Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre is a novel that follows an orphan from her unhappy childhood in the home of a harsh aunt, through a strict charity school, to a post as governess at Thornfield Hall. There she meets its brooding master, Mr Rochester, and finds herself drawn into a bond of wit, feeling and mystery, while strange events disturb the house. Told in the first person, the book is a story of conscience, self-respect and the search for love and belonging without surrendering independence. It was bold in its day for giving a plain, poor woman such a strong voice, and it remains one of the most loved English novels.