Brontë's Mistress Published by Atria Books by Finola Austin
on August 4, 2020
Genres: Fiction, Historical, European Literature, British Literature
Pages: 320
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback, ARC
Find the Author: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram
Find the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
ISBN: 1982137231
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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.
The Brontës. Their novels are some of my absolute favorites to read and re-read. Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, and Agnes Grey are books that had such an impression on me as a teenage reader.
There’s always been some mystery around what actually happened between the Brontë sisters’ brother, Branwell and Mrs. Robinson. The consensus is that there was an affair and that she likely ruined poor Branwell. Now, whether any of that is true–I guess we’ll really never know. Whether Lydia Robinson was a nefarious employer who took advantage–will remain a mystery.
But, Austin writes a remarkable story on what, in her mind, might have happened.
I won’t lie. This book, while very well written and intriguing, was a challenge for me. I adore books that are full of lively, colorful, sympathetic characters. However, I found that Brontë’s Mistress was full of people that just, quite frankly, couldn’t get behind.
Lydia Robinson was written as a sad, unloved woman. She recently lost her precious baby daughter, and her husband’s love, all in the same year. To be in a marriage like that would be abominable. However, I found Lydia to be the kind of character that had absolutely no care for how her actions affected anyone else–including her living children, whom she barely seemed to tolerate.
Branwell, as fleeting as he was in the story, just seemed a joke. He was a drunken man, looking for love. Full of poetry and inspiration, he latched on to Mrs. Robinson and saw something in her that no one else could see.
Forgetting the fact that I didn’t care for the characters–including Mr. Robinson–This story was wonderfully written and told. Austin absolutely immersed me in this story and kept me hooked, waiting to see what trouble would befall our main players.
I’m thrilled to have gotten the chance to read this. And, I’m really excited to read more by this author.
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BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE:
Aug 03 Bronteblog (Guest Blog)
Aug 03 The Reading Frenzy (Interview)
Aug 03 Austenprose—A Jane Austen Blog (Review)
Aug 04 Lu’s Reviews (Review)
Aug 04 The Best Historical Fiction (Review)
Aug 05 The Write Review (Review)
Aug 05 English Historical Fiction Authors (Guest Blog)
Aug 06 Historical Fiction Reader (Review)
Aug 06 Captivated Reading (Review)
Aug 07 Reading the Past (Review)
Aug 07 Diary of an Eccentric (Excerpt)
Aug 08 Book Nursie (Review)
Aug 10 Frolic Media (Interview)
Aug 10 Historical Fiction with Spirit (Review)
Aug 10 Bronteblog (Review)
Aug 11 Chicks, Rogues and Scandals (Review)
Aug 11 A Bookish Way of Life (Review)
Aug 12 Laura’s Reviews (Review)
Aug 12 Historical Fiction Reader (Interview)
Aug 13 The Lit Bitch (Excerpt)
Aug 14 Silver Petticoat Reviews (Guest Blog)
Aug 14 The Reading Frenzy (Review)
Aug 15 The Write Review (Live Facebook Interview)
Aug 16 Probably at the Library (Review)
About Finola Austin
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. Find her online at FinolaAustin.com. Brontë’s Mistress is her debut novel.
Thanks for the the review and for being part of the tour!
This sounds like a book I would absolutely love and I’ve seen it around a lot lately but I’m one of those readers that to some extent needs to care for the characters so I wonder how I’d feel about them. Great review!
Stephanie @ Bookfever recently posted…Review: Murder in the Place of Anubis by Lynda Robinson
Great review, Christine! I agree they were all very flawed. I guess nice people don’t make complex characters (lol). I totally see your point. I also prefer to be able to truly like the main characters, but, despite of that, I was overall very impressed by this book.