This was a nice brief , accessible way to learn about the Brontes. Sometimes, I think the author was a bit overly speculative, but the objects were interesting and the research well done. ( )

Oh man, I wanted to love this, but I kind of didn't. I think it was just too hindered by trying to connect the biographical information to the stuff. I think this would be a great read for a new entrant into the world of the Brontes, but obsessives won't really find any new scholarship. ( )

An interesting twist on the usual biography, with tons of historical context beyond the Brontë family, as well as information about each of the Brontës which I didn't know before. A worthwhile, introspective read. ( )

quite interesting but sometimes too long. ( )

Lutz shapes her biography of the Bronte sister (Charlotte, Emily, and Anne) around nine common objects that they owned, including a walking stick, tiny books they created as children, a silver dog collar, a lap desk, a collection of pressed ferns, and more. With some insight, some research, and a considerable amount of speculation, she connects the objects both to known events in their lives and to their novels and characters. The dog collar, for example, may have belonged to Emily's fierce companion, Keeper, but Lutz also connects it to the various dogs in Wuthering Heights: Cathy's favorite dog, Isabel's spaniel, and Heathcliffe's vicious guard dogs, among others. She also spends time discussing the role of dogs in Victorian society: which breeds were most popular, what kinds of dogs were owned by various famous persons, a notorious dognapping ring, etc. One might say that, like Emily wandering familiar territory (the moors), so Lutz wanders through each chapter, keeping her eye on the central object but often straying far afield. It's an interesting approach but might be frustrating to readers who were hoping for a well-researched and detailed biography or those already familiar with the Victorian era and its milieu. ( )