"John Eyre" by Mimi Matthews

This gender-flipped retelling of Charlotte Bronte's classic novel has intrigued me since the moment I heard of it. Jane Eyre has been a part of my life since I was quite young. I remember when some friends introduced me to the story via the 1943 Orson Welles movie—I was 12 or 13 years old at the time, and quite confused as to what was going on.

In this retelling, John Eyre is a tutor seeking a fresh start after a disastrous conclusion to his previous post. He arrives at isolated Thornfield Hall, ancestral home of the absent Mrs. Rochester, where Mr. Fairfax introduces him to his charges: two young boys who have a ghostly appearance and do not speak. 

Mrs. Rochester arrives at Thornfield, and she is a brash, dashing woman in widow's weeds. Yet John sees a delicate, vulnerable side that she normally keeps locked deep away, and as mysterious happenings swarm Thornfield, it draws John and Mrs. Rochester together for a perfect storm.

Mimi Matthews has said this is a Jane Eyre retelling mixed with that of another classic novel whose identity she couldn't reveal without spoiling things, so I won't reveal it, either. I will say I was about 40% into the story before I realized what the second one was, and it does pair surprisingly well. Bertha Rochester definitely steals the show. For some reason I never felt connected to John or his emotions, and I missed the faith element that makes Jane Eyre such a strong character. Overall, I feel this is an interesting retelling which many will enjoy, and I'm glad I read it.

Content warning: This is not a Christian fiction book, which I knew ahead of time, and it contains instances of PG-rated swearing. If you're familiar with any BBC shows like Poldark or Downton Abbey, it's in line with what you would hear there. Use your own discretion.

I received my copy of the book through NetGalley. All thoughts in this review are my own.