This book is dedicated to one of the most famous English writers of the 19th century, whose novel “Jane Eyre” - the story of a simple governess who managed to find true happiness - is a success all over the world. However, few know how tragic the fate of Charlotte Brontë herself was. She bravely and with dignity endured all the hardships and trials that befell her. Having outlived her sisters and brother, Charlotte Bronte married quite late, but died less than a year after the wedding - she was 38 years old. Another famous English writer, Elizabeth Gaskell, spoke about this and much more (about the life of the Bronte family, the work of the sisters Emily and Anne, literary debut and fame, meetings with writers, etc.). Her acquaintance with Charlotte Brontë took place in 1850, and for almost five years they had a personal and creative friendship. The book “The Life of Charlotte Brontë” is a valuable biographical source based on rich documentary material. E. Gaskell included in the text hundreds of letters from S. Bronte and her correspondents (friends, relatives, writers, publishers). The book “The Life of Charlotte Brontë” is published in Russian for the first time.