Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall... these
fictional masterpieces are all recognized as landmarks of English
Literature. Still inspirational and challenging to readers today, upon
release in the mid-nineteenth century they caused a veritable sensation,
chiefly due to their subject matter and unconventional styles. But the
greatest sensation of all came when these books were revealed to be the
creations of women.
This is the story of those women and of the forces that shaped them into
trailblazing writers.
From early childhood, literature and the world of books held the
attention and sparked the fertile imaginations of the emotionally
intense and fascinating Bronte siblings. Beset by tragedy, three outlets
existed for their grief and their creative talents; they escaped into
books, into the wild moorlands surrounding their home and into their own
rich inner lives and an intricate play-world born of their collective
imaginations.
In this new study, Catherine Rayner offers a full and fascinating
exploration of the formative years of these bright children, taking us
on a journey from their earliest years to their tragically early deaths.
The Bronte girls grew into women who were unafraid to write themselves
into territories previously only visited by male authors. In addition,
they tackled all the taboo subjects of their time; divorce, child abuse,
bigamy, domestic violence, class, female depression and mental illness.
Nothing was beyond their scope and it is especially for this ability and
determination to speak for women, the marginalized and the disadvantaged
that they are remembered and celebrated today, two hundred years after
their births in the quiet Yorkshire village of Haworth.
This timely release offers a fresh perspective on a fascinating family
and a unique trio of talented and trailblazing sisters whose books will
doubtless continue to haunt and inspire for generations to come.
