The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë (1848)

A mysterious young woman arrives at a ruined mansion with her small son, sparking gossip. Her diary reveals a harrowing story of marriage to a dissolute husband and her daring escape. The most radical of the Brontë novels.

Historical Significance:
Published in 1848, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was Anne Brontë's second and final novel — she died of tuberculosis the following year at age 29. It is widely considered the first sustained feminist novel in English: Helen's decision to leave her abusive, alcoholic husband and support herself through her art was revolutionary in an era when married women had no legal rights to property, custody, or independence. Charlotte Brontë suppressed the novel after Anne's death, calling it "an entire mistake." Modern scholars have restored it to its rightful place as a masterpiece. May Sinclair called it "the most astonishing work of female genius in any country or any age."

This public domain classic was originally published in 1848. Free to read and share.