Bold...Brilliant...Brave...
Heroines
Throughout History
VICTORIAN
WRITERS
by Tara Kingston
Greetings! I’m Tara Kingston, historical romance author and lover of all
things Victorian. I’m fascinated by history through the ages, especially the
bold, brilliant women who helped shape our world, and I’m delighted to be a monthly
contributor to History Undressed. I’ll be sharing facts about daring women
through history—some famous, some not so well-known, but all remarkable with
their own unique contributions.
Today’s post takes a look at several well-known female writers of the
Victorian era. Novels such as Jane Eyre and
Wuthering Heights endure as classics,
and certainly have inspired many romantic fantasies. The authors who wrote
tales such as these often used pseudonyms in order to present a more masculine
persona and avoid scandal. Now for a look at some of these brilliant and bold
Victorian authors.
Charlotte Brontë – The oldest of the
legendary Brontë sisters, Charlotte Bronte published one of the best known
gothic novels of all time, Jane Eyre, in
1847. The tragic love story between Mr. Rochester and governess Jane Eyre
(complete with a mad woman in the attic…talk about an obstacle to true love!),
endures as one of my very favorite novels.
Emily Brontë – Miss Brontë’s
classic Wuthering Heights is one of
my most all-time favorite novels. Originally published in 1848 under the
pseudonym Ellis Bell, Wuthering Heights remains
a classic. Unsurprising, really…after all, who could ever forget the passion
and tragedy of Heathcliff and Cathy?
Anne Brontë – The youngest of
the Brontë sisters was an accomplished author in her own right, publishing Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall in 1848 under the pen name Acton Bell. Like
her sister Emily and brother Brantwell (both took ill and died in 1848), Anne
Brontë’s life was cut short when she succumbed to illness in May 1849.
Mary Elizabeth
Braddon – Following years as an actress using the stage name Mary Seyton, Mary
Elizabeth Braddon became a successful and prolific author. Using the pen name
M.E. Braddon, Mary Elizabeth Braddon penned melodramatic sensation novels with
great success. Perhaps best known for her 1862 sensation novel, Lady Audley’s Secret, Mary Braddon also
founded Belgravia magazine, a
literary publication that included serialized novels, non-fiction, and poetry.
Louisa May Alcott –
Miss
Alcott’s classic Little Women, the
story of four sisters coming of age during the Civil War, is perhaps her best
known work. Adapted for the screen many times, the character Jo (based on Louisa
May Alcott) has been portrayed by actresses including Katharine Hepburn, June
Allyson, and Winona Ryder. Though best-known as the author of Little Women, Miss Alcott was a prolific
writer. She published more than two dozen books and story collections,
including Hospital Stories, inspired
by her experiences as a Civil War nurse.
Sources:
All photographs are in the
public domain.
About The Author:
Award-winning author Tara
Kingston writes historical romance laced with intrigue, danger, and adventures
of the heart. A Southern belle-out-of-water in a quaint Pennsylvania town, she
lives her own love story with her real-life hero in a cozy Victorian. The
mother of two sons, Tara's a former librarian whose love of books is evident in
her popping-at-the-seams bookcases. It goes without saying that Tara's husband
is thankful for the invention of digital books, thereby eliminating the need
for yet another set of shelves. When she's not writing, reading, or burning
dinner, Tara enjoys cycling, hiking, and cheering on her favorite football
team.
Connect with Tara at www.tarakingston.com and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTaraKingston
In a world where a man’s loyalty doesn’t depend on the color of a
uniform, danger, intrigue, and passion are facts of life for the men and women
of Tara’s Secrets &
Spies series, historical romances set against the backdrop of the Civil War.
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