Agnes Grey (1847) by Anne Brontë

Anne’s first novel, originally published in a three-volume set along with Emily’s Wuthering Heights, describes the experiences of a young rector’s daughter, Agnes Grey, as a governess in two very different households. Though the narrative of Agnes’s adventures and romance is simpler and more straightforward than The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Agnes Grey also explores themes of women’s independence, romantic love, Christian belief, and the consequences of immoral behavior.

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Wuthering Heights (1847) by Emily Brontë

The only novel by the middle Brontë sister draws deeply on veins of Romantic and Gothic literature to tell the story of the passionate attachment between young Cathy Earnshaw and Heathcliff, an orphan her family adopted, and the impact their love has on their families. The novel explores themes of romantic love, social restrictions, and addiction with a very different approach from those of Anne’s novels.

• Wuthering Heights on SuperSummary

Jane Eyre (1847) by Charlotte Brontë

Charlotte’s first novel follows the trials of the young orphan Jane Eyre as she grows up, becomes a governess, and experiences love and loss. Like Helen in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Jane must learn to navigate the world as an independent woman before securing a companionate marriage for herself.