Brief Candle [Paperback]

Kate Pennington (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2005 | Age Level: 11 and up

At 13, Emily is tall, restless and impatient - ladylike she certainly isn't! Emily despises such things as needlework, but she has a vivid imagination and is a keen artist and, along with her talented sister, Charlotte, loves to write. But Emily stumbles upon a real-life story, when she encounters the vagabond Heslington while out walking her beloved dog, Captain, on the Yorkshire Moors. Heslington is hiding out in an abandoned cottage, on the run from someone, but claims he is guilty of nothing. All he can tell Emily is that he is passionately in love with a Miss Martha Holmes, but has been forbidden from seeing her. Martha's family believe Heslington is only after her money, but he is prepared to live like a pauper, he says, if he can only be with the girl he loves. Touched by his story, Emily finds herself drawn into the whole sorry mess, acting as a reluctant go-between for Martha and Heslington, but convinced she is doing the right thing. But when Heslington reveals his dark side, Emily finds herself doubting him, not knowing what to believe. Is Heslington the love-torn romantic hero of her imaginings or he is mad...?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9–This novel, written in language and tone that echo the Brontës' work, takes place at the parsonage at Haworth, Yorkshire, when Charlotte, Emily, Anne, and Branwell are in their teens. The bleak winter months keep the family confined indoors where they write tales about the imaginary realms of Angria and Gondal. Emily, 14, finds freedom from her siblings and her chores by wandering the moors with her beloved dog. On one of her rambles, she encounters an outcast young man named Heslington. His tale of love for wealthy yet unattainable Martha Holmes intrigues Emily, and she resolves to help him by not revealing his whereabouts, thus thwarting a manhunt. While this is Emily's story, the other characters are well drawn and the plot includes enough adventure to hold readers' attention. Those who enjoy period fiction will find this a good read and may be drawn to the Brontës' novels.–Kathryn Kosiorek, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Brooklyn, OH
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From Booklist

Gr. 6-9. Along with losing herself in romantic poetry, 14-year-old Emily Bronte loves to wander the wild landscape around her father's parsonage, declaring that "a walk on [the] moor is worth a thousand stuttering conversations." Her two passions thrillingly collide when she encounters a distraught young man, whose courtship of a girl outside his station has left him jobless and desperate. Captivated, Emily plays emissary between the lovers, a role that ultimately puts her in danger and challenges her naive notions of romantic love. Pennington's homage offers the most to teens familiar with Bronte's Wuthering Heights, as it will be difficult for unschooled readers to appreciate consonances with the future masterwork--especially since context is limited to a pair of slightly rambling, fictional reminiscences by the Brontes' housekeeper. But even readers without much previous knowledge about the book's underpinnings, especially fans of Ann Rinaldi's atmospheric historical fiction, will enjoy the universally accessible view of an ill-fated love and the dreamy, restless teen who acts on its behalf. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  
• Paperback: 262 pages
• Publisher: Hodder Children's Books (August 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0340873701
• ISBN-13: 978-0340873700
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,597,447 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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