The Madwoman Upstairs

As the last surviving Brontë, Samantha Whipple has a strenuous relationship with the works of her famous ancestors, especially as she's starting her first year at Old College, Oxford. Upon arriving at Old College, being assigned to "the Tower" dorm room is only the first sign of the strange things that will befall Samantha. At turns a mystery and an academic adventure (with an ongoing discussion on various theories of reading), this is a fun read for all Brontë fans and will feel incredibly familiar for many literature students! Recommended By Janelle M., Powells.com

In Catherine Lowell’s smart and original debut novel—hailed by Deborah Harkness as a "charming and memorable read"—the last remaining descendant of the Brontë family embarks on a modern-day literary scavenger hunt, using only the clues her eccentric father left behind, and the Brontës’ own novels.

Samantha Whipple is used to stirring up speculation wherever she goes. Since her father’s untimely death, she is the presumed heir to a long-rumored trove of diaries, paintings, letters, and early novel drafts passed down from the Brontë family—a hidden fortune never revealed to anyone outside of the family, but endlessly speculated about by Brontë scholars and fanatics. Samantha, however, has never seen this alleged estate and for all she knows, it’s just as fictional as Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights.

But everything changes when Samantha enrolls at Oxford University and long lost objects from her past begin rematerializing in her life, beginning with an old novel annotated in her father’s handwriting. With the help of a handsome but inscrutable professor, Samantha plunges into a vast literary mystery and an untold family legacy, one that can only be solved by repurposing the tools of literature and decoding the clues hidden within the Brontës’ own novels.

A fast-paced adventure from start to finish for readers who devoured The Weird Sisters and Special Topics in Calamity Physics, The Madwoman Upstairs is a moving exploration of what happens when the greatest truth is, in fact, fiction.

A fast-paced adventure from start to finish, this vibrant and original novel is a moving exploration of what it means when the greatest truth is, in fact, fiction.

"Catherine Lowell’s debut is a smart and funny literary mystery set among the dreaming spires of Oxford University. Lowell’s deft handling of her quirky characters and unpredictable plot twists make The Madwoman Upstairs a charming and memorable read." Deborah Harkness, author of the All Souls Trilogy

"An enigmatic father’s legacy sets the scene for gothic intrigue involving the last descendant of the Brontë sisters in Catherine Lowell’s irresistibly clever, Oxford debut, The Madwoman Upstairs." Vogue

"An engaging literary mystery filled with juicy speculation about the life of the Brontës—a delightful reminder that how we read fiction matters." Stanford Magazine

"Lowell crafts a first novel that is as enthralling as it is heartbreaking. Brontë aficionados and fans of Sloane Crosley's The Clasp will love this title." Library Journal (Starred Review)

Catherine Lowell received her BA in Creative Writing from Stanford University, and currently lives in New York City. The Madwoman Upstairs is her first novel.