The Glorious Ones are an unlikely troupe-there's Armanda, the cheerful dwarf and ex-nun; chattering Columbina; Pantalone the miser; and the wicked Brighella; all led by Flaminio Scala, the self-proclaimed most courageous man in Christendom. They travel up and down seventeenth-century Italy, performing in palaces and poor villages alike. For all their wild differences, not one of them is prepared for the arrival of the mysterious Isabella, their new...

This collection of original stories by today's finest women writers--including Tracy Chevalier, Francine Prose, Elizabeth McCracken, Tessa Hadley, Audrey Niffenegger, and more--takes inspiration from the opening line in Charlotte Brontë's most beloved novel, Jane Eyre. A fixture in the literary canon, Charlotte Brontë is revered by readers all over the world. Her novels featuring unforgettable, strong heroines still resonate with millions today....