A Girl Walks Into a Book: What the Brontës Taught Me about Life, Love, and Women's Work

by Miranda K. Pennington

How many times have you heard readers argue about which is better, Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights ? The works of Charlotte, Emily, and Anne continue to provoke passionate fandom over a century after their deaths. Brontënthusiasts, as well as those of us who never made it further than those oft-cited classics, will devour Miranda Pennington's delightful literary memoir.
Pennington, today a writer and teacher in New York, was a precocious reader. Her father gave her Jane Eyre at the age of 10, sparking what would become a lifelong devotion and multiple re-readings. She began to delve into the work and lives of the Brontë finding that the sisters were at times her lifeline, her sounding board, even her closest friends. In this charming, offbeat memoir, Pennington traces the development of the Brontëas women, as sisters, and as writers, as she recounts her own struggles to fit in as a bookish, introverted, bisexual woman. In the Brontëand their characters, Pennington finally finds the heroines she needs, and she becomes obsessed with their wisdom, courage, and fearlessness. Her obsession makes for an entirely absorbing and unique read.

A Girl Walks Into a Book is a candid and emotional love affair that braids criticism, biography and literature into a quest that helps us understand the place of literature in our lives; how it affects and inspires us.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Books About Books, Biography, Feminism, Womens, Literature

320 pages, Paperback

First published May 16, 2017

About the author

Miranda K. Pennington is a writer and editor who recently joined the faculty at American University, in Washington, DC. Her work has appeared on Electric Literature, The Toast, The American Scholar Online, the Ploughshares blog, and The Catapult podcast. She received her MFA in creative nonfiction at Columbia University. This is her first book.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This charming bibliomemoir reflects on Pennington’s two-decade love affair with the work of the Brontë sisters, especially Charlotte. She has read and reread the books (and watched the film adaptations) innumerable times over the years to get her through life’s crises. It’s really clever how she gives side-by-side chronological tours through the Brontës’ biographies and careers and her own life, drawing parallels and noting where she might have been better off if she’d followed in Brontë heroines’ footsteps. If you’re set on avoiding spoilers, keep in mind that Pennington discusses all of the plots in detail, so you might want to skim over some parts. I especially enjoyed her cynical dissection of Wuthering Heights, a novel I too have struggled to like (“If I met Wuthering Heights at a cocktail party, I would have literally nothing to say to it. … It’s the Macbeth, if not the Titus Andronicus, of the Brontë canon—it shows us evil, but teaches us nothing”) and her research visit to Haworth. A must for Brontë fans.

[CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and relatable pageturner of a bibliomemoir. It's a personal memoir including relationships, career, and the stuff of figuring out how to live your life and what to do with it.

But it's also a very readable kind of literary criticism infused with much love and respect, particularly for Charlotte Bronte and her works. Pennington brings in a lot of material from the sisters' lives as well.

I wanted a bit more vulnerability from her, but she actually writes at one point that that's especially difficult for her, so it's hard to fault the book for it. On a surface level she and I have a lot in common as bookish, introverted bisexual women, which was quite a treat to read!

[Leslie Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed A Girl Walks Into a Book! Writing about the parallels between her own experiences and those of the Brontës, Pennington has crafted a unique book that is part Brontë family history, part literary analysis, and part memoir. It is unusual for me to find a work of nonfiction that is as quick and engaging as A Girl Walks Into a Book (I read it in just a few days). Pennington is funny. She has a wonderfully witty sense of humor, and she peppers the book with jokes and asides, whether she’s examining the Brontë family tree, analyzing Jane Eyre, or telling her own story.

As an avid reader of nonfiction, one of the things I most appreciated about the book was the depth of Pennington’s research. It is obvious that Pennington cares deeply not just about the Brontës, but about academic research and writing. The book contains excerpts of letters written by the Brontës (including letters that Charlotte Brontë wrote under her pseudonym, Currer Bell!), photos of Brontë artifacts, and reproductions of their drawings and paintings. I didn’t know much about the Brontës beforehand, so I found Pennington’s work to be fascinating. However, I think even diehard Brontë fans will discover information they hadn’t known before: Pennington also documents her pilgrimage to Haworth, where she explored the Brontë family home, the village, the surrounding moors, and even conducted research at the Brontë Parsonage Museum.

In addition to this extensive family history, Pennington also discusses and analyzes the books written by Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë: Jane Eyre, Villette, Shirley, Wuthering Heights, Agnes Grey, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. I really enjoyed Pennington’s overview and analysis of these novels, especially when combined with her research about what was going on in the sisters’ lives while they were writing each book. Pennington is also attentive to the subjects of women’s rights and choices (or lack thereof) during this time period, how these concerns affected the sisters’ work as professional writers, and how these issues are reflected in the Brontës’ writing. Future readers, take note: Pennington brings up major plot points when discussing each Brontë novel. If you haven’t read all your Brontës and want to be surprised, maybe read those first. Or, if you would like an introduction to each novel and don’t mind a spoiler or two, Pennington’s book is a helpful place to start. Even if you have read your Brontës, I suspect Pennington will give you insight that you may not have seen before.

I found Pennington’s book to be a unique look at the Brontës’ work because she writes about each novel in parallel with her own experiences. I’m sure many of us have read a book that, while good, seemed very far away in terms of time period, social context, and other issues. Having been published in the 1800s, one might argue that it is difficult to associate the Brontë novels to our current day. (I don’t agree with this, but some people might.) By combining the Brontës’ history and literary analysis with her own life however, Pennington makes the Brontës and their books instantly relatable. There is an honesty with which Pennington describes and examines her own life that completely drew me in (I’ve made that mistake too! I can relate!), and then she would mention a crucial excerpt from Jane Eyre which taught her an important life lesson that guided her through that difficult time. By seeing themes and lessons in the Brontë novels and connecting them to her own life, Pennington immediately makes the books timeless and relevant to modern-day readers.

In short, I would definitely recommend A Girl Walks Into A Book and I’ll certainly reread it in the future. In fact, Pennington has motivated me to pick up Jane Eyre again, and I’ll be tackling The Tenant of Wildfell Hall next.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: Miranda's parents and my parents are longtime pals (they came to my brother's wedding!), so while I haven't seen Miranda herself in years, we do know one another, if only once upon a time.

That being said, this book deftly balances memoir and research which is not at all an easy task. I'm a Wuthering Heights gal myself (probably because I don't understand subtlety), but I am absolutely revisiting Jane Eyre as soon as I track down my (unloved) copy. The research in this is top-notch, the writing is clear and strong and really funny in moments, and I think I could've read 300 more pages just about the Brontes.

But! I was happily taken aback by the personality, candor, and honesty in this. Admittedly, the author is frozen in my mind as that mushroom-haired preteen (I wasn't any better myself with my bowl cut) but there are a few landmine revelations that would've been contrived in the hands of a lesser writer. I know far too many memoirists who wear their traumas on their sleeves, and to me, the fact that these landmark revelations are almost tucked away in the book instead of paraded out shows a truly mature writer.

Plus, I was racing through if only to find out the epic conclusion of "DOES SHE STAY WITH ERIC OR NOT?!!!" even though I could've easily looked it up via social media, but I didn't want to spoil it for myself.

[Kathleen Flynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Memoir is a tricky thing, so personal, that one's reactions to a book cannot fail to be even more personal than with straight-out fiction or a fact-based book. I was irritated by certain sections of this book (The Wuthering Heights chapter, for instance) and enthralled by others (The Villette chapter, the visit to Haworth). At times the connection between the author's life and the guidance provided by various Bronte books seemed spot-on and at other times it seemed a bit of a reach. Over all I am glad I read it.

[Jeimy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book did not have a magnetic pull that drew me in and did not release me. Instead it was like going into a stream and letting yourself be lulled along by the soothing current.

The plot is relatable. As readers we've all had that moment of finding the right book at the right time and it having a lasting impact on us. For Pennington, that book was Jane Eyre. Reading it led her down a Brontë rabbit hole that she shares with us in this biography / autobiography combo. Using the lives and tales of all the Brontës, the author uses the parallels in both to carry the narrative along.

My favorite thing about the book was the author's voice. She was honest and raw, but in a way that did not feel contrived or forced.

[Judi Easley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer:
The eARC of A Girl Walks Into A Book was provided by Seal Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, for which I am not being compensated in any way. All opinions are fully my own.
~ Judi E. Easley for Blue Cat Review

My first response: A madcap whirl of images swirling around in my head of Jane and her dearest Edward, then the author comes on very heavily about the Bronte sisters' brother and his alcoholism and drug use and her own alcohol problems. Here is where she really draws the parallels between the books and her life. This is one heck of a debut book. Full review on my blog after April 20th...

My Review:
This is a debut book. It is a memoir. A literary critique of all the works by the Brontes. A self-help guide of how to use the works of the Brontes in your life. How can one book be all these things you say? When the author has a masters degree in creative nonfiction, I think.

Ms. Pennington uses the writings of Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronte to relate her own life experiences as well as to relate the lives of the Brontes. At the same time, she uses the characters as role models in her life. For instance, she uses Jane Eyre as her role model in a relationship at one point in her life. The way Jane acted in her relationship with Mr. Rochester at the discovery of his mad wife in the attic. Ms. Pennington left a relationship in a similar way using Jane as her role model.

The details of the lives of the three sisters and their brother have been meticulously researched by this Bronte aficionado. And she shares much of her research with us in her book. She has been a fan of Charlotte Bronte since she was 10 and received her first copy of Jane Eyre. Since then, she has made a thorough study of the lives and works of the three sisters and their brother, gaining access to resources not readily accessible to most readers. She shares their lives and works and her own life as well with us as she twines them all into a whole that amazes. She draws parallels between her modern life with writings and lives from a century ago. She makes you see the writings in a fresh light. She certainly made me want to read Jane Eyre again. As well as some of the other works I wasn't as familiar with.

I can't recommend this book to you strongly enough. If you like memoirs, this will interest you. If you're a Bronte fan, this will enthrall you. If you're just looking for something off the beaten path, this is it. I do hope we see more from this author in time. Release date is May 16, 2017.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

While my mother is one of those hardcore Jane Eyre lovers, I am not. She used to re-read it every year, and I've lost count of the screen adaptions she has. Whereas I read it once (and watched an adaptation once) and liked it, but I feel no emotional stirring when it's mentioned. The only other work I've read by a Brontë is Emily's poetry, which (unlike the author of this book) I remember adoring.

So with that history, I wasn't sure I was the right fit for this book. But! I have wanted to learn more about the Brontë sisters, and I love literature-centered memoirs, so I gave it a shot, which was an excellent choice. I was not disappointed on either account. I loved the way Miranda used their books to navigate her life. I've done that with books I love. Though I couldn't categorize and match life lessons to books as neatly as she does.

This book was a pleasure to read and I didn't want to put it down. (Up until, I confess, the Eric stuff, which I found a bit stressful.) Now I know where I want to start when I want to read more of the work of the Brontës. (Hint: It's not Wuthering Heights, which I've somehow avoided reading so far. Her discussion of it was blessedly clear-eyed, and brought up points I'd never heard before. I was thankful she didn't unconditionally praise it, which I was quite afraid of.)

[Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this was definitely a book custom made for yours truly if I've ever seen one. My love for the Bronte sisters is well known (or if it isn't, I'm making it so right now), deep and abiding. And I did like this book very very much. It's a memoir of the author, interspersed with her reading the Bronte's works (yesss) and with her recounting of the Bronte life stories. It might not be your thing, but it was very much mine. And for that, I give an extra star.

[Lbball27 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed authors passion for the Brontes, especially Charlotte. loved the trip she took to England.

[Ghost of the Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

A girl walks into a book....just the tittle of this one was enough to make me pick it up at the local library..and what a lovely lovely walk this was!
full review to follow but i must reccomend it to anyone fond of the Bronte Sisters...and not inclined to be offended with her vision of Wuthering Heights...lol

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

We've been reading our way through the Bronte sister's novels in book club and I had, I must admit, been floundering after Villette and The Professor. With just Shirley left to read, had I lost my faith? Then I picked this up. What an absolute delight. Someone who said the things I wanted to say - about Gilbert, St. John and M.Paul and so much more. Someone who loves and appreciates the Brontes, who also would have fallen for Rochester (when young) despite (I know, I know...) despite his often appalling behaviour, and who still asks herself - what would Jane do?

[Courtney Stuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first it’s really not clear if this book is to be counted as a work of fiction or non-fiction. Ultimately it reads like a wonderful story that envelops the Bronte sisters and Pennington in ways that are peculiar and satisfyingly strange. Eventually one must decide that it must come down on the side of non-fiction because so much of it is based on the real lives of both the aforementioned. Pennington turns a quirky personal love life story into a hilarious comparison to all the things that can be learnt from the stories written by the three Bronte sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne.


**Sometimes we read to find ourselves; sometimes we read to escape ourselves; sometimes we read to see ourselves more clearly. **

Throughout the course of the book Pennington looks at how her current life experience could be seen to be mirrored in one of the Bronte’s novels. She starts with the classic Jane Eyre and explains her first love of reading it as a child and how so often as an adult she felt a kinship with the fictional character. Indeed, Pennington seems to behave as if all the characters from a Bronte novel were once real people.

**“….it still startles me to be reminded that they aren’t real. It seems much more likely they exist in the ether somewhere, fully formed and waiting for a reader to bring them to life again.”**

Themes such as what is love, who are you meant to be and what does real love looks like are covered and more. We travel through Pennington’s life, comparing different situations and stages that align with different portions of Bronte novels. All novels share insight and a working knowledge and a course of action such as Wuthering Heights being **a cautionary tale for overzealous attachment to one’s first love.** Agnes Grey is a mentor for finding a job, finding another one if needed, succeeding in one’s career and learning to stand on your own two feet. Shirley gives insight into female friendship and women’s options in life. These comparisons are often both comic and insightful.

**The fact that these things happened in life and in literature is part of what gives them resonance. It’s what allows the Brontes to capture detail and write so realistically. It’s what makes them true.**

This is entertaining and yet one feels the very rawness of Pennington’s confessional style on every page. For those who have not read the entire Bronte canon, it serves as a tempting suggestion to throw oneself fully into the business of self-education. Pennington herself is honest about her faults that make her all the more real for her struggles and all the more accessible as a person. This is a delightful book that will please both the ultimate Bronte lover and the uninitiated.

Really enjoyable.

[Jess Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so happy I stumbled upon this book! My love for classic British literature began when I read Jane Eyre years ago. I admit I discovered it a bit late, in my thirties. After I read it, and then other classic novels, I really saw what a 'Queen' Charlotte Bronte was. I was amazed at the fact that she didn't let anyone tell her how to live, how to love, or how to write! I picked this book because the subject matter interested me; I had no idea it would be so entertaining!

Miranda Pennington is a young professor at Columbia and her writing has been featured on several current literary sites and podcasts. Unfortunately, I never had the pleasure of reading her stuff before now. You may think nonfiction is boring but try putting this down after reading chapter one - You won't be able to resist continuing. Her stories about growing up as a precocious tomboy are hilarious. She was a voracious reader early on and read Jane Eyre way before she could even understand what it was about. As she matured into her teens and early twenties, she moved on to Wuthering Heights, then Villette, and Agnes Grey. She explains how each book taught her lessons she could use in each stage of life. I was especially invested in the storyline of her romance through the years with certain people, and eventually her husband. She found a way to weave behind-the-scene facts about the Bronte family, alongside her own life story, with a little literary critique as well. It was never boring and I even laughed so hard at some parts I had to read them aloud to anyone nearby.

I don't think you have to be a Bronte enthusiast to enjoy this book, but it will especially appeal to those who are. I can think of two people right off the top of my head that I know I will recommend it to, and maybe even buy it for my own bookshelf! I can definitely see myself revisiting this again.

Thank you to Netgalley for the review copy.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book was like spending time with a kindred spirit. Pennington uses the Brontes’ books as tools to explore and explain her life. I’ve been reading the Brontes since I was 12, so this book gave me more insight into how these authors shaped my outlook on the world.

[Melissa Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! It's a smart and engaging interweaving of memoir and narrative Bronte fiction. You don't have to know the Brontes but you'll learn a lot along the author's path. A delightful read!

[Melissapalmer404 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book #102 Read in 2018
A Girl Walks into a Book

This author, a writer and professor, loves the Brontes and their writing. Through this love story, she details the ups and downs of her lives and how their writing helped her through the rough spots. This is a book for book lover about the power of literature. I enjoyed it.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I first found Pennington's work on the Toast and have since been an avid follower of her writing. If you are homesick for the Toast, please read this book.

The author's passion for the Brontes is infectious, but no prior knowledge of their work is required to dig in to this book. She makes the somewhat daunting pile of volumes that make up the sisters' work into an accessible and compelling collection, even to those of us who may have poo-pooh'd them in school due to them being seen as 'girly' (which, now that I'm older, makes me rather sad. SO WHAT IF THEY'RE GIRLY?!? THEY'RE STILL GOOD. Past self, do yourself a favor and read more girly books). So yes, I'm giving the Bronte sisters another try. And since my dog quite literally devoured the book, I'm buying a second copy for future re-reads.

For a musical pairing, I can highly recommend Dario Marianelli's score to Jane Eyre, with some musical highlights thrown in for singing breaks.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

My book club and I have been reading our way through the Brontë sisters and are now in the home stretch. This was another 'rabbit hole' read for me --and it was delightful! Quirky and off-beat, Pennington's voice is raw, vulnerable and disarming. The writing is lighthearted and casual while precisely chiselled. "Oh fine" is a complete sentence. The anecdotes are, at times, laugh-out-loud funny, while at other times, heartbreaking. Always the images left are striking. When describing a later scene in Tenant of Wildfelt Hall, Pennington treats us to this editorial comment:
"Unfortunately, we have nearly caught up to the present, where Gilbert waits like a squishy worm on a rain-soaked sidewalk." Seriously, how brilliant is that?

This is a unique, absorbing, fresh and inspiring debut novel. It is sure to delight Brontë fans, memoir lovers, and those whose admiration for an author has truly transformed their lives.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as I heard about this premise, I knew I needed to read it. Thankfully, the book not only lived up to the premise but surpassed it, making this a very enjoyable read, despite the fact that my opinions of the Bronte sisters is actually the exact opposite of Pennington's (I love Emily, am interested by Anne, and underwhelmed by Charlotte).

Throughout this book, Pennington draws parallels between her life and the lives of the Bronte heroines, who in turn often reflect the Brontes themselves. It's a real testament to how timeless the Bronte books are, as well as a celebration of book love.

Very glad to have read this book and I would recommend it to any Bronte fan or anyone curious about the Brontes - it even convinced me that maybe I should give Jane Eyre a second shot, after not actually finishing it when I was supposed to read it in university.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I told Miranda: "Author, I adored it."

Although my friend Rebecca may want to steer clear, as both Miranda and I have contrary opinions on Wuthering Heights! ;-)

[Monica McDonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miranda Pennington LOVES Jane Eyre. Like bookish teens everywhere, she discovers an unlikely heroine. She’s not beautiful, she’s not a cheerleader, she has a strong moral code, and she handles life on her own terms – a welcome change from impossibly beautiful women who are rescued by perfect, rich men. I can relate to that. Pennington reads other Bronte novels and soon beings drawing parallels to between her life and the novels by the famous sisters.
I wanted to LOVE this book and I think a fiction version would have been everything I could hope for. Real life is much more messy. The book was hard to get into right at first – it felt choppy, bobbing between background information about Charlotte Bronte and Miranda’s childhood. I pressed on and found myself enjoying Pennington’s synopses of the Bronte books and scenes from her life. I very often felt like the parallels she was drawing were either too common (what growing girl doesn’t feel like an outcast or find school socially challenging or experience infatuation?) or forced. At times I really worried that Pennington was building her life to suit her narrative and it honestly freaked me out. I am really good at being concerned for other people, including people I don’t know.
I still more or less enjoyed the book until the final chapters. I loved being introduced to some books I haven’t read and now have sitting in my cart online (Shirley and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, you will be mine). I also liked Pennington’s writing style. Even though she likes showing off the big words (thank you google), her tone is conversational and I felt like maybe a new roommate of hers who was getting the life story overview at lunch. She dislikes Wuthering Heights and I totally LOVE Wuthering Heights, but she didn’t make me mad with her opinion. She gets that maybe she just needs to read it at the right time for it to hit. (That’s the way reading goes!)
The final two or three chapters, I didn’t enjoy. Honestly, she marries someone she has a really bad relationship with. She is blind to her own faults that cause problems (aren’t we all) but not to his and, determined to have her Jane Eyre parallel, REAL LIFE MAKES THIS BAD RELATIONSHIP LEGALLY BINDING. Pennington might be thirty years old or so and I’m somewhat relieved that she’s not a huge social media presence so I don’t have to watch this relationship continue to to implode and explode with remarkable persistence. This is why I don’t read much nonfiction – I want to critique the plot, but it wasn’t ever going to be different – it’s all real.
The final chapter was a trip to Bramwell that was so anticlimactic that I kept checking how many pages were left. Real life, man. I have one and sometimes it’s not exciting.
That said, I enjoyed most of the book and you might love the love story and then love the whole thing! If you’re a Bronte fan, you absolutely need to read it, probably will wish to own a hardcover copy.

[Romantic Intentions Quarterly · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a young girl, Pennington (currently a Washington, D.C.-based writer and academic) discovered a kindred literary spirit in Jane Eyre, and she grew up intensively studying the Brontë family and their assorted works. In A Girl Walks Into a Book, she introduces the Brontës after a fashion you’ve probably not encountered before. She demonstrates convincingly that rather than being what you’ve probably heard—fey lonely otherworldly creatures who communed with the howling winds on a desolate moor in between writing wordy tomes and coughing their lungs out—Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë were reasonably popular, remarkably well read, and extremely snarky. (Wastrel brother Branwell doesn’t come off nearly as well.)

For example, Pennington approvingly notes the authors’ penchant for including unflattering portraits of members of their social circle in their books. And definitely pour some tea for the discussion of Charlotte’s—acquaintanceship, I guess you could call it—with contemporary literary giant William Makepeace Thackeray. The two were rumored to be lovers! (!!!) They weren’t, but there were pretty solid reasons why people thought they were.

Pennington also takes a look at the sisters’ literary output (The Professor excepted—Pennington isn’t that much of a masochist), including Charlotte’s Shirley, which is rarely read today but stands as a powerful portrait of female friendship, and in particular Anne’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, which she touts as an underrated and understudied gem. I had a few quibbles about her treatment of Villette—I felt that she gave somewhat short shrift to Charlotte’s one-sided relationship with her former mentor Constantin Héger, for one thing. (On the other hand, what could she say that hasn’t already been said?) Also, there’s a lot to unpack with Villette, surely one of the most cynical novels ever published. (How can any book be so unpleasant yet so compelling?) But overall, her critical analyses are approachable and entertaining, and you’ll feel smarter after you read them.

Finally, Pennington weaves in tales of her own turbulent life and shares the way the Brontës’ novels reflected her circumstances and informed her development as an individual and a scholar.
In that respect, this literary memoir is similar in many respects to Patience Bloom’s Romance is My Day Job, right down to the fiancé with the eleventh-hour cold feet. (Spoiler: Everyone got married and lived happily ever after, etc.) I would love to have coffee with her. We would drink lattes and argue about Villette and commiserate over what a twerp Branwell was. @ me, Miranda!

Anyway, fans of the Brontës, individually or as a group, won’t want to miss the opportunity to geek out over this charming, cerebral study of their lives, times, and novels. -- Kate Nagy

[Audrey Stars in Her Eye · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Girl Walks Into a Book gives a heartfelt look into fandoms and why we bond with characters, stories and creators. With the topic being the Brontes, the book has a "sophistication" that most people do not see with comics, bands, videos games, and current literature. Not only are the Brontes special to the author, it legitimizes "fangirls" to the "intellectual" community.
Pennington walks the readers through her life as well as the life of the Brontes showing the parallels between all four of the women's lives and how these similarities make the characters and story resound on a personal level.
For me, the book was very meta. I love Jane Eyre for the same reasons the author does. I bonded with the author because she understands from first hand experiences why these characters and stories mean so much to me. We both love Jane Eyre over the idea of not fitting in but not giving up (and we both love Tom hardy as Heathcliff). The author gets my love for Jane Eyre and this just reaffirms my own feelings.
Towards the end of the book, she admits she's come to the end of the Brontes' story. And really, the book should have ended there. The ending of the book follows her pilgrimage to the Brontes' home.
As a fan girl, I appreciated this as a huge moment in her life (like my first Dragon Con), but I lost the connect to the author and her subjects. I am not that level of fangirl for the Brontes and lost interest as she detailed her significant other's journey to the hospital. But I believe a bigger Bronte fan may just enjoy that in depth look into the women's life.
Easier to read that many of the Bronte novels, A Girl Walks into the Book shows readers how and why characters stay with us.
I received a copy from NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

[Daisey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting book, although it was not quite what I expected. It is a literary memoir of the author focused around how the Bronte sisters' writing impacted her life and guided her through difficult times. It is written in a fairly informal conversational style, although she does throw in some unfamiliar vocabulary. She describes growing up, her educational and career experiences, as well as a series of romantic relationships, all while weaving in biographical and literary information about the Bronte family. Charlotte's writing is her clear favorite, and with the research materials available there is more emphasis on Charlotte's life and work than the rest of the family. She includes plot summaries (definite spoilers for all of the novels) and literary analysis of the writing while relating it to events and decisions in her own life. Even with the personal aspect, it is full of interesting information about the Bronte family and quoted passages from letters as well as the novels. I developed more respect for the accomplishments of these sisters, learned a lot, and will definitely be adding more of their writing to my to read list.

*I received an electronic copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.

[Jill Blevins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable! This is a book for bookworms. There is a creative non-fiction MFA-type slant to this book that took a little while to get into, juxtaposing Bronte books with the author's life changes, for example, but once you get settled in, it's sweet and tender.

I'm not familiar with any of the Bronte works, although you don't have to read Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights to know all you need to know to enjoy the author's obsession. And she is obsessed. And it is glorious. You can't help but enjoy Charlotte Bronte by the end of this book, her life, her work, her passion, her daring spirit, her struggles, her genius way with language.

The author became my heroine, as well, even though I'm not one to drop into another real person's life and enjoy it at all. Both storylines: Bronte family and Miranda family twist and turn through life and the crap it throws at you, and somehow it works together.

The wisdom and courage of the Brontes (and the author at times) and, honestly the beautiful writing exquisitely explained, made this one of those books that makes you feel smarter and more learned by the last page.

Even without reading a word of Charlotte Bronte, I want to name my daughter after her.

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
This non-fiction work is the story of a love affair – that of the author with the work of the Brontës. It functions as a biography of the three sisters as well but my favourite parts were her grounding the stories and characters in her real life and how she found that different Brontë books appealed to her at different ages, inspiring and comforting her. Her re-readings of Jane Eyre and finding new things at different points in her life strongly resonated.
I’m a huge fan of the sisters’ work so found the biographical elements very interesting but really appreciated reading about, and recognising in myself, the passion Pennington has for Charlotte, Emily and Anne. If you’ve read any Brontë biographies you are unlikely to discover any new information here but it’s still a delightful read and might even inspire those new to the Brontës’ work to dive headlong in.

[Girl with her Head in a Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

For my full review: https://girlwithherheadinabook.co.uk/...

The bibliomemoir is a genre which has been on the rise over the last five years although it has been around a good deal longer.  From Francis Spufford's The Child That Books Built to Rebecca Mead's My Life in Middlemarch to Samantha Ellis' How to be a Heroine, the market is rich with books which mingle literary criticism with confessional autobiography.  Every true bookworm is able to point to a book which had a transformative effect and just about all of those are willing to read about the life-defining reading experiences of others.  Miranda K. Pennington's Brontë-themed bibliomemoir has a special significance for me as she wrote a guest post about the lesser-known Brontë novels for this site, during the last time that Brooding about the Brontës ran.  Pennington has been an extremely avid Brontë fan since childhood and her contemplation of how her relationship with these long-dead writers had affected her own development really got me thinking.

A Girl Walks Into A Book is a reminder to me that no two people ever read the same book.  It seemed to me that Pennington and I had come at Brontë fandom from entirely opposite directions.  Based in America, her memoir concludes with an emotional visit to Haworth, the ultimate site of pilgrimage.  For me, that is where it all began.  It was the visits to the strangely cold house in the midst of all the old buildings which made me into a four year-old Brontë fan, even though I was none too sure what it was that they had actually done.  Actually engaging with the texts came a long time afterwards.  Does this mean that Pennington has a closer understanding of the Brontës work, having encountered those before the mythology?

Unusually for a Brontë memoir, Pennington focuses more on the novels and their characters rather than the wider Brontë legend.  Her first love was Jane Eyre and she admits that 'If I met Wuthering Heights at a cocktail party, I would have literally nothing to say to it'.  This fascinated me because on my first read, I had the exact opposite reaction.  Reading Heights reminded me of walking on the moors after a visit to the Parsonage and I loved the drama of all these people who hated each other, while emotion of Jane Eyre left me with exactly no thoughts whatsoever.  But I was twelve.  I had growing up to do.

Comparing our contrasting experiences, I can see that it took me a long time to look at the Brontë novels for life advice rather than as simple reading milestones.  I read Jane Eyre for the first time with my mother, only because it remains one of her favourite books and she wanted to share it.  I read Tenant because it had been on TV and Heights and Agnes Grey because they had been on the radio.  I have the same issue with Jane Austen - I read the books too early and failed to understand them and it is only through blogging that I have gotten round to revisiting and discovering what I missed.  I agree with Pennington though that even as an adult, Heights has little advice to offer its reader other than 'Do Not Marry For Spite'.

A Girl Walks Into A Book is definitely a book for the true fans.  Not only is Pennington fairly heavy on the spoilers, but she does assume a reasonable working knowledge of even the lesser known novels such as Shirley or Villette.  This is not really a Brontë biography, it is a personal introspection on the intersection of reading and life.  Contemplating the Brontë sisters' long slog towards publication, Pennington contrasts her own professional trials and tribulations.  Reading Shirley made her consider her attitudes towards dating.  Musing on Mr Rochester prompts thoughts on her impulse to try to rescue an unworthy boyfriend.  Tenant and the tales of Branwell Brontë impels Pennington to confront her own relationship with alcohol.  I have had snapshot moments where reading the right book at the right time has made me see a situation differently, but nothing as deeply abiding as Pennington's relationship with the Brontës.  I felt oddly jealous that she was so much more tuned in.

Naturally enough, I differed with some of Pennington's conclusions - I always liked the sound of Arthur Bell Nicholls and I think it's rough that people judge him based on the word of Ellen 'Pay Attention To Me' Nussey.  While the finale of Villette is a bit of a sucker punch, I also think that the point of the novel is to be an anti-marriage plot, so Lucy finishing up alone was I think Charlotte's point.  She wrote a book for women who had no expectation of marriage so giving Lucy a husband would have been a betrayal.

I enjoyed this book for the same reason why Pennington was such a fantastic guest writer two years ago - the girl can really brood up some serious Brontë.  It was that post of hers which first made me think that ignoring Shirley and Villette forever was just not going to work in the long-term.  In this her first book, Pennington's voice is unflinchingly honest, about herself as well as her feelings for the Brontës.  While many bibliomemoirs veer more towards the whimsical or self-deprecating, A Girl Walks Into A Book is unusually raw.  Pennington's confessional style and deep enthusiasm for her subject reminded me to look beyond all the carping about minor points of Brontë mythology and to remember that the Brontës wrote about passion, about the self and about making your way in the world.  This is fan art of the highest distinction.

[Stella · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. I am not sure how Miranda Pennington and I aren't best friends. We lived in the same neighborhoods in Brooklyn, we went to the same restaurants and concert venues and we are both delightfully obsessed with Jane Eyre.

A Girl Walks Into a Book is the memoir/in depth study of the Bronte family. Miranda, much like myself, fell in love with Jane Eyre and Mr Rochchester at an early age and have continued to let it guide us both into adulthood. Pennington does an in-depth analysis of all of the Brontes works, careful not to gloss over anything about Branwell and his addictions, as well as comparing her own life and experiences to the Brontes at the same time. It's a risky move, but one that was well worth it.

This is a lovely book, for anyone, not just the Eyre obsessed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Amanda Helling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved A Girl Walks Into A Book. The author has masterfully woven her own story with the lives and works of the Brontës. I connected with this book, particularly with Pennington's opinions of the Brontë novels, more than any memoir I've ever read. I lost count of the times I laughed out loud & the number of times I recognized a passage as my exact thoughts on a book or character or ending (looking at you, Villette). This book is funny, smart, and feels a lot like readers are being given a piece of the person who wrote it. I highly recommend it for anyone, but especially Brontë fans (for there are many things that will be more amusing if you already love Charlotte, Anne, and Emily). Fair warning: the author knows Wuthering Heights just isn't all that great and she isn't afraid to say it.