A Celebration of Books,
Writers & LIterary Excellence

Save the Date


Gaithersburg
Book Festival

May 16, 2026

10am – 6pm

Bohrer Park


Stephanie Cowell

Featured Title: The Man in the Stone Cottage
The Man in the Stone Cottage

In 1846 Yorkshire, the Brontë sisters— Charlotte, Anne, and Emily— navigate precarious lives marked by heartbreak and struggle. Charlotte faces rejection from the man she loves, while their blind father and troubled brother add to their burdens. Despite their immense talent, no one will publish their poetry or novels. Amidst this turmoil, Emily encounters a charming shepherd during her solitary walks on the moors, yet he remains unseen by anyone else. After Emily’ s untimely death, Charlotte— now a successful author with Jane Eyre— stumbles upon hidden letters and a mysterious map. As she stands on the brink of her own marriage, Charlotte is determined to uncover the truth about her sister’ s secret relationship. The Man in the Stone Cottage is a poignant exploration of sisterly bonds and the complexities of perception, asking whether what feels real to one person can truly be real to another.

About Stephanie Cowell

Stephanie Cowell has been an opera singer, balladeer, founder of Strawberry Opera and other arts venues including a Renaissance festival in NYC. She is the author of “Nicholas Cooke,” “The Physician of London,” “The Players: A Novel of the young Shakespeare,” “Marrying Mozart,” “Claude & Camille: A Novel of Monet,” “The Boy in the Rain,” and “The Man in the Stone Cottage: A Novel of the Brontë Sisters.” Her work has been translated into several languages and adapted into an opera.

Instagram: @cowell.stephanie