Jane Eyre

Immediately recognized as a masterpiece when it was first published in 1847, Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre is an extraordinary coming-of-age story featuring one of the most independent and strong-willed female protagonists in all of literature. Poor and plain, Jane Eyre begins life as a lonely orphan in the household of her hateful aunt and then is sent to the Lowood School, a situation even worse. She becomes a governess at Thornfield Hall, where she falls in love with her employer--the dark, impassioned Mr. Rochester--but an explosive secret tears apart their relationship, forcing Jane to face poverty and isolation once again. One of the world's most beloved novels, Jane Eyre is a startlingly modern blend of passion, romance, mystery, and suspense.