Austin, Finola. Bronte’s Mistress. New York: Atria Books, 2020.
ISBN-13: 978-1982137236 | $27.00 USD | 320 pages | Historical Fiction
Blurb
“A beautifully written, highly seductive debut….The chemistry between Branwell and Lydia positively crackles on the page….Masterful storytelling which is sure to delight fans of the Brontës and of historical fiction.” –Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter
This dazzling debut novel for fans of Mrs. Poe and Longbourn explores the scandalous historical love affair between Branwell Brontë and Lydia Robinson, giving voice to the woman who allegedly corrupted her son’s innocent tutor and brought down the entire Brontë family.
Yorkshire, 1843: Lydia Robinson—mistress of Thorp Green Hall—has lost her precious young daughter and her mother within the same year. She returns to her bleak home, grief-stricken and unmoored. With her teenage daughters rebelling, her testy mother-in-law scrutinizing her every move, and her marriage grown cold, Lydia is restless and yearning for something more.
All of that changes with the arrival of her son’s tutor, Branwell Brontë, brother of her daughters’ governess, Miss Anne Brontë and those other writerly sisters, Charlotte and Emily. Branwell has his own demons to contend with—including living up to the ideals of his intelligent family—but his presence is a breath of fresh air for Lydia. Handsome, passionate, and uninhibited by social conventions, he’s also twenty-five to her forty-three. A love of poetry, music, and theatre bring mistress and tutor together, and Branwell’s colorful tales of his sisters’ elaborate play-acting and made-up worlds form the backdrop for seduction.
But Lydia’s new taste of passion comes with consequences. As Branwell’s inner turmoil rises to the surface, his behavior grows erratic and dangerous, and whispers of their passionate relationship spout from her servants’ lips, reaching all three protective Brontë sisters. Soon, it falls on Lydia to save not just her reputation, but her way of life, before those clever girls reveal all her secrets in their novels. Unfortunately, she might be too late.
Meticulously researched and deliciously told, Brontë’s Mistress is a captivating reimagining of the scandalous affair that has divided Brontë enthusiasts for generations and an illuminating portrait of a courageous, sharp-witted woman who fights to emerge with her dignity intact.
Review
5 stars
I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
“Readers were so quick to lap up the sorrows of moping governesses when that was only one side of the story.” (Finola Austin, Brontë’s Mistress, “Epilogue”)
This quote stood out to me as I was concluding my read of Brontë’s Mistress, as it speaks to who the audience will root for, in either a Brontë novel or anything else for that matter, especially when it comes to “the fairer sex.” The Brontë sisters themselves are looked on largely favorably due to their equal shares of genius and humility, meaning they were unconventional in “the right way, and they tended to award happy endings to characters who fit within their sphere of experience, perhaps in a similar way to how numerous heroines today area”not like other girls.”
And while Lydia has made some poor choices and by no means is a martyr whose experience compares to that of Jane Eyre, it is understandable that she has faced difficulties in her own way, due to having to prioritize society expectations, on top of those of her family (her mother-in-law in particular is a nightmare), not to mention the familial losses that have left her feeling bereft. While I didn’t like her treatment of Branwell and the way she later tried to shift the blame away from him, I could somewhat understand that it put her in a tough position. However, I also relished seeing her daughters defy her carefully made plans for them to follow her example in the marriage department, showing that they probably ended up much happier than she was in the long run, even if they sacrificed social standing and/or financial security.
This a wonderful alternate look at the alleged Brontë sex scandal, not to mention Mrs. Robinson, who I didn’t know much about prior, aside from what I heard in a few other Brontë books I’ve read. If you love historical fiction, especially those centering “unlikable” heroines, or anything Brontë-related, you’ll love this book.
Author Bio
Finola Austin, also known as the Secret Victorianist on her award-winning blog, is an England-born, Northern Ireland-raised, Brooklyn-based historical novelist and lover of the 19th century. By day, she works in digital advertising.
Buy links
Bookshop (affiliate link)
Courtney Reads Romance 