I must admit I've never been fond of the the Brontes. I read "Wuthering Heights" many years ago, and I just couldn't see what all the fuss was about. What a downer. I have thought that perhaps I should give it another chance someday; maybe I was just too young at the time to "get it". Jane Eyre I read later, and since I found the heroine to be sympathetic, lovely, and noble I hoped for a little happier resolution to the story. She seemed to deserve it.
But I am trying to vary my literary diet a bit more, get out the reading rut I seem to find myself in lately, so I thought I'd give another Bronte sister a chance. And I really enjoyed Anne's "Agnes Grey". Forget "The Nanny Diaries"--this girl has real problems. The choices available to 19th century women seem tragic by today's standards--after all, in 2007 we have a very powerful woman with a strong chance of becoming our next president. But Agnes is no less courageous for her limitations. Underpaid, abused, unappreciated, she perseveres because she has no choice--her family needs the income she can earn by her labors.
Though her situation seems hopeless--a life filled with endless toil without hope of a life or love of her own, hiding her feelings and biting her tongue--the book offers a respite and reward for the deserving. Happiness, and love, are found in the end. For those who love happy endings--and for those looking for a Bronte to love--Agnes Grey delivers.
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