Author:Anne Brontë,Angeline Goreau,Angeline Goreau

Anne Brontë's first novel is the compelling autobiographical tale of a young woman desperately seeking a place in the world
When her family becomes impoverished after a disastrous financial speculation, Agnes Grey determines to find work as a governess in order to contribute to their meagre income and assert her independence. But Agnes's enthusiasm is swiftly extinguished as she struggles first with the unmanageable Bloomfield children and then with the painful disdain of the haughty Murray family; the only kindness she receives comes from Mr Weston, the sober young curate. Drawing on her own experience, Anne Brontë's first novel offers a compelling personal perspective on the desperate position of unmarried, educated women for whom becoming a governess was the only respectable career open in Victorian society.
Manda Scott has created a fictional universe all her own, but close enough to our reality for it both to warm and break our hearts. Breathtakingly good, it reveals the best and worst in all of us
—— Val McDermidThe best in the current crop of novels about Rome, its empire and its victims ... never sentimental and always tough-minded
—— Roz Kaveney , IndependentEvery so often, a book comes along that totally remoulds a historical figure for our own times ... massively impressive
—— Jane Jakeman , Scotland on SundayA powerful novel, alive with the love, deceit, wisdom and the heroics of humanity
—— Jean M. AuelAn extraordinary work ... exciting and intriguing, taking you into a world where unbelievable danger and cruelty sit side by side with magic, spirituality and profound human relationships
—— Jenni MurrayUtterly convincing and compelling ... A stunning feat of the imagination and an absolute must-read
—— Steven PressfieldDenys Johnson-Davies...the leading Arabic-English translator of our time
—— Edward Said