Share
About the book
Gilbert Markham is deeply intrigued by Helen Graham, a beautiful and secretive young woman who has moved into nearby Wildfell Hall with her young son.
He is quick to offer Helen his friendship, but when her reclusive behaviour becomes the subject of local gossip and speculation, Gilbert begins to wonder whether his trust in her has been misplaced.
It is only when she allows Gilbert to read her diary that the truth is revealed and the shocking details of the disastrous marriage she has left behind emerge.
Told with great immediacy, combined with wit and irony, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a powerful depiction of a woman's fight for domestic independence and creative freedom.
Why we love it
Originally published in 1848 under the pseudonym Acton Bell, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall tells the story of Helen Graham, a mysterious and reclusive woman who takes up residence at Wildfell Hall, along with her young son.
Told partly in diary form, the book was considered quite scandalous when first published because of its shocking portrayal of an abused wife leaving a cruel and immoral husband. Critics condemned it and even Anne's own sister, Charlotte Bronte, prevented reprinting of the novel after Anne's death.
A truly groundbreaking novel, Helen's abandonment of her husband and defiance of both social norms and the law was unimaginable to many readers at the time, highlighting the powerlessness of women during the Victorian era and the hypocrisy of attitudes towards men and women.
Anne Bronte is utterly unflinching in her portrayal of the cruelties inflicted on Helen by her alcoholic husband and in the equally cruel limitations placed on women at the time.
Regularly cited as one of the most influential novels of all time, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is an absolute must-read that continues to have relevance today.