, toying with a wealthy married banker, and dalliances with a disreputable but charming highwayman, Lydia always lands on the wrong side of fortune. As Pride and Prejudice resembled its protagonist—thoughtful, with a wry sense of humor—so too does this book favor Lydia—fun, frolicking, and always on to a new adventure. Burnett captures the essence of Lydia, and Austen fans will enjoy seeing her world from a new vantage point. Agent: The Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency, U.K. (Nov. 15)