Pennington, Kate. Brief Candle.

PENNINGTON, Kate. Brief candle. Trafalgar Square. 262p. c2004.0-340-87370-1, $12.50. JS

Authors will tell you that one of the questions they are asked most often is "where did you get your ideas?" Readers will delight in this tale of the Bronte sisters and their brother Branwell because it offers a window into their lives as young people. In fact, mature readers will be inspired to reach for Wuthering Heights after finishing this historical novel in an effort to see if the inspiration for Heathcliff came from Emily's experience with the mysterious renegade, Heslington. She befriends this outlaw who is hiding in the hills above the moor and eventually becomes the liaison between him and his lover, Martha Holmes. Though she has doubts about Martha's commitment, she is drawn to Heslington's passion for Martha and, more likely, to a young man willing to risk anything for love. At one point, Emily is held as hostage in an abandoned cabin after he is accused of killing Martha's aging father. Mr. Bronte and a search party finally track them down, and though Martha and Heslington escape, Martha eventually returns to her inheritance and the comforts of a wealthier life. The reader also discovers that Martha and Heslington are related, through an affair with Martha's father and the housekeeper, and that her father died of natural causes. A captivating read, especially for those interested in where inspiration might come from. Annette Wells, Komachin MS, Lacey, WA