Romancing Miss Bronte (54 page)

I would like to recognize the following for their contributions:

The many Brontë scholars and biographers who, through their decades of research, made possible this intimate portrait of Charlotte.

Barbara Daniel at Little, Brown in London, who urged me to follow my heart and write this novel.

The Brontë Parsonage Museum, and Ann Dinsdale, for their prompt, courteous attention to all our inquiries.

Father Stan Runnels, for reading the manuscript and assuring me that my Anglican curates were sufficiently priestly, but most of all for his warmth, encouragement, and guidance.

Rhoderic Bannatyne, who read the early manuscript, for his meticulous attention to detail and helpful editing suggestions.

My many friends who revived my drooping spirits during the long winters of work, specifically Jan and Les Ryon, who always made sure I was well fed.

My splendid agent, Loretta Barrett, for her patience, support, and enthusiasm.

Linda Marrow, Senior Vice President and Editorial Director at Ballantine, for her lively humor and passionate commitment to this book.

J
ULIET
G
AEL
was raised in the Midwest and obtained her M.A. in French literature before pursuing graduate film studies at USC and English literature at UCLA in Los Angeles, California. She has lived abroad for more than fifteen years, primarily in Paris, where she worked as a screenwriter. She now makes her home in Florence, Italy.

Romancing Miss Brontë
is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2010 by Juliet Gael

All rights reserved

Published in the United States by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

B
ALLANTINE
and colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gael, Juliet.
  Romancing Miss Brontë : a novel / Juliet Gael.—1st ed.
     p. cm.
  eISBN: 978-0-345-52032-6
  1. Brontë, Charlotte, 1816–1855—Fiction. 2. Women novelists—Fiction. 3. Brontë family—Fiction. I. Title.
  PS3607.A3535R66 2010
  813′.6—dc22

2010000560

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