Charlotte and Ellen

The Bronte sisters have rightfully gone down in history as literary greats, their writing propping up a great many literature courses and forming the cornerstone of a good many book collections. There are few people who don't know the story of Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights, but details of the girls' personal histories are obscured in the mists of time.
It is thanks to one woman, Ellen Nussey, that we know what we do of the Brontes' personal lives. First off becoming a great friend of Charlotte, it wasn't long before she worked her way into the hearts and confidences of the two shyer, more reclusive sisters, Emily and Anne. Despite hiccups along the way, it was Ellen who was bridesmaid to Charlotte despite disapproving of the match, and she who picked up the pieces after Anne's untimely death. It was also Ellen who defied Charlotte's husband and kept the thousands of letters she has received from his late wife.
After the deaths of the Brontes, Ellen became their champion and storyteller, making sure they would never fade into obscurity. Here Nick Holland does the same for Ellen Nussey, telling the full story of her and Charlotte's close sisterhood for the first time and adding to the rich Bronte legacy.