The Banished Uncle: Expanded Edition

A Pride and Prejudice Variation

By: Laraba Kendig

Narrated by: Harry Frost

Aaron Gardiner, the long lost uncle of the Bennet daughters, returns from India after twenty years. George Wickham plots, and gentlemen and ladies fall in love.

It is Christmas, 1811, and the Bennets of Longbourn are startled by the sudden arrival of Mr. Aaron Gardiner, Mrs. Bennet’s older brother who was banished to India more than two decades ago. Aaron, now rich from his business dealings, is a wise man with a deep understanding of human nature, and his insights into the characters of others prove invaluable to Elizabeth and Jane Bennet.

When Aaron’s family arrives from India, the Bennets find themselves embarking on new adventures. Philip, Aaron’s stepson, has unexpectedly come into an earldom, and Jane and Elizabeth assist their new cousin in learning to manage his vast estate in Kent. How will the Bennet sisters benefit from the connections of their newfound wealthy relations?

©2020 Laraba Kendig (P)2024 Laraba Kendig

A great P&P saga

I absolutely loved this story. It had a couple of new characters added to it. The banished uncle and his family. Very interesting take on pride and prejudice. It all felt so natural. Great indeed. Great Jaff

Delightful!

As others have mentioned, this is a truly unique P&P variation. It breathes fresh air into our beloved JAFF genre. I’m so glad Laraba Kendig got Harry Frost to narrate some of her books! He is a true talent and handles all the various characters magnificently, as always. Looking forward to more by Kendig.

Interesting storyline.

I really prefer the low angst stories! This will be on my listen to it again” list!

The Banished Uncle

Thanks so much to author Laraba Kendig and narrator Harry Frost for adding another really good story to the audiobook library. Loved the book, and Mr. Frost’s voice acting brought it to life.

Lots of good family

Much going on but low angst. The banished uncle, Edward Gardner’s brother, returns from India to England, much to the benefit to the Bennett, the Bingleys and many others. This author has a talent for bringing characters to life. Also a good story teller.

Lovely from beginning to end

I enjoyed the redemption arc as well as the twists. I adored all the original characters. Thank goodness for the Banished Uncle who sets all the things straight that have you typically pulling out your hair.

Excellent

I love completely different stories from the original but still recognizable characters. I also enjoy the introduction of new characters especially the lives of others besides ODC. It’s interesting to hear new stories and situations. I like stories that limit the idiocy of the Bennet parents and Lydia and Wickham. In some books they are so horrible it’s not fun to read. This is a very good story, a definite relisten. I appreciate the absence of swearing and graphic BR scenes. Excellent narration by Harry Frost. I look for books narrated by him because it isn’t just his beautiful voice but he truly knows how to act the scenes. He’s a great talent and gives such color to every character. Well worth the credit.

Loved the new characters & where it took the story

I have enjoyed the other stories by Laraba Kendig and love that she is bringing them into the audiobook audience. Her stories are full of richly detailed characters that you just fall in love with them. In this book we get to meet a new uncle Guardiner (he is the oldest) and had been gone for over 20 years. His entrance into the lives of the Bennet girls makes an almost immediate change and how things quickly change from canon - and in a good way. Harry Frost - thank you again for bringing another of her books to life!!!

Nice Variation

Additional Bennet Relations make for an interesting version of P&P. Story was good if somewhat disjointed, jumping from one household to another and then another. Harry Frost did a very good job. I think the epilogues - I forget how many - were a little much.

A Feel-good Pride and Prejudice Variation

A very pleasant story about a long lost elder Gardiner brother who returns to England after being banished by his father more than 20 years earlier. The book is a fast-moving, no angst, feel-good tale, depicting the realisation of each character reaching their HEA, thanks to much of the influence of the loving and intelligent uncle. I read the original version some time back, and enjoyed this expanded version with Harry Frost’s always excellent and entertaining narration.

Highly recommend.