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.

Book Summary

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.