It is a truth universally acknowledged that all Pride and Prejudice retellings are destined for greatness. As a self-proclaimed P&P retelling connoisseur, I’ve watched or read just about every variation of the classic romance — Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the Lizzie Bennet diaries on Youtube, and many (many) more. Ibi Zoboi’s, Pride, which was released this past September, joins as the latest in the list of P&P retellings. Don’t be fooled, though: this book is much, much more than that.
Pride follows Zuri Luz Benitez, an upcoming high school senior who lives in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Her big sister is home for the summer from her first year of college, she has the whole summer ahead of her to enjoy with her family and friends in their neighborhood, and nothing could be better. That is, until a mega-rich family moves into the house in front of hers. The Darcy family presents more than just an opportunity for the Benitez girls to flirt with the cute guys that just moved in — they represent the rise of gentrification that threatens to change Zuri’s entire neighborhood, the place she has called home forever.
I found that Pride was an incredibly honest novel, refreshing in the way that it tackled things like gentrification, race, and class disparity while still providing a swoon-worthy romance between two characters who, as in the style of the classic, Lizzie Bennett and William Darcy just cannot stand each other at the start. The issues discussed and dealt with in Pride felt real and tangible, and in turn, Zuri was a great protagonist from start to finish. She is not perfect (what main character is?), but her growth in the novel is just as tangible and very fun to read.
I devoured the book in a literal night, so if you’re looking for your next diverse retelling of the classic Austen, this is it. It carries the essence of P&P while still claiming its own space in the context of what America looks like in 2018.