The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte
The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte asks the question, what if the famous author kept a diary documenting her journey of becoming a published author, and her own real-life romance? Author Syrie James takes on this challenge in a powerfully compelling, intensely researched novel that makes the reader feel like an intimate member of the Bronte family.
Secret Diaries begins just as Charlotte’s sister Anne and brother Branwell return for their summer vacation. The only difference is, Anne has left her post as governess and won’t divulge why, even to her sisters. Throughout this story, the reader sees how close the Bronte family is, specifically Charlotte and her sisters. They’ve shared a love of writing since childhood, and it brings them together again in adulthood. It was a joy to see the sisters helping each other create the novels they would become famous for. I could picture them sitting around the dinner table, working away together late into the night.
Perhaps that intimacy was what made the devastating loses of Emily and Anne so keenly felt. You could just tell how lost Charlotte was without her sisters. True, the untimely death of Branwell was also painful for the family, but due to his drug and alcohol addiction, he had been outside the sisters’ intimate circle for years.
James painstakingly researched information for this story and doing so really made it feel like I was reading Charlotte’s actual diary. I’m thoroughly impressed with how well she captured Charlotte’s passionate spirit. I particularly like how James wrote Charlotte’s relationship with Arthur Bell Nicholls. It took over eight years for her to realize he was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Although they had very little time together as husband and wife, you could see what time they did have was filled with joy.
James did her best to end Secret Diaries on a high note, which I’m glad for, but sadly one cannot erase history. Charlotte’s early death has always left me wondering what other great stories she would have created, had she not died so young.
The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte Rating: ★★★★
Secret Diaries begins just as Charlotte’s sister Anne and brother Branwell return for their summer vacation. The only difference is, Anne has left her post as governess and won’t divulge why, even to her sisters. Throughout this story, the reader sees how close the Bronte family is, specifically Charlotte and her sisters. They’ve shared a love of writing since childhood, and it brings them together again in adulthood. It was a joy to see the sisters helping each other create the novels they would become famous for. I could picture them sitting around the dinner table, working away together late into the night.
Perhaps that intimacy was what made the devastating loses of Emily and Anne so keenly felt. You could just tell how lost Charlotte was without her sisters. True, the untimely death of Branwell was also painful for the family, but due to his drug and alcohol addiction, he had been outside the sisters’ intimate circle for years.
James painstakingly researched information for this story and doing so really made it feel like I was reading Charlotte’s actual diary. I’m thoroughly impressed with how well she captured Charlotte’s passionate spirit. I particularly like how James wrote Charlotte’s relationship with Arthur Bell Nicholls. It took over eight years for her to realize he was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Although they had very little time together as husband and wife, you could see what time they did have was filled with joy.
James did her best to end Secret Diaries on a high note, which I’m glad for, but sadly one cannot erase history. Charlotte’s early death has always left me wondering what other great stories she would have created, had she not died so young.
The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte Rating: ★★★★