Title: The Brontë Plot
Author: Katherine Reay
Major Themes: Friendship, Honesty, Books
Synopsis: When her long-held secret is discovered, Lucy Alling sets out on a journey to find out if there is a way to atone for her past and have hope for the future.
I’ve been wanting to read Reay’s books for years, ever since I remember seeing a big to-do being made about one of her titles. While browsing my local library recently, I came across The Brontë Plot and decided I wanted to try it. After all, I just finished reading Wuthering Heights recently, and love Jane Eyre, so reading a book somewhat inspired by the Brontës sounded like fun!
Publisher’s description:
When a bookseller’s secret is unearthed, her world begins to crumble. But it may be the best thing that has ever happened to her.
Lucy Alling makes a living selling rare books, often taking suspicious liberties to reach her goals. When her unorthodox methods are discovered, Lucy’s secret ruins her relationship with her boss and her boyfriend, James—leaving Lucy in a heap of hurt and trouble. Something has to change; she has to change.
In a sudden turn of events, James’s wealthy grandmother, Helen, hires Lucy as a consultant for a London literary and antiques excursion. Lucy reluctantly agrees and soon discovers Helen holds secrets of her own. In fact, Helen understands Lucy’s predicament better than anyone else.
As the two travel across England, Lucy benefits from Helen’s wisdom as Helen confronts ghosts from her own past. Everything comes to a head at Haworth, home of the Brontë sisters, where Lucy is reminded of the sisters’ beloved heroines who, with tenacity and resolution, endured—even in the midst of impossible circumstances.
Now Lucy must face her past in order to move forward. And while it may hold mistakes and regrets, she will prevail—if only she can step into the life and the love that have been waiting for her all along.
My thoughts:
To be honest, I feel a bit conflicted over The Brontë Plot. There were parts of the story I greatly enjoyed, but I also struggled with some of the elements of the story, so that made for a bit of a difficult read.
For starters, what I enjoyed: I loved the way old books featured in this story. As someone who aspires to have a library full of old and new gems one day, I found that part of the story a lot of fun. I also deeply appreciated the main theme of this book: Keep your accounts short, and if you have unresolved stuff from the past, make sure to get it all cleared up. I enjoyed the journey (both literal and figurative) that the main character went on, and all the lessons she learned along the way. The wisdom from the older woman in the story was also a blessing to read.
There were things I struggled with, though. Although it is sometimes billed as a Christian story, that element felt lacking to me—in the end, the character’s decisions felt more like their own efforts to reform rather than being inspired by faith. James’ involvement, at times, felt a little unrealistic, and I also struggled with Lucy’s father’s lifestyle and choices (although, to be fair, those were never presented in a positive light).
Overall, while I enjoyed reading The Brontë Plot, I doubt I’ll ever read it again. I am interested to check out some of Reay’s other works, since I know this one is not her most popular book. The writing style was good, the references to classical works were fun (although I struggled to draw solid connections between Brontës’ works and this story), and the setting was fascinating. If you enjoy fiction that has a lot to do with other books or booksellers and enjoy redemptive character arcs, this could be a good book for you.
WARNING: Throughout the book, a character lies or tells untrue stories to get her way (she does repent later). Occasionally, unmarried characters hold hands, etc. In ch. 3, unmarried characters are alone at her house together, and he teases her that he isn’t there for that. There are kisses in ch. 3, 27, and 33. Ch. 7: Thank goodness. Ch. 9: A woman admits to stealing, and tells about someone who sold stolen goods. Ch. 11: Goodness, talking about spending a night drinking and dancing. Ch. 12: Thank goodness. Ch. 14: Goodness. Ch. 19: Drinking champagne and vodka. Ch. 20: Goodness, drinking wine. Ch. 21: Darn. Ch. 23: Drinking wine. Throughout the book, a character is described as a con man, and this is talked about in a bit more detail in ch. 28, 29, and 31 (including a mention of him living with a woman he wasn’t married to, and lying to her).
Age levels:
Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Library Binding | Audible Audiobook (unabridged) | Audio CD (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
Leave a Reply