Mary starts off similar to canon in that she is enamoured with moralising, dresses, and has her hair in a severe style as we would expect from a canon Mary.

That is where the similarities stop. She is still the middle daughter; however she and Lizzy are twins, with Lizzy being slightly older than Mary. Her relationship with both Jane, Lizzy, and Kitty is very different than in canon, even before she Takes Charge.

The story follows Mary as she begins to change and see things that she had ignored before. The questions of what causes her to change and what she does about it are answered in the tale.

She has a positive effect on many around her as she begins to take charge as we see a brave and positive Mary emerge, one who decides to be her authentic self, who decides not to hide her light under a bushel any longer.

With all due deference to the one and only brilliant Jane Austen, this is not our dear JA’s Mary.
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