The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte

Though poor, plain, and unconnected, Charlotte Bronte possesses a deeply passionate side which she reveals only in her writings—creating Jane Eyre and other novels that stand among literature's most beloved works. Living a secluded life in the wilds of Yorkshire with her sisters Emily and Anne, their drug-addicted brother, and an eccentric father who is going blind, Charlotte Bronte dreams of a real love story as fiery as the ones she creates.

But it is in the pages of her diary where Charlotte exposes her deepest feelings and desires—and the truth about her life, its triumphs and shattering disappointments, her family, the inspiration behind her work, her scandalous secret passion for the man she can never have . . . and her intense, dramatic relationship with the man she comes to love, the enigmatic Arthur Bell Nicholls.

I honestly didn't know a thing about Charlotte Bronte. Aside from having sisters that were also authors, and that was about it. And I've only read one of her books, Jane Eyre. But I was curious enough to pick up The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte by Syrie James, just 'cause.

I found myself drawn into Charlotte's world, where she's a mere companion and nurse to her ailing father but who wanted to be so much more. Although I knew the common opinion (back then) that women were mere posessions to their families, it didn't diminish my anger or the characters' for that matter. I loved the way she stood up for her own ideals. Her drive to have her book published, even using a pseudonyn, was remarkable. The emotional loss of her siblings was earth shattering and brought tears to my eyes.

Loved it! And I'll be picking up the author's firt book, The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen.

The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte by Syrie James (5/5) Historical Fiction; Published: Avon A (6/09); New Author; Favorite Reads 2009; 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (113);