I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the egalley in exchange for my honest review 1526722232 I am a huge Bronte fan but to be honest I never really thought about Aunt Branwell she was just the strict and eccentric spinster aunt Now after reading this book I feel a little ashamed of my views of her She gave up 20 years of her life to look after her sister s children and encouraged them in their literary endeavours She also financially supported them and the money she left them in her will allowed them to publish their books. She was a truly remarkable woman and the history of the Branwell family is also fascinating as well If you are a Bronte fan then you will love this well written and engrossing biography 1526722232 This is the first book I have read by this author so I had no pre judgements or expectations I found this to be an exceptionally easy read which was both well researched and presented The love of the subject by the author came across beautifully I can imagine if you were new to the story of the Bronte sisters this enthusiasm would also inspire you to further reading and research A mixture of fact and educated assumptions breathes life into the personality of Elizabeth Branwell even though I ve read a great deal about the Bronte family.

Wuthering Heights being my all time favourite novel this gave me new insights as I did not realise just how influential Elizabeth was somehow she has always just been part of the furniture of the parsonage metaphorically speaking I was also moved by the realisation of just how much she gave up regarding her personal life and well being to move 400 miles away from her other family members and the only home she had ever known in a time when travel was not an easy or comfortable undertaking for the welfare and love of her nieces and nephew I was also interested to read about what happened after the death of Elizabeth and how her extended family fared Just for the fact alone of how the author presented Elizabeth bringing her from a one dimensional figure in Bronte history to a 3 dimensional living being is worth a 5 the fact that I enjoyed the book so much and was sad that it came to an end confirms that this is definitely a recommended read and very worthy of a full five stars Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers Pen Sword History for providing me with a digital advance reader copy for my honest and unbiased review 1526722232 Nick Holland s name caught my eye on NetGalley as I previously read and enjoyed his book about Guy Faulkes.

The author briefly mentions the descendants of the Bront s who are alive today and I was surprised to know that there are any Aunt Branwell and the Bront Legacy is written in a way that draws the reader immediately into the time period and presents an expanded view of the Bront family It is also a wonderfully complete look at someone who played a huge role in the development of the Bront children I received this book from the publisher or author for a fair and honest review I was not compensated for this review 1526722232 Writing of Elizabeth Branwell the author Nick Holland states it is certain that without her there would be none of the Bronte books that we treasure today and this is the central theme of this compact but well researched and engrossing biography of someone who s importance may have been somewhat overlooked until now This thesis of her indispensability to the literary output of the sisters can be attributed to her dedication to the Bronte family when on her sister s death she left her native Cornwall never to return and took up residence with the family in the wilds of Yorkshire spending over twenty years caring for them The stability.

Influence and love that she offered was fundamental to ensuring that the sisters were able to grow up without the possible penury and emotional deprivation that would have existed without her As Mr Holland states she created an environment in which individuality was indulged and creativity was allowed to flourish Also and this is of most crucial importance the inheritance that she bestowed on the three sisters allowed their works to be published Until now Elizabeth Branwell s character has always been depicted as somewhat austere which is the result of a rather unflattering depiction of her in the The Life of Charlotte Bronte by fellow novelist Elizabeth Gaskel.

The reasons behind this falseness are explored Now the record has most demonstrably been put straight one might say The book also gives a vivid depiction of life in 18th century Cornwall and Elizabeth s retelling of the myths and legends of that isolated land would influence the Brontes subsequent writing. I have now read several historic books published by Pen Sword and I have always found them to be well written and informative They may well introduce you to subjects that you may have not previously been familiar with and due to the concise nature of their books they can normally be read over the course of one or two days you can quickly gain a basic appreciation of a subject which can then lead you if desired to further reading In this case whether you are already a Bronte devotee or like myself someone with only a rudimentary knowledge I think you will find this an informative and most importantly an enjoyable read There is also a collection of photographs that lend credence to the text 1526722232 Fascinating look at a woman I knew little about 1526722232 Very interesting and detailed biography of Elizabeth Branwell.

Elizabeth Branwell was born in Penzance in 1770 a member of a large and influential Cornish family of merchants and property owners In 1821 her life changed forever when her sister Maria fell dangerously ill Leaving her comfortable life behind Elizabeth made the long journey north to a remote moorland village in Yorkshire to nurse her sister After the death of Maria Elizabeth assumed the role of second mother to her nephew and five nieces She would never see Cornwall again but instead dedicated her life to her new family the Brontes of Haworth to whom she was known as Aunt Branwell In this first ever biography of Elizabeth Branwell we see at last the huge impact she had on Charlotte Emily and Anne Bronte as well as on her nephew Branwell Bronte who spiraled out of control away from her calming influence It was a legacy in Aunt Branwell s will that led directly to the Bronte books we love today but her influence on their lives and characters was equally important As opposed to the stern aunt portrayed by Mrs Gaskell in her biography of Charlotte Bronte we find a kind hearted woman who sacrificed everything for the children she came to love This revealing book also looks at the Branwell family and how their misfortunes mirrored that of the Brontes and we find out what happened to the Bronte cousin who emigrated to America and in doing so uncover the closest living relatives to the Bronte sisters today Aunt Branwell and the Bronte LegacyNick Holland s work is well written informative and enlightening I admit before reading this book I had not given much thought to the role that Elizabeth Branwell truly fulfilled in the Bronte household and the influence she had on their writing careers Holland provides insight into the household and into Elizabeth s mindset with the very little left directly from her own words the use of historical relevance to the time period descriptions from others and the reference points that reflect her in the lives of her nieces and nephew I truly enjoyed this book and have already recommended it to many of my fellow English lit major friends and colleagues I think anyone interested in the time period as Holland provides great information into what was happening in England during the life of Branwell would also find this book highly enjoyable and informative Though reviewed rather late due to health concerns on my part so I requested this book I have read a few Bronte novels and knew a little bit about their lives but not much. Just like with Guy Faulkes here Nick Holland didn t disappoint You can tell he has done extensive research and is passionate about his subject There is a wealth of information delivered in an easy and pleasant to read vivd writing style yet it s not so much as to become a bore. I learned a huge amount about Elizabeth Branwell and her nieces and nephew as well as about life at the time period and about Penzance What I particularly liked is that Nick Holland despite writing a biography managed to make all these people come to life I would have liked to see a few illustrations in the book hence my four star rating but otherwise it is pretty much perfect in terms of a readable enjoyable biography Disclaimer I received a free digital copy of this book courtesy of PenSword History and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 1526722232 In my memories family trips to the Bront parsonage in Haworth West Yorkshire always took place on gloomy days The venue looked sinister a building built so close to a cemetery full of gravestones and memorials which lurched unevenly towards the living The weather always seemed damp and dreary and the moor appeared unending to my young eyes The atmosphere inside felt no better Branwell Bront s famous painting hung if I recall on the stairs His attempts to paint himself out made him look like a foreboding spirit hovering behind his sisters And of course there s the tragic history of a man outliving his entire family including his children I knew Anne died in a different location but I don t think I properly realized that every other member of the family died in that house That includes Aunt Elizabeth Branwell the subject of Nick Holland s newest Bront biography Not much has been previously been published about the hidden woman behind the Bront sisters writings Aunt Branwell and the Bront Legacy is quite possibly the first biography about her She left no writings of her own so we must rely on what has been written about her Holland refers often to Elizabeth Gaskell s biography of Charlotte Bront arguing that Gaskell unfairly portrayed her as a hard and unloving woman He gives examples of how she can be seen in the characters the sisters created in their novels as both an aunt and a mother figure Holland begins with a description of Aunt Branwell s youth in Penzance Cornwall This will be of particular interest to fans of Poldark which is set around the time of Elizabeth Branwell s birth in the same area We get an interesting look at the heritage of Cornwall with particular regard to its culture and folklore It s thought that the sisters incorporated into their writing aspects of the myths they heard from their aunt There are many differences between Cornwall and Yorkshire and one can only imagine what she sacrificed in order to take care of her sister s family Whatever Gaskell s opinions there s no doubt that this is a woman who loved the Bront siblings her ultimate act of including them in her will put their writing careers in motion. I found the book itself well written and easy to read Perhaps it s just me but I did notice the electronic copy I received for review used the British English language throughout This would make sense since the author is British as is the publisher Whether or not this will be changed for American readers when it s released in the USA I don t know I personally hope not if only to retain the true tone of the author and his British subject matter The sole problem I had is not the fault of the author The Bront and Branwell families followed naming traditions and coupled with their apparent preference for popular names of the era this means there is than one Elizabeth and Charlotte appearing in the narrative Thank goodness for the index included along with notes and a select bibliography at the end of the book. Are there any revelations in this book It depends on what you knew about the family and Aunt Branwell prior to reading I had only my childhood memories to go on which admittedly may not be entirely accurate and I knew nothing about the subject except that she was the aunt who helped raise the Bront children I didn t know for example of the extent to which she inspired elements of the books that still grace many a bookshelf in the world This isn t just a good biography of Elizabeth Branwell It also serves a concise introduction to the Bront family history as well. Disclaimer I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley I was not required to write a review and the words above are my own 1526722232 I would like to thank PenSword and Netgalley for generously providing me with the copy of the book in exchange for an honest review I am a great fan of the Bronte family and this book on Elizabeth Branwell adds massively to my knowledge regarding the queens of English literature The life of Miss Branwell is usually mentioned modestly on several pages of any book dealing with the lives of the Brontes however Nick Holland decided and rightly too to explore in depth the life of the woman who spent over 20 years loving and caring for her sister s children and to whom we should feel gratitude as it was her moneyleft in the will that allowed the sisters to publish their works Nick Holland describes the Cornish roots of the sisters and deals with some negative myths and opinions as far as Miss Branwell is concerned The Author relies on original period correspondence and writes in a very enteraining style which makes the book accessible to any reader A very interesting read 1526722232 As much of a fan as I am of the Bront s I haven t read as many books about their lives as I would like I have not even read the famous Gaskell biography although I do own it and I should pick it up soon However I feel like I am familiar with a good deal of the Bront story through cultural osmosis and the many prefaces supplied in books by the three sisters But Aunt Branwell and the Bront Legacy seemed likely to give me added historical context and insight that I would not be familiar with because it focuses on the life of Aunt Branwell a mother figure to the Bront children and someone who helped raise them I knew so little about Aunt Branwell that I was eager to to discover her story. This book was a fascinating read The author starts by discussing the maternal side of the Bront family with Elizabeth Branwell s parents and her family life in Penzance Although there doesn t seem to be much in the way of primary sources for Elizabeth the author manages to imbue her story with something of her personality The personality of a woman who grew up in an exciting town in England and who had affluent parents so she could enjoy the finer things in life And to see how she gave that excitement up to take care of her sister s children in a small cold and remote village like Haworth was an interesting insight into her character While Gaskell s biography of Charlotte Bront might not be as complimentary to Aunt Branwell it is clear while reading this biography that the author presents a much unbiased and complete examination of Aunt Branwell s life and personality The written words of the Bront siblings play an important role in fleshing out her character too and the author drew connections between the children s stories to Aunt Branwell s influence that seemed very apt I love seeing how talented the Bront s were in absorbing the atmosphere lore and experiences of others to craft their tales And as a way to wrap up the story the aunt who came to nurse the Bronte children s mother through her terminal disease and then remained in Haworth for the next 20 odd years to help raise the children and pay for the little extras in life You read and hear a lot about the Brontes and often she s either a shadow in the background or there s this preconception that she was a miserable and repressive old sod something that may have come out of Mrs Gaskell s highly inaccurate biography of Charlotte Bronte And with it being the family name you hear a lot about the Bronte family But the mother s family is a little overlooked Because she died so young Because they re just women Anyway this book does her justice with lots of details which is something to be applauded for what I understand there s not much that Elizabeth wrote herself still surviving to be used as source material There s a bit about the Branwell family history in Penzance as well and also about their ongoing history Surprising when you consider Patrick s line and all of the Branwells that so few descendants came out of it although to claim that the few Branwells in America are the only closest living relatives to the Bronte sisters I take issue with Patrick Bronte came from a big family in Northern Ireland and no mention is made of them in this book Not that I was expecting anything about them in a book about the Branwells only that he has been so focused on that side he seems to have forgotten Irish decendants I feel that Holland was on safest ground when he was writing about the time in Yorkshire And it was very readable I got through most of this book in one day The guy knows his stuff I understand he s written biographies of the Bronte sisters as well Earlier history is a little minor niggles with me I find it tiresome when people talk about the bronze iron age celtic etc etc that they think the people of the previous age just ran off and a whole new set of people came in why is the idea that ideas fashions and technologies can travel in themselves and people can adapt and take on new ideas so hard to consider Also a touch of sloppy editing when mentioning a tsunami in Penzance the century it happened is wrong as it then happens after the Crow Hill Bog burst at Haworth according to his writing even though the tsunami was 69 years before the bog burst But that s sloppy editing typesetting and not necessarily anything to do with the writer And maybe I m being a tired old grump even mentioning it but it really jumped out at me as I was reading. But yeah minor niggles For an account from a different perspective of the decades at the Haworth parsonage this is a very readable book 1526722232

Aunt Branwell and the Bronte Legacy By Nick Holland

1526722232

9781526722232

English

168

Paperback

Nick Holland was born in Barnsley South Yorkshire and went to University in Huddersfield and later San Diego. Whilst living in the USA he developed a love of the books of Raymond Chandler and after returning to England decided to write a hard boiled thriller of his own but set in Yorkshire Thus The Girl On The Bus was born The Girl On The Bus has become a Kindle sensation at point being the 5th most downloaded book in the United Kingdom and regularly featuring in the top 100 paid bestsellers A follow up to The Girl On The Bus will be released in Summer 2013. Nick loves tortoises and was shocked to find only one childrens novel about them Esio Trot by Roald Dahl Taking matters into his own hands he wrote Tortoise Soup a Nick Holland was born in Barnsley South Yorkshire and went to University in Huddersfield and later San Diego. Whilst living in the USA he developed a love of the books of Raymond Chandler and after returning to England decided to write a hard boiled thriller of his own but set in Yorkshire Thus The Girl On The Bus was born The Girl On The Bus has become a Kindle sensation at point being the 5th most downloaded book in the United Kingdom and regularly featuring in the top 100 paid bestsellers A follow up to The Girl On The Bus will be released in Summer 2013. Nick loves tortoises and was shocked to find only one children s novel about them Esio Trot by Roald Dahl Taking matters into his own hands he wrote Tortoise Soup a delightful story of friendship and bravery aimed at children aged 8 108 So now there are two quality children s books about tortoises, Nick Holland has also written award winning poetry and his play Rudisha was performed in London in 2012 to coincide with the Olympic games: He is a also a ventriloquist can you guess what his puppet is That s right it s a tortoise site_link.