Author: Ann Dinsdale
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Publish Date: May 1, 2013
Source: I received a copy from the PR; however, this did not affect my review.
Why You're Reading This Book:
- You're a non-fiction fan.
- You're interested in the Bronte sisters.
From Goodreads.com: "The three Brontë sisters – Anne, Charlotte and Emily – moved to Haworth Parsonage as children in 1820. It was there, on the edge of the dramatic landscape of the Yorkshire Moors, that they produced some of the most memorable, influential and best-loved novels in the English language.
Ann Dinsdale paints a detailed picture of everyday life at Haworth in the 1840s, recounting the Brontë family history and describing the local village and surrounding countryside. She goes on to consider the Brontës' poetry and novels in the context of their socio-historic background.
This book provides fascinating insight into the lives of the authors of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights and will be a must for both literature students and Brontë admirers. It is illustrated with numerous rarely seen images from the Haworth archives, including drawings by Charlotte and Emily, together with evocative pictures by local photographer Simon Warner."
My Two Cents:
The Bronte family has always been really intriguing to me. It's so amazing to me that three of the Bronte daughters became writers and famous ones at that. This book is part biography and part history of the Bronte family centering on their gorgeous house in the English countryside.
I really liked reading the biography of all of the family members. I actually didn't realize that the Bronte sister writers (Charlotte, Emily, and Anne) had any other siblings. They actually had several! They had a couple sisters who passed away and a brother. You learn something new everyday! Their brother, Branwell, was actually quite a good artist. I loved learning about him as well as learning a little bit more about the sisters. These sections were brief but really informative.
This book is chock full of fantastic pictures that give you a good sense of the Bronte's life and their environment. This would make a great coffee table book! You can almost imagine being at Haworth with the Bronte family. This is a pretty good book to introduce those that are new to the Bronte's as well as those that are already fans.
I also became intrigued when I read a book about the entire family - the overbearing father and the son who seemed a wastrel (to me!) in comparison with his over worked sisters.
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