There are few books that I think about for days after I finish them. I am a voracious reader. I will open up a book, get into the story, and then when I am done with the book, I move on to the next. Not so for Bronte’s Mistress by Finola Austin.
As nearly anyone who has studied English Literature at some time or another, I was of course familiar with the three Bronte sisters, and I recall reading something that mentioned their poet brother Branwell, who had such promise, but who never reached the literary heights that his sisters did. He was just a faceless name in the pages and pages of literary analysis undergrads are supposed to read.
Not any more.
Ms. Finola Austin has breathed life into his character, although her goal was to give a voice to the infamous Mrs. Robinson, Branwell Bronte’s purported mistress.
She has done both remarkably well.
Here’s my brief review from Goodreads:
Compelling and tragic, this novel breathed life into literary characters I have known about for decades.
Recommended reading.
I gave it a 5 star rating. Because I read it with interest, disgust, and curiosity. And I’m still thinking about it, a few days later.
Let me know what you think.
The Bear View 