Glass Town

A graphic novel about the Brontë siblings and their inventive childhood from the New York Times–bestselling author of The Encyclopedia of Early Earth.

NPR Best Book of 2020

Glass Town is an original graphic novel by Isabel Greenberg that encompasses the eccentric childhoods of the four Brontë children—Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne. The story begins in 1825, with the deaths of Maria and Elizabeth, the eldest siblings. It is in response to this loss that the four remaining Brontë children set pen to paper and created the fictional world that became known as Glass Town. This world and its cast of characters would come to be the Brontës’ escape from the realities of their lives. Within Glass Town the siblings experienced love, friendship, war, triumph, and heartbreak. Through a combination of quotes from the stories originally penned by the Brontës, biographical information about them, and Greenberg’s vivid comic book illustrations, readers will find themselves enraptured by this fascinating imaginary world.

“This lyrical, endlessly inventive book will appeal equally to lovers of history, literature, and metatextual fantasy.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Drawn with a cheery and expansive sweep that belies its sometimes somber subject, Glass Town is a testament to the (usually) redemptive powers of imagination.” —Minneapolis Star-Tribune

“Greenberg pulls Glass Town and its characters directly from the Brontës’ juvenilia, giving readers a look into the early creativity of an iconic literary family with a playful visual style that captures the Brontës’ enthusiasm as they discover what fiction can do.” —AV Club