Who Was… Charlotte Bronte

The girl who turned her life into a book

Charlotte Bronte eldest of the famous Bronte sisters, was a survivor. At eight she was packed off to a boarding school so harsh it killed two of her sisters.

As an adult her life was haunted by tragedy. But one thing kept Charlotte going – she had a secret talent for storytelling. This is the tale of a remarkable girl, who turned her own life into one of the world’s greatest novels, Jane Eyre.

‘But, if she had little time for writing at Roe Head, she did at least manage to tell stories. Charlotte loved all things spooky. At night in the dormitory she entertained the other girls with ghost stories. A tale about a sleepwalker was so terrifying that one girl began having palpitations, help had to be called for and smelling salts administered. In consequence, Charlotte, and her listeners were fined for late night talking.’

About Kate Hubbard

Kate Hubbard is the author of A Material Girl: Bess of Hardwick (Short Books, 2001), WHO WAS... Charlotte Brontë and WHO WAS... Queen Victoria from the Short Books children’s historical biography series. She lives in London and Dorset.