I have read a few non-fiction books about the Brontes. This one is a fictionalized account following the truth as much as possible. It is a lovely love story, and fills in some things that are hard to imagine reading just the nonfiction accounts. I think it is very close to what actually happened. I always wondered why Charlotte married Arthur, but after reading this, I have a better idea. ( )

3.5 stars, rounded up.

I confess I am a kind of stupid fan of the Brontes and tend to want to read anything that happens to have their names associated with it. So, when I saw this book on the shelf at my local library, I picked it up on a whim and brought it home. Not how I generally choose a book, but sometimes stepping away from the plan is fun. And, this was.

Juliet Gael makes a real effort to stick to the facts, where known, about Charlotte Bronte, which I always appreciate in an author writing about a historical figure. Where she embellishes, I sometimes think she may not have guessed correctly, but then her guess is as good as mine. I did enjoy the fictitious parts of the story, the love interest, and the idea that maybe Charlotte found some marital happiness at the end. After all, don’t we all hope the real lives of those we admire are better than we suppose?

While I like Charlotte very much, and I did enjoy reading Mrs. Gaskell’s account of her, which might not be one bit more accurate than this imagining except in those parts where Elizabeth Gaskell was actually present for an event, I confess that it is Emily who really captures my imagination, and she was not present enough in this novel to please me. It certainly makes me ache to think of Charlotte Bronte watching the deaths of all of her siblings and being left to cope alone with her cantankerous father.

Among the best books ever written are those penned by the Bronte sisters. That so much talent could exist in one family is amazing. That Branwell might have had the same richness of mind and imagination and wasted it is also sad. I have several other volumes on my TBR that deal with the Brontes and that I hope to get to this year. I am glad I stopped for this one now, though, because the impulse was justified and the timing just right. It was not too serious, nor too light, and much needed while I sat in a hospital room with my husband over the last several days.
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Romancing Miss Bronte is technically a novel, but is based primarily in fact in its re-imagining of the domestic lives of the Bronte sisters, with an emphasis on Charlotte, the longest surviving of the sisters. Gael’s text meticulously details the complexities of relationships between writers, but also sisters, as they pursue publication of their poetry and novels. Having lived somber lives rife with loss, Romancing Miss Bronte is passionate yet heartrendingly honest, while offering unique insight into the intricacies of crafting literature, particularly as a woman in the 19th century. The title suggests a light, heavily romanticized version of the truth; however, Gael remains true to the stark realities of the Bronte family with a well-researched and inspired account. ( )

Part fact, part informed fiction - I liked the idea of this book, and some parts I enjoyed very much, but I didn't love the authors voice. If you love the Bronte novels, this is a fun book to read to get a picture of the three sisters lives and personalities. ( )

Getting into this book was slow going for me BUT once I did I fell in love with the characters. I cried like a baby at the end. I love historical fiction and this was very true to history and wonderfully written! ( )