Emerald Fennell 's hallucinatory adaptation of Wuthering Heights invited us to consider Emily Brontë in one light; Lutz's painstaking account shows her in quite another. Far from the eccentric, isolated genius , Lutz's Brontë is grounded in her material reality, from everyday household tasks to illness and grief.

Guardian - Best Books to Dip into This Summer

It says much for Lutz's skills as a writer that she succeeds in creating such a seamless and compelling narrative out of her materials. Her insight and sensitivity as a critic, as well her deep knowledge of the sources, allow her to open up the inner life of her famously reclusive subject. The result is a convincing portrait and an impressive achievement.

Lucasta Miller, The Spectator

Refreshing… [Lutz] is excellent on the intimacy of Emily's writing about grief… this biography is a wonderful book.

Guardian

Discerning

Independent (in their May 2026 'Books of the Month' list)

Engaging new biography…Lutz unspools this short, seemingly uneventful life with sympathy, lyricism and economy - as well as humor.

New York Times

A new, quietly punchy biography

i newspaper