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The Manor House Governess
  • Published: 5 December 2023
  • ISBN: 9781639105601
  • Imprint: Crooked Lane Books
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 336
  • RRP: $69.99

The Manor House Governess

A Novel

Formats & editions
EBook
7 Nov 2023
Hardback
5 Dec 2023
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With a genderfluid protagonist and 21st-century twist, this spirited debut pays homage to the British classics while joyfully centering an LGBTQ+ point of view, perfect for fans of Emily M. Danforth.

This charming, immersive read “reminds all queer people, now more than ever, we deserve to take up space and matter” (Kosoko Jackson).

With a genderfluid protagonist and 21st-century twist, this spirited debut pays homage to the British classics while joyfully centering an LGBTQ+ point of view, perfect for fans of Emily M. Danforth.

This charming, immersive read “reminds all queer people, now more than ever, we deserve to take up space and matter” (Kosoko Jackson).

Orphaned young and raised with chilly indifference at an all-boys boarding school, Brontë Ellis has grown up stifled by rigid rules and social “norms,” forbidden from expressing his gender identity. His beloved novels and period films lend an escape, until a position as a live-in tutor provides him with a chance to leave St. Mary’s behind.

Greenwood Manor is the kind of elegant country house Bron has only read about, and amid lavish parties and cricket matches, the Edwards family welcomes him into the household with true warmth. Mr. Edwards and the young Ada, Bron’s pupil, accept without question that Bron’s gender presentation is not traditionally masculine. Only Darcy, the eldest son, seems uncomfortable with Bron—the two of them couldn’t be more opposite.

When a tragic fire blazes through the estate’s idyllic peace, Bron begins to sense dark secrets smoldering beneath Greenwood Manor’s surface. Channeling the heroines of his cherished paperbacks, he begins to sift through the wreckage. Soon, he’s not sure what to believe, especially with his increasing attraction to Darcy clouding his vision.

Drawing energy and inspiration from Charlotte Brontë, Jane Austen, E.M. Forster, and more while bowing to popular fiction such as Plain Bad Heroines, The Manor House Governess is destined to become a modern classic.
  • Published: 5 December 2023
  • ISBN: 9781639105601
  • Imprint: Crooked Lane Books
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 336
  • RRP: $69.99
Categories:

Praise for The Manor House Governess

"C. A. Castle's The Manor House Governess weaves past and present together to create a queer story of love and intrigue that feels thrillingly new and boldly relevant." – Abdi Nazemian, author of Stonewall Honor book Like a Love Story and Only This Beautiful Moment

"Earnest, sweet, and delightfully queer. The perfect love letter to Brontë's legacy." – Mason Deaver, author of I Wish You All the Best

"Brimming with lush prose and multi-dimensional characters, The Manor House Governess is a reimagining unlike any other. A modern classic about identity, love, and boldly walking one’s own path." – Ashley Herring Blake, author of Delilah Green Doesn't Care

"The Manor House Governess is a queer, atmospheric reimagining of the classic English gothic novel, paying homage to writers like E M Forster and Charlotte Bronte while also bringing a modern sensibility and contemporary spin. In turns spooky, funny, and romantic, C. A. Castle's debut novel is sure to be a hit with readers across genres and generations.” —Mackenzi Lee, Stonewall Honor and New York Times-bestselling author of The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue

"Thought provoking, atmospheric and introspective, The Manor House Governess not only demands a space in the classics hall of fame, but reminds all queer people, now more than ever, we deserve to take up space and matter. A must read." —Kosoko Jackson, author of I'm So Not Over You & Lambda Literary Award Finalist

"Deconstructing the cishet white romance novels we love to eyeroll and still love, C. A. Castel delicately and astutely reinvents the romance that queer & trans readers need." —So Mayer, author of Truth & Dare