Following the story of love and friendships, Farrant writes alongside the plot of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Full of drama and small talk, Farrant reflects period habits through the childish view of Lydia. Turning 15, Lydia Bennet, the youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, receives a journal from her older sister Mary. With complete Georgian Era countryside splendour, Lydia describes her experiences interacting with the community such as Wickham, Mr. Darcy, Harriet, and more. Moving from Merytown to the seaside of Brighton, Lydia discovers a new side of life that she never could have dreamed of before.
Farrant completed extensive research on both the novel Pride and Prejudice and the Georgian Era, but the accuracy in fashion and actions was overshadowed by the explicit thoughts of Lydia expressed in her diary. The explicitness of actions and beliefs could easily help late elementary and early middle school students fall in love with Jane Austen’s setting. It is quite child friendly and anyone above fifth grade could read it without any comprehension problems.
Through the explicit nature of Lydia’s thoughts, this novel could be an easy way to introduce to young children literary analysis. Tracking colors, relationships, and clothing would not be a difficult task for middle schoolers. Specifically, period fashion such as dresses or parasols are described and represent wealth and power. Also, the relationships centered around Lydia are easy to notice. Wickham is the most noticeable as his relationship regarding Lydia’s love shifts as the plot progresses. Furthermore, the plot correlation between this novel and Pride and Prejudice could be used to familiarize younger students with classics and make them seem less daunting. Personally, I have found that books in this genre make me want to read the original classic. I can see a young student become excited in high school once Pride and Prejudice is an assigned reading due to reading this novel at a young age.
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