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'It is foolish to wish for beauty. Sensible people never either desire it for themselves or care about it in others. If the mind be but well cultivated, and the heart well disposed, no one ever cares for the exterior.'

Anne Bronte's debut novel tells the story of Agnes Grey, a young woman who is determined to seek work as a governess after her family becomes impoverished. Drawing upon her own experiences as a governess, Anne describes the isolation, insensitivity and occasional harsh treatment bestowed on women in her position by their employers and through Agnes, demonstrates the resilience, integrity and survival of one woman in the face of upper class snobbery and changing social values.