Charlotte
Love is the focus of Martina Devlin’s elegant historical novel Charlotte, about Charlotte Brontë, her husband Arthur, and Arthur’s cousin Mary, who became Charlotte’s friend and, later, Arthur’s second wife.
The story is set in Ireland during the brief but happy time around Charlotte and Arthur’s honeymoon. Mary narrates, and her observations are astute and entertaining. After observing a brief interplay between the newlyweds, she makes the delicate observation that while Arthur adores his bride, Charlotte “loved his love for her.” And the couple’s happiness was not to last: Nine months later, the writer was dead.
Later, bonded by their mutual love for Charlotte, Mary and Arthur wed. Mary takes a stand for her reclusive friend’s privacy against claims that her possessions and even memories of her now belong to “history” and is firm against those who seek to profit from all that’s related to the writer. In secret, she even burns Charlotte’s wedding dress rather than have it become public property.
With themes of friendship, love, loyalty, and loss, the book touches on sensitive topics well. It covers the economic and political affairs of the time, the friction between rich and poor people and Irish and English people, the absurdity of government and social rules, the treatment of women, and the public’s obsession with fame. Mysteries and hints of forbidden love (Charlotte and Mary hug “bone against bone”) prompt the imagination, as do graceful descriptions like “a shadow ghosted across her face.”
The insightful historical novel Charlotte focuses on Charlotte Brontë’s brief marriage and pivotal stay in Ireland.
Reviewed by
Kristine Morris
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
