The Secret Diary of Lydia Bennet: The Secret Diary of Lydia Bennet - Hardcover

Farrant, Natasha

3.62

968 ratings by Goodreads

9780545940313: The Secret Diary of Lydia Bennet: The Secret Diary of Lydia Bennet

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0545940311 ISBN 13: 9780545940313

Publisher: Chicken House, 2016

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Lydia is the youngest of the five Bennet girls. She's stubborn, never listens, and can't seem to keep her mouth shut--not that she would want to anyway. She's bored with her country life and wishes her older sisters would pay her attention . . . for once!Luckily, the handsome Wickham arrives at Longbourn to sweep her off her feet. Lydia's not going to let him know THAT, of course, especially since he only seems to be interested in friendship. But when they both decide to summer in the fasionable seaside town of Brighton, their paths become entangled again.At the seaside, Lydia also finds exciting new ways of life and a pair of friends who offer her a future she never dreamed of. Lydia finally understands what she really wants. But can she get it?A fresh, funny, and spirited reimagining of Jane Austen's beloved Pride and Prejudice, The Secret Diary of Lydia Bennet brings the voice of the wildest Bennet sister alive and center stage like never before.

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About the Author:

Natasha Farrant is the author of The Things We Did for Love and the Diaries of Bluebell Gadsby series. Her writing was called "raucously funny" by the New York Times, and her books have been nominated for the Branford Boase Award, the Carnegie Medal, the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, and the Queen of Teen award. She lives in London, England. Follow her on Twitter at @NatashaFarrant1.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 7 Up—Everyone knows Pride and Prejudice is Elizabeth Bennet's story. Sister Lydia wants to change that. Farrant's enticing book, written to evoke Austen's style without attempting to replicate it, gives readers "the rest of the story." Lydia might have been portrayed as a flibbertigibbet in the source material, memorable for eloping with the charming scoundrel Mr. Wickham, but here she presents her take. Readers are introduced to the youngest Bennet's wonderfully snarky personality as she, naively at times, lays open English society in 1811. The 15-year-old may be flighty and immature, but her diary entries illustrate that societal structure and mores can be held responsible. Women had well-defined roles, and society did not look kindly on those who defied them. Adventurous Lydia longs to ride fast, learn to shoot, and see the world beyond Hertfordshire. Instead, she is viewed as a marriage commodity by a mother desperate to ensure her family's financial security. Lydia is aware that she was denied an education because her family considers her looks and disposition her chief assets. When she sneaks into a library in search of reading material to impress a young man, readers sense that although her motives are shallow, this encounter with literature may not be her last. In the despicable Wickham, Lydia finds a kindred spirit, someone who has the potential to open worlds to her. VERDICT A delight to read. A familiarity with Pride and Prejudice will enhance enjoyment but is not necessary, and those who haven't read Austen will be sent in search of her work.—Nancy Nadig, Penn Manor School District, Lancaster, PA

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