A noted classic, many have read JANE EYRE as a child, a
student and/or as an adult and might wonder how much stems
from reality. Writing experts often stress the importance
of writing from experience. In THE SECRET DIARIES OF
CHARLOTTE BRONTE, Syrie James explores the life of
Charlotte, her family, her beliefs and her passions. While
biographies and other papers exist, many fans of fiction
find a fictionalized account a more interesting way to
discover a life: a more vibrant portrayal of an
individual's existence.
Charlotte grew up in the wilds of the Yorkshire moors with
her two sisters, Emily and Anne; her brother, Branwell; her
father, the local parson; and her Aunt Elizabeth Branwell.
She and her sisters shared a fascination with telling
stories from an early age, creating imaginative worlds and
characters. Charlotte won over her boarding school
classmates with tales made up on the spot and thus made her
place among the girls after a humiliating start when they
put her "last on the list" because she was ugly. That
wouldn't be the last time someone referred to her as ugly
either.
As a woman living in the mid 19th century though, Charlotte
struggled to find her place. Most people felt women could
work as teachers and governesses, and with an elderly
father going blind, she determined to find a way to survive
even if survival meant hiding the femininity and talents of
the Bronte sisters' first publication behind pseudonyms.
Perhaps, not a beauty, Charlotte's first diary entry in
this novel recounts a marriage proposal that set the house
aflutter. And readers learn of another hidden crush,
friendships, hardship and heartbreak in the narrative of
her tale.
Syrie James writes in a similar style to Charlotte
and Emily, and any who have read JANE EYRE or WUTHERING
HEIGHTS will recognize the long, flowing sentences of a
more old-fashioned construction. The style works well for
this story as it mirrors both the time period and
Charlotte's writing, and James uses footnotes to explain
archaic terminology and to translate French conversation.
The book gets off to a slow start, but the pace picks up
once the women publish a book of poetry and focus on their
novels. I admit to hoping the author would get to the
marriage proposal and romance sooner than she did, but I
kept reading knowing it would come. I appreciate fiction
for fiction's sake, but knowing that a story portrays an
individual -- and not just a made-up character -- gives an
extra sense of passion and curiosity to my reading. Fans of
historical fiction -- and the Bronte sisters in particular --
will find this an enjoyable read.
Syrie James takes us into the unquiet soul of Charlotte
Bronte. Poor, plain and unconnected, Charlotte, her
sisters live in the wilds of Yorkshire. Their eccentric
father allows no curtains on the windows and no rugs on
the floors. Their brother is a drunkard and a drug addict.
But these three sisters write some of the most beloved
books ever created. Many don't know that Charlotte's life
held hidden passions. And while many remember Jan Eyre,
few know about her romance with Arthur Bell Nichols. After
her death, he destroyed so much of the personal writing of
her adulthood, but now, Charlotte's secrets are about to
be told.
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