Wuthering Heights is truly having a moment again in 2026. There's the new movie adaptation which, apparently, is more "vibes" than accuracy and now there's a fantastic new literary reimagining as well, by the hand of Essie Fox, which retells the story from the perspective of protagonist Catherine. And it is sensational.
About Catherine by Essie Fox
Catherine grows up with her brother Hindley at Wuthering Heights, a house on the Yorkshire moors. Her father is often away for work and so she's partly brought up by the maid, Nelly Dean. One day, her father returns from business not with the gifts he'd promised Hindley, Cathy, and Nelly... but with a small, dirty boy he said to have found on the road on this way back.
This introduces Heathcliff into the Earnshaw family, who quickly becomes more than just a best friend to Cathy; a better brother than Hindley ever was and a potential love interest as they grow older. But Heathcliff faces years of abuse and suffering by the hands of the older and jealous Hindley, who can see his father starting to favour the new boy over him.
This heart-wrenching upbringing has a rippling effect through all of their lives as they become adults and power dynamics shift between Hindley, Cathy, and Heathcliff. One that will, ultimately, lead to death and destruction...
My review
I have a confession to make. I have never read Wuthering Heights, or any Brontë novel for that matter. I know, I know, but I could never quite get on with the adult classics from that time period in school. I've been rectifying this in the last few years, having ticked off Sense & Sensibility, Northanger Abbey and, last month, Persuasion, but as you can tell those are all by Jane Austen rather than any of the Brontë sisters.
Wuthering Heights was already on my reading list for 2026, but when Catherine by Essie Fox came along, I couldn't resist picking that one up first. I went in completely blind, knowing little about the story aside from the main characters' names – Catherine and Heathcliff – and that it's set in Yorkshire. And I was blown away (and I don't just mean by the windswept moors).
It's an incredibly fascinating and dark tale of abuse and revenge, far from the heart-warming romance I was expecting. All the characters made selfish and often terrible choices, making them highly unlikeable and yet I couldn't help but root for them (well, the two Catherines, at least; Cathy, who is the main character, and her daughter by the same name).
From the way people have been talking about Heathcliff for all these years I expected a brooding hero to swoon over. But while in their youth he seemed to be a good guy, his descent into madness as an adult was rapid and all-consuming. He was an absolutely awful person, which certainly made for an unexpected and riveting storyline progression.
The quiet melancholy from those earlier years in the book really exploded as the characters grew up and continued to be intertwined even against their better judgements. It was raw and obsessive – and I totally get why this is classed as a gothic classic.
Catherine was a truly exceptional read. While I cannot yet compare the book to the original, author Essie Fox has done an incredible job with her version of the story. Had I not seen the title or author, I could've easily mistaken this for the Emily Brontë original. The piercing writing had all the telltale signs of being from that time period and the haunting yet fast-paced plot was everything I'd expected from a highly acclaimed classic, and then some.
The quiet melancholy from those earlier years in the book really exploded as the characters grew up and continued to be intertwined even against their better judgements. It was raw and obsessive – and I totally get why this is classed as a gothic classic.
Catherine was a truly exceptional read. While I cannot yet compare the book to the original, author Essie Fox has done an incredible job with her version of the story. Had I not seen the title or author, I could've easily mistaken this for the Emily Brontë original. The piercing writing had all the telltale signs of being from that time period and the haunting yet fast-paced plot was everything I'd expected from a highly acclaimed classic, and then some.
I now desperately want to read the original to see how it holds ups against this retelling, but given how perfect Catherine is, it'll be hard to beat this one!
Catherine by Essie Fox is published by Orenda Books and you can now purchase a copy from your favourite local book shop!
Disclaimer: This book was gifted to me, but this has not impacted this honest review.
Blog tour stops for Catherine by Essie Fox
This review for Catherine is part of the blog tour for the launch of the book. Make sure to check out the other stops too!
Disclaimer: This book was gifted to me, but this has not impacted this honest review.
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