2011 Audie Award Winner

"James takes the biography of Brontë and sketches it into a work of art."
—Sacramento Book Review

"I was charmed. So masterfully written
I had to remind myself that it is
just the fruit of Syrie James's genius."
—Austenprose.com

"An enchanting love story! 5 out of 5 stars."
—Austenesque Reviews

SUMMARY

"I have written about the joys of love. I have, in my secret heart, long dreamt of an intimate connection with a man; every Jane, I believe, deserves her Rochester."

Charlotte Brontë—although poor, plain, and socially unconnected—possesses a deeply passionate side which she reveals only in her writings, creating Jane Eyre and other novels that stand among literature's most beloved works. Living a secluded life in the wilds of Yorkshire with her sisters Emily and Anne, their drug addicted brother Branwell, and an eccentric father who is going blind, Charlotte dreams of a real love story as fiery as the ones she creates.

When an impassioned proposal throws Charlotte's household into confusion, she takes up her pen to examine the truth about her life, exposing her deepest feelings and desires, her triumphs and shattering disappointments, the inspiration behind her work, her scandalous, secret passion for the man she can never have . . . and her intense, dramatic relationship with the man she comes to love: the handsome Irishman, Mr. Arthur Bell Nichols.

"Who is this man who has dared to ask for my hand? Why is my father so dead set
against him? Why are half the residents of Haworth determined to lynch him—or
shoot him?"

The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë is a powerfully compelling, intensely researched literary feat that explores the passionate heart and unquiet soul of Charlotte Brontë. It is Charlotte's story, just as she might have written it herself.

Selected by the Women's National Book Association
as a Great Group Read of 2009

"I did not want this story to end." —Jane Austen's World

"I was transported." —Sonoma Country Life

"Delightful ... compelling ... captivating." —Feathered Quill

"All of the characters come alive ...
like an undiscovered plot from one of Bronte's own works." —BookNAround

"5 STARS. If I could give this more stars I would." —Goodreads

"Readers will be glued to its pages from start to finish." —Bronte Blog

"Brings the beloved author to life as never before. . . This fascinating novel is a delight to read." —Wichita Falls Times Record Review

"Talk about a gifted family... you'll love it!" —Once Upon A Romance

"A triumph in every way." —Dishmag

Read about the audio book

Read More Reviews...