There’s no doubt Brian Wilks has done some extensive and thorough research and all credit to him for that. There’s some fascinating stuff here, a real insight into Charlotte Bronte’s romantic life and hopes and longings, and the sympathetic portrayal of Patrick Bronte, her father, and Arthur Nichols, the man she finally consented to marry, both of whom are far too often vilified, is thoughtful and insightful. I learnt a lot from this book, but my goodness, where was Wilks’ editor? The book is far too long due to far too much repetition. It’s frequently disjointed and jumps about in time and place, and above all there is far too much speculation and conjecture. We cannot possibly always know what Charlotte Bronte was thinking and feeling as the evidence isn’t always there. When it is, Brian Wilks uses it carefully and judiciously. But when it isn’t he too often starts guessing – she “must have” thought this or “surely” she felt that. Not good enough in a serious biography, I’m afraid. I don’t suppose there’s a biographer out there who doesn't do it on occasion and they usually get away with it as it doesn’t dominate the text. But here it does and it irritated me. (Can you tell?) However, overall this is a great read, informative, engaging and leading to much speculation….. how wonderful it would be to find a stash of previously unknown letters and diaries hidden away somewhere to confirm or otherwise the assumptions and conjectures. Until then, we have to keep to the facts, Mr Wilks, not use our imagination.