In 1834, Charlotte Bronte, together with her brother Branwell, created the imaginary kingdom of Angria, about which she was to write prolifically for the next five years. The five “novelettes” in this volume are the last of her Angrian tales. Written from the viewpoint of the cynical, gossipy Charles Townshend, they offer an ironic portrait of the intrigues, scandals, and passions of an aristocratic beau monde. With their varied cast of characters, the stories provide a fascinating glimpse into the mind and creative processes of the young writer who was to become one of the world’s greatest novelists.