Becoming Jane Eyre by Sheila Kohler is a work of fiction imagining the writing life of Charlotte Bronte. The writing was good and I enjoyed the story, though it made me wish I knew more of the facts to be able to separate fact from fiction better.
The only downside I see to this novel (and this may be my editor/publisher education talking) is that there is a limited audience for such books. Apparently it was Sheila Kohler's tenth novel and she's won a bunch of awards, so she was probably a pretty sure bet though.
I suppose you could read this book without first having read Jane Eyre, but you would certainly be missing out even if you weren't confused. It also helps to have read Wuthering Heights. And I felt guilty for never having read anything written by Anne Bronte (has anyone read anything of hers? any recommendations?). But the good thing is that it made me want to reread those books again.
If you like historical fiction and like any of the Bronte sisters, then you'll enjoy this book.
I think I'd like to read this one. Thanks for the review!
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