Agnes Grey

In an effort to save her family from poverty, a young woman takes employment as a governess and discovers the great difficulties, instability, and even abuse that accompany her new position in Victorian society. Based on Brontë's own experiences as a governess, Agnes Grey is a poignant tale that explores the repression of women as well as the coming of age of a young and memorable heroine. Deeply personal and socially critical, Agnes Grey has been described by the Irish novelist George Moore as "the most perfect prose narrative in the English language."