J.C. Peterson Interview – Mary Bennet in Fiction and Real Life

What inspired you to write this story?

It kind of hit me in one of those “bolt of lightning” moments. I realized I probably had more in common with Mary Bennet than Lizzy. Not super into formal balls? Yup. Awkward about new people? Definitely. Once I started looking closer at Mary, I saw someone who was desperately trying to figure out her place and just totally unsure of how to go about that. I mean, same, girl. My Mary – Marnie Barnes – came sidling into my brain fully formed, and I had to write her story.

Is it difficult to balance making a character realistically flawed while still making them the hero of their own story? I’ve read books or watched films in which the writer clearly wanted to make the main character very “real”, but never let them catch a break. For a lot of people life is a series of minor tragedies and victories.

Ha! Yes, it is! The fact is, I was starting with who Mary was in P&P as my jumping off point. She couldn’t be too charming or confident or warm at the beginning or she wouldn’t be Mary. Marnie makes a ton of mistakes – like, so many – but every mistake helps her learn and grow in an authentic way, especially when it comes to how she approaches relationships. Honestly, Marnie starts out truly unlikeable, but one of the things that makes me most proud is seeing readers say how they didn’t think they could ever like her then slowly realized they were cheering her on as the novel progressed. I call that a win.

Without giving too much away, can you say if the end of the story is more “open-ended”, or more of a “happy or content for now”? I’ve gradually become a YA fan, and I accept that there really isn’t such a thing as “happily ever after” – especially at a young age where you’re still evolving as a person – but I kind of like some resolution for the main characters in a book I’m reading. There’s one YA author in particular whose books I love, but the endings always feel very unfinished to me.

I’m writing rom-coms, so I’m a big believer in giving my endings an HEA (or Happy For Now, if that feels better for the story). My next book is a companion to this one, but BEING MARY BENNET is a stand-alone novel. So, without giving it away, yes, I do think Marnie’s story ends up in a satisfying, happy place.

Some authors say they have a soundtrack in their minds when they’re writing a book. Some even include it in the story. Were there any songs that came to mind as you were writing this story?

I really like music, but in a kind of “turn on Sirius XMU and let it wash over me” sort of way. My husband is VERY into music and has this enormous record collection. So I’ll go to him with some vague description and he’ll help me track it down. Here are some of my favorites from writing BEING MARY BENNET.

Japanese Breakfast – Paprika

Jonsi – Animal Arithmetic

Phosphorescent – Song for Zula

Broken Social Scene – It’s All Gonna Break

I actually made a public Spotify list so you can listen to my whole BEING MARY BENNET soundtrack! https://spoti.fi/34nlnqd

What are some of your favorite books? Favorite authors?

My favorite book of last year kind of defies easy explanation. “The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels” by India Holton is b a n a n a s in the best way. It’s a historical fantasy romance but has a very modern voice and was one of those books that, when I finished it, I wanted to start it over right away. I also adore Rachel Lynn Solomon’s YA and adult rom-coms, T.J. Klune’s books (“The House in the Cerulean Sea” was achingly beautiful), and Elise Bryant’s charming rom-coms. For classics, the Anne of Green Gables series will forever be a favorite (and, coincidentally, is Marnie’s favorite series too).

I couldn’t end this interview without asking two things:

Which is your favorite adaptation of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE?

The 2005 version by Joe Wright is flawless, to me. I love the 1995 mini-series (and it was the first Austen adaptation I ever saw!), but for me, it’s 2005. I’ve watched it every single year around Christmas since it came out, and it still gives me chills. Lizzy standing on the cliff! The hand flex! Darcy’s first proposal! Ugh, it’s perfect. Also, shout out to “Austenland,” which makes me cackle. Keri Russell in “The Americans” is one half of my favorite television performance maybe ever, so seeing her as Jane Erstwhile is so fun. (Okay, another aside in “The Americans” vein, Matthew Rhys is wonderful as Darcy in “Death Comes to Pemberley” – watch his intensity in that and “The Americans” and then go watch “The Wine Show” with Matthew Goode and be ready to giggle.)

And – Mr. Darcy, Henry Tilney, or Mr. Rochester? I feel like this question is an ink blots kind of question.

Not Mr. Rochester. Dude keeps a wife in the attic, which is a stance I’m generally against. (For what it’s worth, Marnie starts out loving Mr. Rochester.) I can be convinced of Tilney, but I’ve got to be cliche here and say Darcy. I’d love to have a charged back-and-forth with him. And if we fight, I’ll just go to another wing of Pemberley for a bit.

What are you currently working on?

I’m finishing up edits on a companion novel to BEING MARY BENNET that follows Marnie’s little sister, Lola. Lola (my Lydia) is a disaster and I have seriously never had more fun writing a story. It’ll be out with HarperTeen in winter 2023! I just saw the cover and am in looooooove.

BEING MARY BENNET by J.C. Peterson

It is a truth universally acknowledged that every bookworm secretly wishes to be Lizzy Bennet from Pride and Prejudice.

A less acknowledged truth is that Mary Bennet might be a better fit.

For Marnie Barnes, realizing she’s a Mary Bennet is devastating. But she’s determined to reinvent herself, so she enlists the help of her bubbly roommate and opens up to the world.

And between new friends, a very cute boy, and a rescue pup named Sir Pat, Marnie finds herself on a path to becoming a new person entirely. But she’s no Lizzy, or even Mary—instead, she’s someone even better: just plain Marnie.

With a hilariously sharp voice, a sweet and fulfilling romance that features a meet-cute in an animal shelter, and a big family that revels in causing big problems, this charming comedy of errors about a girl who resolves to become the main character of her own story (at any and all costs), is perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Becky Albertalli…and Jane Austen, of course.

Young Adult Romance [Harper Teen, On Sale: March 15, 2022, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9780063060135 / ]

A nuanced story about self-acceptance and trusting the right people!