Agnes Grey is the daughter of Mr. Grey, a minister of modest means, and Mrs. Grey, a woman who left her wealthy family and married purely out of love. Mr. Grey tries to increase the family's financial standing, but the merchant he entrusts his money to dies in a wreck, and the lost investment plunges the family into debt. Agnes, her sister Mary, and their mother all try to keep expenses low and bring in extra money, but Agnes is frustrated that everyone treats her like a child. To prove herself and to earn money, she is determined to get a position as a governess.

Anne Brontë (1820-1849) was an English novelist and poet, the youngest member of the Brontë literary family. She published a volume of poetry with her sisters and two novels. Agnes Grey is based upon her experiences as a governess, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is considered to be one of the first sustained feminist novels. She wrote under the masculine pen name of Acton Bell.