Title: Catherine: A Retelling of Wuthering Heights

Author: Essie Fox

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Orenda Books

Publication Date: 12th February 2026

Rating: 4.5/5

Cover:

Summary:

With a nature as wild as the moors she loves to roam, Catherine Earnshaw grows up alongside Heathcliff, a foundling her father rescued from the streets of Liverpool. Their fierce, untamed bond deepens as they grow – until Mr Earnshaw’s death leaves Hindley, Catherine’s brutal brother, in control and Heathcliff reduced to servitude.

Desperate to protect him, Catherine turns to Edgar Linton, the handsome heir to Thrushcross Grange. She believes his wealth might free Heathcliff from cruelty – but her choice is fatally misunderstood, and their lives spiral into a storm of passion, jealousy and revenge.

Now, eighteen years later, Catherine rises from her grave to tell her story – and seek redemption.

Essie Fox’s Catherine reimagines Wuthering Heights with beauty and intensity – a haunting, atmospheric retelling that brings new life to a timeless classic and lays bare the dark heart of an immortal love.

Review:

Wuthering Heights is very much in the public eye at the moment, what with the controversial new movie having just come out.  I haven’t seen the film, and therefore can’t comment on it, but if you are looking for a genuinely fresh interpretation of the classic novel that brings something new whilst also remaining indelibly faithful to the original text, then I highly recommend picking up Catherine by Essie Fox. It’s been about 17 years since I read Wuthering Heights, so I don’t remember it well, but I do recall its impact, and this novel felt so beautifully evocative of the book’s darkness and its themes of yearning, jealousy, revenge, and tragedy. It also adds a new, slightly more feminist, dimension in giving us Catherine’s perspective on the events that take place, which is something the original does not. To be frank, Catherine herself, and Heathcliff, are not overwhelmingly likeable characters in any interpretation but what this book does so beautifully, particularly for Catherine’s character, is provide emotional context for her decisions and her feelings which makes the whole thing feel more poignant and perhaps even more darkly twisted and doomed.

Catherine is narrated by the ghost of Catherine herself, which is perfect for the story, where Catherine’s ghost and her haunting is a pivotal aspect for Heathcliff. Fox expertly deploys this perfectly from the very first page. It is also absolutely gorgeously written with haunting elegance, drama, and depth which leaks out from the pages all wrapped up in intense gothic atmosphere. I highly recommend Catherine to both Wuthering Heights superfans, but also to anyone who enjoys gothic literature about the darker elements of obsession and love. It is the perfect testament to the classic without being constrained by it. A truly beautiful book, perfect for reading on a dark, wild, and stormy night, preferably out on the Yorkshire Moors if possible. 

★★★★.𝟓 

Thank you so much to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for inviting me on this tour and organising it. I kindly received a copy of the book from the publisher. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.

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