The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

About Anne Bronte

Anne Bronte was the daughter of Patrick Bronte a poor Irish clergyman in the Church of England. Anne lived most of her life with her family at the parish of Haworth on the Yorkshire moors. Otherwise she attended a boarding school in Mirfield between 1836 and 1837 and between 1839 and 1845 lived elsewhere working as a governess. In 1846 she published a book of poems with her sisters and later two novels initially under the pen name Acton Bell. Her first novel Agnes Grey was published in 1847 with Wuthering Heights. Her second novel The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was published in 1848 and is thought to be one of the first sustained feminist novels. Anne died at 29 probably of pulmonary tuberculosis. After Anne's death her sister Charlotte edited Agnes Grey to fix issues with its first edition but prevented republication of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. This is one reason why Anne is not as well known as her sisters. Nonetheless both of Anne's novels are considered classics of English literature today.