Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Read if you like: Jane Austen but make it modern, strong women protagonists, lots of literary allusions

Reading goal: 9/100

Unmarriageable, A Pride and Prejudice retelling set in modern Pakistan, follows Alys Binat and her sisters as they look for love (and advantageous marriages) amid the drama and rumors of their social circles. Alys, much to the dismay of her mother, has no intention of marrying, and dedicates her days to teaching literature in the hopes of inspiring young women to dream of more than just marriage.

When an invitation arrives to the wedding of the year, Mrs. Binat goes to work to prepare her daughters to impress eligible bachelors. At the wedding, Alys' sister, Jena, captures the attention of successful entrepreneur Fahad Bingla, and the whole family hopes for an engagement. However, Bingla's friend, Valentine Darsee, is unimpressed with the Binat family, particularly Alys, and the feeling is mutual. As the wedding festivities continue and the Alys begins to learn more about Darsee, and finds she may have misjudged him all along.

It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that, when presented with a retelling of Pride and Prejudice, one Abby Sauer will have no choice but to adore it. Soniah Kamal is a master storyteller who has a love for Austen's original work that shines through in Unmarriageable. Kamal recreates Pride and Prejudice essentially scene for scene, and it is astounding how she is able to draw such distinct parallels about socio-economic status and marriage in Austen's time and in Pakistan in the early 2000s. Additionally, I feel like a lot of retellings of Austen's work focus on the relationship between the Darcy and Elizabeth characters, when what really makes Austen's books special is her commentary on society. Its a love story but its not just about love-- its about family, and status, and the expectations of women. Kamal captures this beautifully. She is witty, clever, and downright funny in a way that is reflective of Austen's writing but also uniquely her own. Any Pride and Prejudice fan should read this book.