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The Brontës in Brussels
A fascinating and thorough account of Charlotte and Emily Brontë's formative stay in Brussels during 1842-43 The Brontës' time in Belgium, five years before they became best-selling authors, is the least-known episode of their lives, but is a fascinating and important one. The book follows in the tracks of the sisters in Brussels, describing their life in the though the school where they came to study French has now disappeared, there is still a lot to be seen of the city the sisters knew; two of Charlotte's four novels ( Villette and The Professor ) are also based on her spell abroad, which was pivotal to her both as a writer and personally, since she fell in love with her teacher Constantin Heger. Charlotte's moving and harrowing letters to Heger—a respectable married man—are reproduced in full here and belie the common image of her as the motherly and strait-laced Brontë. Also including maps of the period, extracts from Villette reflecting real-life experiences in Brussels and translations of the sisters' little-known "Belgian essays," what emerges is a complete portrait of a slice of literary history—as well as a haunting evocation of a time and a place that came to haunt the Brontës themselves.
300 pages, Paperback
First published September 28, 2014
About the author
Helen MacEwan
6 books1 followerHelen MacEwan studied modern languages at Oxford University. A translator and former teacher, she has lived in Brussels since 2004. She is the author of 'The Brontës in Brussels' (2014), an exploration of Charlotte and Emily Brontë's time at the Pensionnat Heger, and 'Down the Belliard Steps: Discovering the Brontës in Brussels' (2012), an account of her experiences setting up the Brussels Brontë Group to promote interest in the Brontës' stay in the city. Her latest book, 'Winifred Gérin: Biographer of the Brontës' (2015), reveals Gérin's fascinating and hitherto largely unknown life, based on her unpublished memoir, letters, poems and plays.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 26, 2019
A well researched and accessible guide to Charlotte and Emily Bronte's time in Brussels. The biographical background and historical images have given me new insights while I reread Villette for the sixth time.
September 12, 2015
This is a great start for exploring Charlotte's Brussels. Never realised I had walked the grounds of the Pensionnat many times before I read this one for the 1st time.
The book leads you through Brussels Then and now and links biography to Villette and the Professor. Loved it!
The book leads you through Brussels Then and now and links biography to Villette and the Professor. Loved it!
September 27, 2026
The Brontës in Brussels is an engaging and carefully researched account of the time Charlotte and Emily Brontë spent in Brussels, a period that had a profound influence on Charlotte’s writing and outlook. The author brings the Brussels of the 1840s vividly to life, while also putting the sisters’ experiences into the wider context of their family, education and literary ambitions. What I particularly enjoyed was the way the book combines biography, literary history and a sense of place. The connections between Charlotte’s experiences in Brussels and The Professor and Villette are fascinating, and make you view novels with a deeper understanding. Emily’s much quieter presence is also interesting, particularly given how little we know about her thoughts and experiences during this period. The research is impressive without making the book feel dry, although there are occasions when the detail becomes rather dense, especially if you don’t know Brussels at all. The text is accompanied by many illustrations and photographs. . Overall, this is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in the Brontës, especially Charlotte, and in the real places and experiences that found their way into the novels.
June 22, 2020
Si vous ne le saviez pas, les soeurs Bronte ont passé pas mal de temps dans un pensionnat à Bruxelles, qui se situait où se trouve actuellement le Palais de Beaux-arts (Bozar). Elles se sont inspirées de leur expérience pour nourrir certains de leur roman. Vous y découvrirez la vie de l'époque, comme dans un roman historique, joliment illustré de surcroit.
October 17, 2017
As you might know, I am a fan of the Brontës. While living here in Brussels I came into contact with the Brussels Brontë Group. A group, founded by Helen MacEwan and some fellow enthusiasts. I did not have so much knowledge about the Brontës. Just that they grew up on the moors of Yorkshire and wrote wonderful, passionate novels.
Being part of the group have, for me, opened up a whole new chapter in the history of the Brontës. The group has taken on numerous investigations in order to track the lives of Charlotte and Emily during their stay here in 1842-43 (Emily only the first year). For Charlotte it was a life changing experience. The life she lived here and her studies for the charismatic M. Heger gave her another output in life. She became infatuated with him and he entered into her literary characters.
Helen is the source of information concerning the sisters life here in Brussels. She has written several books related to their stay here. The Brontës in Brussels is a well written account of their reason for coming here, how they saw life, the people they met, the studies and how life was led in the Belgian capital in the mid of the 19th century. Most of all; how it effected Charlotte and changed her life. Most experts today acknowledge that without her stay here, she might not have written the novels she did.
It is an easy read, perfect also for those without too much knowledge of the sisters. Charlotte's novels The Professor and Villette take place in Brussels and Helen shows us references from the books and what inspired Charlotte in real life Brussels. It is a fantastic tour around the old and new parts of Brussels. Cultural happenings, traditional feasts, eating habits and much more. The book is like a bible for Brontë fans, just the right amount of background information, and written in a way that make you feel like you are walking with them, over the pebbled stones of Brussels.
The Brussels Brontë Groups arranges guided walks a couple of times a year. The walk is highlighted at the end of the book. It is easy to follow, cover the places Charlotte and Emily visited, all close to each other. Take the book with your a walk in the footsteps of the Brontës.
Other books by Helen: Down the Belliard Steps: Discovering the Brontës in Brussels, Winifred Gérin: Biographer of the Brontës. Soon to be published: Through Belgian Eyes: Charlotte Brontës Troubled Brussels Legacy. All of them add a little bit more to the life and inspiration of Charlotte.
From my blog: thecontentreader.blogspot.com
Being part of the group have, for me, opened up a whole new chapter in the history of the Brontës. The group has taken on numerous investigations in order to track the lives of Charlotte and Emily during their stay here in 1842-43 (Emily only the first year). For Charlotte it was a life changing experience. The life she lived here and her studies for the charismatic M. Heger gave her another output in life. She became infatuated with him and he entered into her literary characters.
Helen is the source of information concerning the sisters life here in Brussels. She has written several books related to their stay here. The Brontës in Brussels is a well written account of their reason for coming here, how they saw life, the people they met, the studies and how life was led in the Belgian capital in the mid of the 19th century. Most of all; how it effected Charlotte and changed her life. Most experts today acknowledge that without her stay here, she might not have written the novels she did.
It is an easy read, perfect also for those without too much knowledge of the sisters. Charlotte's novels The Professor and Villette take place in Brussels and Helen shows us references from the books and what inspired Charlotte in real life Brussels. It is a fantastic tour around the old and new parts of Brussels. Cultural happenings, traditional feasts, eating habits and much more. The book is like a bible for Brontë fans, just the right amount of background information, and written in a way that make you feel like you are walking with them, over the pebbled stones of Brussels.
The Brussels Brontë Groups arranges guided walks a couple of times a year. The walk is highlighted at the end of the book. It is easy to follow, cover the places Charlotte and Emily visited, all close to each other. Take the book with your a walk in the footsteps of the Brontës.
Other books by Helen: Down the Belliard Steps: Discovering the Brontës in Brussels, Winifred Gérin: Biographer of the Brontës. Soon to be published: Through Belgian Eyes: Charlotte Brontës Troubled Brussels Legacy. All of them add a little bit more to the life and inspiration of Charlotte.
From my blog: thecontentreader.blogspot.com
October 10, 2026
I couldn’t help thinking what a wonderful book “The Brontës in Brussels” would be for a Brontë aficionado planning a trip to Belgium. Helen MacEwan’s book makes the neighborhood come alive. She describes the area and its buildings as they were when Charlotte and Emily lived there and also as they are in the present day.
I recently read “The Invention of Charlotte Brontë” by Graham Watson. It was such a wonderful biography. So when I learned of “The Brontës in Brussels,” I really wanted to read it as well.
In this book, Charlotte and Emily are just getting started with their adult lives. They wanted to start a school at their home. A friend suggested music and foreign language study in Brussels for a couple of years as a fine way of preparing themselves. An aunt helped them to finance the venture.
Both young women were shy. They were a bit older than the rest of the students. They dressed and acted differently. A married couple ran the school, and Charlotte developed a serious crush on the husband. Emily was homesick and returned home permanently after about eight months.
MacEwan includes many maps, drawings, and paintings within the text. She also provides summaries for Charlotte’s first two books, “The Professor” and “Villette.”
This book was originally published in Great Britain in 2014. Pushkin Press then published it in 2025.
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. This is my honest review.
I recently read “The Invention of Charlotte Brontë” by Graham Watson. It was such a wonderful biography. So when I learned of “The Brontës in Brussels,” I really wanted to read it as well.
In this book, Charlotte and Emily are just getting started with their adult lives. They wanted to start a school at their home. A friend suggested music and foreign language study in Brussels for a couple of years as a fine way of preparing themselves. An aunt helped them to finance the venture.
Both young women were shy. They were a bit older than the rest of the students. They dressed and acted differently. A married couple ran the school, and Charlotte developed a serious crush on the husband. Emily was homesick and returned home permanently after about eight months.
MacEwan includes many maps, drawings, and paintings within the text. She also provides summaries for Charlotte’s first two books, “The Professor” and “Villette.”
This book was originally published in Great Britain in 2014. Pushkin Press then published it in 2025.
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. This is my honest review.
February 12, 2025
Charlotte Bronte only left Britain twice in her life, and both times it was to go to Brussels. She later memorialized her time there, re-naming the city "Villette" and bringing it to life in her final published novel, which draws HEAVILY on her experiences there as a student and teacher, including her complicated and tragic feelings for Monsieur Heger, her professor.
The importance of her time in Brussels cannot be overstated... without Brussels, there would have been no Jane Eyre because there would have been no Rochester. (And of course there would have been no Villette.)
This book lets us explore the Brussels that Charlotte knew, and reveals the story of her time there. It's a quick, interesting read complete with photos and maps, as well as a Bronte-related walking guide if one finds oneself able to visit that city.
The importance of her time in Brussels cannot be overstated... without Brussels, there would have been no Jane Eyre because there would have been no Rochester. (And of course there would have been no Villette.)
This book lets us explore the Brussels that Charlotte knew, and reveals the story of her time there. It's a quick, interesting read complete with photos and maps, as well as a Bronte-related walking guide if one finds oneself able to visit that city.
October 27, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy for my review.
The Brontës in Brussels describes a lesser known period in the lives of Charlotte and Emily where they spent time at a school in Brussels before they became well-known for their writings. The education they received helped improve their writing skills and provided inspiration for what would become their most-recognized works.
The book is replete with maps, drawings and illustrations as well as reproductions of some of the letters the girls wrote. I read this on the NetGalley app and would have preferred to have the actual book so I could spend more time looking through the illustrations.
For Brontë fans, this is a must-read.
The Brontës in Brussels describes a lesser known period in the lives of Charlotte and Emily where they spent time at a school in Brussels before they became well-known for their writings. The education they received helped improve their writing skills and provided inspiration for what would become their most-recognized works.
The book is replete with maps, drawings and illustrations as well as reproductions of some of the letters the girls wrote. I read this on the NetGalley app and would have preferred to have the actual book so I could spend more time looking through the illustrations.
For Brontë fans, this is a must-read.
October 12, 2026
A thorough look into the Brontës’ time in Brussels, with well researched information about their stay and interesting images that correspond. It’s interesting to consider how much of an influence their experiences abroad, particularly for Charlotte Brontë, influenced their work and this book details many connections.
March 29, 2026
Brilliantly researched and put together. The influence of their time in Brussel’s on Charlotte’s novel, Villette, is well demonstrated. I would recommend reading Villette before this to fully appreciate the links between experience and art.
July 23, 2019
Très belle édition, et voyage dans le passé bruxellois des soeurs Brontë. De nombreuses photos, gravures, illustrations pour mettre en image les lieux foulés par Charlotte et Emily.
August 24, 2023
This is a great guide, I was just expecting more insight into the devoirs.
February 3, 2019
For a book that only examines two years in two of the Brontë Sisters lives it is strange how much this book covers. From looking at the Brussels that they would have know to the parallels in Charlotte's works, 'Villette' and 'The Professor'. It also fantastic that there is a guide to Brontë Brussel's towards the end that allows you to follow in their footsteps as much as possible. As a book about the Brontë's this one creates a focused examination of a period that shaped Charlotte in particular.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews