Having suffered from losing both parents, all five Bennet sisters have separated across England, having to take up professions when Mr. Collins takes possession of their home, Longbourn.

Securing a post in Milton, an industrial town in the North, Elizabeth travels with a family called the Hales. Her close friend is their daughter, Miss Margaret Hale, and they both are suffering from being uprooted from their homes, and the comforts of the South.

Upon her arrival, Elizabeth is surprised to find that her past has followed her there.

Unsettled by Elizabeth rejecting his offer of marriage, Mr. Darcy takes a trip to Milton to visit his friend, Mr. John Thornton. While there, he discovers that bad first impressions are contagious!

Mr. Thornton, like Mr. Darcy, meets a lady with less than welcoming habits-Elizabeth's friend, Miss Margaret Hale.

Curiosities & Contemplation, A Pride & Prejudice North & South Variation, Book 1, is the tale that unites the characters of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice and Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South.

Note from the publisher: This book does end with a cliffhanger which is resolved in book 2 of the series.