Agnes Grey was an 1847 novel based on her experience. At age 19 Anne Bronte left home and worked as a governess for a few years before becoming a writer. Bronte depicts the precarious position of a governess and how that can aff ect a young woman. Agnes was the daughter of a minister whose family was in fi nancial problems. She experiences the diff iculty of reining in spoiled children and how wealth can corrupt morals.