THE SECRET DIARIES OF CHARLOTTE BRONTË
As Charlotte Brontë struggles to write her masterpiece Jane Eyre, her secret passion for a married man nearly blinds her to the love of the Irishman who is determined to win her heart.
Although poor, plain, and unconnected, Charlotte Brontë possesses a 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 Branwell, and an eccentric father who is going blind, Charlotte dreams of a real love story as fiery as the ones she creates.
When an unexpected proposal throws Charlotte's household into confusion, she takes up her pen to examine the truth about her life, exposing her deepest feelings and desires, her triumphs and shattering disappointments, the inspiration behind her work, her desire for the man she can never have . . . and her tempestuous relationship with the man she comes to love: Mr. Arthur Bell Nichols.
"Who is this man who has dared to ask for my hand? Why is my father so dead set against him? Why are half the residents of Haworth determined to lynch him—or shoot him?"
The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë is a powerfully compelling, intensely researched literary feat that explores the passionate heart and unquiet soul of Charlotte Brontë. It is Charlotte's story, just as she might have written it herself.
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | INDIEBOUND | BOOKS-A-MILLION | AUDIBLE |
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PRAISE & AWARDS
• Winner, Audiobook Audie Award
• Women’s National Book Association Great Group Read
“Syrie James takes the biography of Brontë and sketches it into a work of art. A can’t-miss novel for Brontë fans and historical fiction buffs alike.”
—Sacramento Book Review
“Syrie’s story of Charlotte offers it all: longing and yearning, struggle and success, the searing pain of immeasurable loss, and the happiness of a love that came unbidden and unsought. I did not want this story to end.”
—Jane Austen’s World
“Readers will be glued to its pages from start to finish. Syrie James’s extensive research shows all throughout the book. The style in which the novel is written imitates Charlotte Brontë’s.”
—Bronte Blog
“An enchanting love story … and a gratifying and magnetizing read! 5 stars.”
—Austenesque Reviews
“Written in Charlotte’s voice … a mark of James’s stupendous talent. As I lived Charlotte’s life vicariously through this book, I understood the secret of her ‘success’—she had learnt the art of chiselling perfect characters from a very exacting teacher—Life. And what a life—ripped, ravaged, torn, strewn by tragedy of the worst kind. And yet, a life so full of fire, passion, intelligence and independent spirit that one can only applaud instead of shedding tears.”
—This and That
Read Syrie's related blogs:
Autobiographical Details in Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre: Part 1—The Madwoman in the Attic
Autobiographical Details in Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre: Part 2—The Origin of Mr. Rochester
Published by: Harper Collins
Pages: 454
ISBN13: 978-0061648373