I bought this because I loved Samantha Ellis' earlier book, How to Be a Heroine: Or, What I've Learned from Reading too Much, and I've always felt that Anne Bronte is unfairly overshadowed by the other Bronte sisters. Ellis feels the same and was inspired to write this biography/memoir by reading some of Anne's letters at the Bronte Parsonage in Haworth (visiting whilst reading from her first book which was inspired in part by Charlotte and Emily).

I describe this as a biography/memoir because it's not really a straight biography of Anne - Ellis is writing about Anne but also always reflecting on how what she has discovered about Anne impacts her own journey in life - I was used to this style from her first book but I could see that this might be annoying if you picked up [Take Courage] expecting a traditional literary biography.

I loved this book almost as much as I loved How to Be a Heroine - Ellis is very personal and personable - reading her books feels like you're having a nice long conversation with another friend who enjoys reading in the same way you do. Whereas her first book focused on fictional heroines and what they have taught Ellis, this book looks at Anne and the influences her friends and family had on her as well as what Ellis learnt herself from studying Anne's life. ( )