"Emily's Ghost: A Novel of the Bronte Sisters," by Denise Giardin, W.W. Norton & Co., 336 pages, $24.95

Not only because they are sisters, but because of their incredible writing, Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte will ever be connected.

Born in a time when women weren't valued for their literary abilities, the Bronte sisters not only created timeless classics in "Jane Eyre," "Wuthering Heights" and "Agnes Grey," but they helped change the face of literature forever.

Author Denise Giardina celebrates the Bronte in her work "Emily's Ghost: A Novel of the Bronte Sisters." Dreams, disappointments, triumphs and lost loves all come to the fore in this fictionalized account of their lives.

Death is no stranger to the three youngest Bronte sisters, who have already lost their mother. But that doesn't make things easier when their two oldest sisters die from consumption.

Charlotte, Emily and Anne take the losses hard but are grateful they can return home from the horrible Clergy Daughter's School. At school, discipline rules the day. At home, however, freethinking and creativity are encouraged.

The sisters live in the parish of Haworth in northern England with their widowed father, the curate, an aunt and, on occasion, their brother, Branwell.

Plain in looks and lacking wealth, the sisters have no real chance of marriage and are forced to seek out other ways of securing their futures. While Charlotte holds out hope for romance and true love, Anne seeks work as a governess. Emily, who has no desire to marry or teach, remains at home with her father, doing her part to help people in the village who are struggling to eke out a living.

When a young clergyman named William Weightman comes to serve as their father's assistant, the sisters find themselves in new territory. Charlotte and Anne are taken with the dashing man, but it's quiet Emily who catches his eye.

And it's Emily who is at the center of this tale. As an adult, Emily defies conventions, roaming the moors at night and conversing with spirits she's known since her days at boarding school. While most find her behavior odd, William finds it intriguing. Over time, the two form a bond that even death cannot break.

"Emily's Ghost" is an intimate look at the Bronte family, and though fictionalized, many of the events did in fact happen. While readers should keep in mind that this is a romanticized novel, one can't help but get caught up in the daily lives of these fascinating women.

Here, Charlotte, Emily and Anne become individuals. As the author of "Wuthering Heights," Emily's passion and disregard for some conventions are perfectly in line. However, the persnickety, prim and somewhat prudish characterization of Charlotte makes one wonder how such a person could produce "Jane Eyre."

Giardina gracefully captures the essence of the time period, adopting pacing and style while maintaining her own voice. She transports the readers to mystical moors with ease, making the time and place feel as familiar as our own.

"Emily's Ghost" is a captivating novel that tugs at the heartstrings. Perhaps not on par with the novels written by the Bronte, it has a timeless feel that will call to Bronte fans, as well as devotees of gothic novels.

e-mail: jharrison@desnews.com