A Secret Sisterhood
Very little is known about friendships between women writers. In Emily Midorikawa and Emma Sweeney’s book A Secret Sisterhood, readers learn about the friendships between Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, George Eliot, and Virginia Woolf. Through letters and diaries that have never been published before, this book resurrects these forgotten stories of female friendships. They were sometimes scandalous and volatile, sometimes supportive and inspiring, but always—until now—tantalizingly consigned to the shadows.
Jane Austen’s descendants were known to gloss over certain aspects of Austen’s life, shaping her into the spinster author who was too shy to share her work even with her family. But Austen was close to her brother’s governess named Anne Sharp, who was also a playwright. The two bonded over their shared love of the written word. Although their friendship was hidden from the public, these two women supported each other despite their different social status.
Charlotte Bronte was close to her literary sisters Anne and Emily, but her bond with feminist writer Mary Taylor helped shape her work. They met at boarding school and throughout the years bonded over politics, literature, and much more. One can’t read Bronte’s work without acknowledging the friendship shared with Taylor.
Although George Eliot and Harriet Beecher Stowe never met in person, their transatlantic friendship lasted over a decade. Eliot greatly admired Stowe’s work and Stowe found Eliot’s books remarkable. They may have had their disagreements over certain topics, but the two writers managed to maintain their friendship despite it all.
Perhaps the most interesting friendship of this collection, at least in my opinion, was between Virginia Woolf and Katherine Mansfield. Viewed as the leading female writers of their time, they were often seen as enemies. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Although the women were envious of each other’s talents, they looked beyond that and were able to “talk shop.” Woolf’s letters highlight how Mansfield was the only person she could discuss her writing with, besides her husband. Even after Mansfield’s early death, Woolf often thought of Mansfield and wondered what she would make of Woolf’s novels.
A Secret Sisterhood shows that even though the world's best-loved female authors are usually mythologized as solitary eccentrics or isolated geniuses, their friendships with other writers shaped their craft in ways no one could imagine.
A Secret Sisterhood Rating: ★★★★
Jane Austen’s descendants were known to gloss over certain aspects of Austen’s life, shaping her into the spinster author who was too shy to share her work even with her family. But Austen was close to her brother’s governess named Anne Sharp, who was also a playwright. The two bonded over their shared love of the written word. Although their friendship was hidden from the public, these two women supported each other despite their different social status.
Charlotte Bronte was close to her literary sisters Anne and Emily, but her bond with feminist writer Mary Taylor helped shape her work. They met at boarding school and throughout the years bonded over politics, literature, and much more. One can’t read Bronte’s work without acknowledging the friendship shared with Taylor.
Although George Eliot and Harriet Beecher Stowe never met in person, their transatlantic friendship lasted over a decade. Eliot greatly admired Stowe’s work and Stowe found Eliot’s books remarkable. They may have had their disagreements over certain topics, but the two writers managed to maintain their friendship despite it all.
Perhaps the most interesting friendship of this collection, at least in my opinion, was between Virginia Woolf and Katherine Mansfield. Viewed as the leading female writers of their time, they were often seen as enemies. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Although the women were envious of each other’s talents, they looked beyond that and were able to “talk shop.” Woolf’s letters highlight how Mansfield was the only person she could discuss her writing with, besides her husband. Even after Mansfield’s early death, Woolf often thought of Mansfield and wondered what she would make of Woolf’s novels.
A Secret Sisterhood shows that even though the world's best-loved female authors are usually mythologized as solitary eccentrics or isolated geniuses, their friendships with other writers shaped their craft in ways no one could imagine.
A Secret Sisterhood Rating: ★★★★