The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall By Anne Bronte (Paperback, 1996)

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The Penguin Classics edition of Anne Bronte's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall her groundbreaking study of a woman's valiant struggle for independence from an abusive husband is edited with an introduction & notes by Stevie Davis Gilbert Markham is deeply intrigued by Helen Graham a beautiful & secretive young woman who has moved into nearby Wildfell Hall with her young son He is quick to offer Helen his friendship but when her reclusive behaviour becomes the subject of local gossip & speculation Gilbert begins to wonder whether his trust in her has been misplaced It is only when she allows Gilbert to read her diary that the truth is revealed & the shocking details of the disastrous marriage she has left behind emerge Told with great immediacy combined with wit & irony The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a powerful depiction of a woman's fight for domestic independence & creative freedom In her introduction Stevie Davies discusses The Tenant of Wildfell Hall as feminist testament inspired by Anne Bronte's experiences as a governess & by the death of her brother Branwell Bronte & examines the novel's language biblical references & narrative styles Anne Bronte (1820-1849) youngest of the Bronte sisters was born at Thornton West Yorkshire Her father was a curate & her mother died when she was a baby leaving five daughters & one son After the death of her sisters Maria & Elizabeth from tuberculosis in 1825 the Bronte children were homeschooled & together they created fantasy worlds & kingdoms which they explored in writing Anne worked as a governess between 1840 & 1845 after which she published Agnes Grey (1847) & The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848) under the pen-name Acton Bell Anne Bronte died in 1849 If you enjoyed The Tenant of Wildfell Hall you might also like Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence also available in Penguin Classics