A Great Deal of Ingenuity: A Collection of Pride and Prejudice Short Stories

The pages of Pride and Prejudice sparkle with household names. Proud Darcy and prejudiced Elizabeth, book-loving Mr Bennet, the snobbish Bingley sisters, predatory Mr Wickham and oily Mr Collins.

But what about all the other people busy cooking, mending, flirting, walking and socialising in the background?

In this entertaining collection of short stories, Ruth Leigh shines a light on the lives of nine characters from the novel. For instance, how is married life at Hunsford for Mr and Mrs Collins? Will mousy Maria Lucas ever find a husband? How does Sally the maid feel about mending Lydia’s worked muslin gown? Which Meryton matron will triumph in luring a respectable and marriageable young man into their parlour? These stories give the reader a window into the worlds of Meryton, Rosings Park, Pemberley and Hunsford as you’ve never seen them before.

Ruth is a novelist and freelance writer, the author of the Isabella M Smugge series, contemporary humorous page-turners. She lives in rural Suffolk with three children, one husband and a cat. Ruth has been an Austen devotee since the age of fifteen and is a proud member of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Nerd community. You can find her on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Twitter at ruthleighwrites and at her website, www.ruthleighwrites.co.uk.

What People Are Saying

“Cleverly thought-out and brilliantly executed, Ruth Leigh bestows upon us the backstories we never knew we needed. Leigh has breathed life into those who made but a cameo appearance in Pride and Prejudice. Delightful!”

Rose Servitova, author of “The Longbourn Letters,” “The Watsons” and “A Season at Sanditon.”

You will love these glimpses into the lives of minor Pride and Prejudice characters. With warmth, wit and a detailed understanding of the period, we are drawn effortlessly into the social niceties and small calamities of everyday Georgian life. These are fascinating cameos of minor characters in this timeless book, brought to life with skill and artistry.

Deborah Jenkins, author of, “The Evenness of Things” and “Braver” (shortlisted for the Writers’ Guild Best First Novel Award).

Read more