Brontee's Mistress - by Finola Austin (Paperback)

About the Book

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 scrutinising 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 Bronte--brother of her daughters' governess, Miss Anne Bronte 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 colourful 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 behaviour grows erratic and dangerous, and whispers of their passionate relationship spout from her servants' lips, reaching all three protective Bronte 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.

Book Synopsis

"[A] meticulously researched debut novel...In a word? Juicy." --O, The Oprah Magazine

The scandalous historical love affair between Lydia Robinson and Branwell Brontë, brother to novelists Charlotte, Emily, and Anne, gives voice to the woman who allegedly brought down one of literature's most famous families.

Yorkshire, 1843: Lydia Robinson has tragically 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' imaginative worlds form the backdrop for seduction.

But their new passion comes with consequences. As Branwell's inner turmoil rises to the surface, his behavior grows erratic, and whispers of their romantic relationship spout from Lydia's servants' lips, reaching all three Brontë sisters. Soon, it falls on Mrs. Robinson 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.

Review Quotes

"A beautifully written, highly seductive debut... 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

"Brontë's Mistress may speculate, but it does so delightfully." -- Christian Science Monitor

About the Author

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.