Miss Emily

by Nuala O'Connor

The American debut of an award-winning Irish writer that brings to life Emily Dickinson and will enthrall fans of Longbourn and Mrs. Poe

Nuala O’Connor’s enchanting American debut novel, Miss Emily, reimagines the private life of Emily Dickinson, one of America’s most beloved poets, through her own voice and through the eyes of her family’s Irish maid.

Eighteen-year-old Ada Concannon has just been hired by the respected but eccentric Dickinson family of Amherst, Massachusetts. Despite their difference in age and the upstairs-downstairs divide, Ada strikes up a deep friendship with Miss Emily, the gifted elder daughter living a spinster’s life at home. But Emily’s passion for words begins to dominate her life. She will wear only white and avoids the world outside the Dickinson homestead. When Ada’s safety and reputation are threatened, however, Emily must face down her own demons in order to help her friend, with shocking consequences.
 

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Book Club, Irish Literature, 19th Century, Adult

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 14, 2015

About the author

Nuala O’Connor AKA Nuala Ní Chonchúir was born in Dublin, Ireland, she lives in East Galway. Her fifth short story collection Joyride to Jupiter was published by New Island in June 2017. Penguin USA, Penguin Canada and Sandstone (UK) published Nuala’s third novel, Miss Emily, about the poet Emily Dickinson and her Irish maid. Miss Emily was shortlisted for the Bord Gáis Energy Eason Book Club Novel of the Year 2015 and longlisted for the 2017 International DUBLIN Literary Award. Nuala’s fourth novel, Becoming Belle, will be published in 2018. www.nualaoconnor.com

Reviews

[Juliet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written short novel about an imagined friendship between the reclusive poet Emily Dickinson and a (fictional) young Irish maid, Ada Colcannon, who comes to work for the Dickinson family. Chapters alternate between the points of view of Emily and Ada, with the two voices captured perfectly in O'Connor's evocative prose. The roles of women of different classes and the limitations on their freedom are integral to a story which balances cruel and violent events with acts of friendship, hope and kindness. Four and a half stars from me (a pity Goodreads doesn't allow half stars.)

[Margaret Madden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emily Dickinson loves words more than people. She notices the beauty in the minutia of nature and sees random darkness of the world around her. Quite content to remain within the confines of her house and gardens in Amhurst, she adores her friend Susan, is indifferent to her family and whiles away her hours writing verse, in her bedroom. However, when a new maid arrives from Ireland she is strangely drawn to her chatty and inquisitive nature. Ada is not backward in coming forward and balances out the stuffiness of Amhurst, delightfully. There is life injected into the house and Emily and Ada become unlikely friends. The smell of baking lingers in the downstairs kitchen and pantry, the sound of chat is heard where there was formerly silence and Ada's beau is a frequent visitor to the Dickinson kitchen. Ada's life is altered one fateful evening and things slowly begin to unravel. A fear of the unknown, a lack of family and a dreadful illness cause Ada to become a problem for the Dickinson family. Emily is determined to help, in whatever way she can, but can she save Ada? Is their friendship strong enough to go beyond the barrier of the staff/employer divide?

To say I was chomping at the bit to read this novel is a bit of an understatement. I have been a fan of Emily Dickinson's work since studying her for my school exams. Not only are her words profound, intense and memorable, but researching her life was an unexpected pleasure. The 'crazy' lady, locked in her bedroom with no company but for her poems. Dark, depressed and dreary. This is what many have come to believe about Emily's life and words. But this is an incomplete, and perhaps debatable or inaccurate, picture. Nuala O'Connor has identified with the woman behind the poetry. The human being who devoured literature, loved her friend and sister-in-law dearly, appreciated nature for its simple existence and who said :

"Hope is a thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all - "

Each chapter is given a unique title, which lends a feeling of a more intimate read. It also means the reader can return to favourite passages quite easily. The chapter lengths are short, yet each contains an equal measure of literary delight. There are no fillers here. For the first time, I am considering buying the audio book, to soak up the eloquent words from another perspective.
The author has taken a legendary poet and given her a voice through fiction. Using wonderful prose, elegant style and respectful narrative, she has brought Emily to life. Her famed 'darkness' is not relevant to this story, her love of flora and fauna, her trusting nature and her adoration of the written word are the important factors. Her unexpected closeness to the family maid is the core of this tale. Ada is what Emily needs, and Emily is what Ada needs. Two very different women, two vastly different walks of life, yet two characters who understand each other more than anyone.
Meticulous research has led to a novel full of detail, warmth, depth and beauty. It is historical fiction with elegance and integrity. Just as Miss Emily Dickinson deserves...

[Ray Nessly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review first appeared in the journal, Literary Orphans

Miss Emily is outstanding historical fiction by Nuala O'Connor, known to many readers by her Irish name, Nuala Ní Chonchúir. She is the acclaimed author of two novels (The Closet Of Savage Mementos; You), five collections of short stories, and four collections of poetry. The chapters of this novel—short, lean, and lyrical—alternate between the first person perspectives of Emily Dickinson and the fictional Ada Concannon. Ada, an eighteen-year-old émigré from Ireland, is the Dickinson household's cook and housekeeper. Emily is the budding poet, in her mid-thirties, brought to life in all her reclusive, eccentric glory: avoiding church and other social gatherings, lowering baskets of gingerbread to children from her upper floor bedroom window, insisting she wear all-white in muddy New England, and struggling—always struggling—to get words onto the page.

Emily's inner life, evoked by O'Connor's lyrical prose, will be of special interest to writers. Many will empathize with Emily's withdrawal from the world, her need for a conventional life superseded by her need to create. Whether staring out the window or puttering in the garden or baking bread, she's constantly willing stubborn words to come. Writers and readers alike will delight in finding, hidden in these pages like Easter eggs, echoes of Dickinson's timeless poetry.

Emily and Ada quickly become friends against the wishes of Emily's family, and Ada finds romance with a fine Irish fellow. The chapters give fairly equal time to the two main characters, but by the second half of the novel, Ada is arguably the chief protagonist, enduring by far weightier conflicts. An act of violence and its repercussions will rightly outrage the reader and bring some to tears. Ada's first person narration, though, seems a tad sophisticated given her youth and background. Like many of her generation, she'd been to school for only a few years. Perhaps she overcame this disadvantage through self-education, but I don't recall her character revealing she has a particular interest in books. On the other hand, as evidenced by her appreciation of Emily's verse, Ada could well be a natural. What's more, as a survivor of The Hunger, it is perhaps less surprising that she is worldly beyond her years.

Film rights to the novel have been obtained, and it will be interesting to see how the screenwriters adapt the story. Given the novel's title and Emily Dickinson's fame, the producers might think it safest to tweak things a bit so that Emily's character has the leading role and Ada the supporting one. Myself, I would lobby for that rare bird, a film with two leading women's roles. However that pans out, the filmmakers face a challenge: Outdoing a novel that already has brought to life two women and a post-Civil War Massachusetts that you can see and just about touch.

(This review appears in the journal, Literary Orphans literaryorphans.org)

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for novels based on the lives of historical writers. Emily Dickinson’s Amherst is an inviting setting, and the alternating first-person voices of Emily and the family’s Irish maid, Ada Concannon, are both well realized. However, the plot soon gets mired in the melodrama of a wrong done to Ada in the Dickinson household, which results in a crisis that – you guessed it – requires the reclusive Emily to leave the house. After reading, I remained greedy for more of Emily’s inner life and poetry. There are a few glimpses here: for instance, her love of baking, and the hint that she had romantic feelings for her sister-in-law. But I suspect I’ll have to pick up a full-length biography to satisfy my interest in Emily Dickinson.

Related reading: The House of Hawthorne by Erika Robuck

[Erin O'Riordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, a caveat: this will be a very difficult book to read for anyone who is sensitive to depictions of sexual assault. An incident of sexual violence is described in detail and becomes a key plot point for the second half of the novel.

That said, this novel is a winning depiction of a fictionalized Emily Dickinson, told in part in Dickinson's own voice and in part through the voice of her Irish-born housemaid, Ada Concannon. Emily sees Ada as a friend and an equal. Over the course of the novel, Emily will confront her own agoraphobia (if we may apply that late 19th-century word to a mid-19th-century woman) and put herself in danger for her new friend. My favorite thing about this novel is its beautiful depiction of female friendship.

My second-favorite thing about this novel is the fictional Dickinson's characterization. Personally, I believe Emily Dickinson is the English language's second-greatest genius after Mr. William Shakespeare. It's wonderful to spend time with the poet in her home environment, getting peeks into the origins of some of her best-known verse. If you read Seth Grahame-Smith's 'The Last American Vampire' (and I don't necessarily recommend that you do), you may remember a footnote that suggests Emily Dickinson's famous reclusiveness was a result of her being a vampire, and a not-heterosexual one at that. I liked that image, and although this novel has nothing to do with vampirism, it does make it clear that Emily's feelings toward her sister-in-law are of a romantic nature. This Emily may be married to words and to her homestead, but she's clearly neither asexual nor heterosexual. And it works as characterization in this context, whatever one may believe about the historical Emily Dickinson.

Nuala O'Connor is the Anglicized name of Irish author Nuala Ní Chonchúir (not to be confused with Northern Irish technology expert Nuala O'Connor). I'm not sure why, in the 21st century, an Irish name would need to be Anglicized, even for the American market. That the English tried to ban the speaking of the Irish language and cut my European cousins off from our ancestral tongue is a sad historical fact. Our indigenous language might well have died out if not for the systematic attempt in Irish public schools to reconnect the current generation with the mother tongue. So I say, at the risk of sounding like a Hyperbole and a Half comic: Irish language all the things!

But that's a bit beside the point unless you're a passionate Irish-American word nerd like me. Bottom line: this is a beautifully written novel about two amazing women and the people and things they care about. Whether you're a devoted American literature fan or simply a lover of authentically-told historical fiction, you will find much to appreciate here.

I received this book through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for this review.

[Marisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this novel is beautifully written, I wound up not enjoying it as much as I’d expected to. The pace is pretty slow, and honestly, I’m tired of rape being used as a plot device. There are a number of historical novels out there that deal with this same exact storyline, but the only difference is that this one is about Emily Dickinson’s servant. Not much else about the class differences and oppression of women via sexual violence is said in this novel that hasn’t been said before. Again, I don’t think Miss Emily is a bad book because Nuala O’Connor writes beautifully, it just isn’t anything original, and the slow pacing affect my overall feelings about it.

[Melissa]

This book made me so angry I almost threw it across the room. I am sick to death of stories where one character's rape serves as impetus for someone else's character development. Fuck Emily Dickinson and her gingerbread and caramels.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ada Concannon, the eldest of 7 children, possesses an energetic zest for life that was unappreciated by her previous employer; upon being demoted to scullery maid she decides to seek her fortune elsewhere, taking a passage on the boat to New England where her Aunt Mary, Uncle Michael and a couple of not too friendly cousins reside.

She lands on her feet with a job at the Dickinson household, a family of four, with the spinster sisters Vinnie and Emily, neighbout to their somewhat gruff (he was a treasure when he was younger recalls Emily) brother Austin, who is married to Sue, one Emily appears to (not very convincingly) pine for.

Emily is reluctant to leave the house, preferring words to company and attaches herself to Ada, the kitchen being one of her preferred refuges, thus friendship with the housemaid most important.

Her friendship with the maid flouts convention and is a kind of quiet rebellion within the home that the poet rarely steps out of.

Chapters alternate between Miss Emily's and Ada's perspective to reveal brief but eventful encounters in the kitchen and rooms of the Dickinson home, between the young Irish woman Ada, the poet Emily Dickinson and those around them.

Although Ada is outgoing and attractive, she still has something of the Irish reserve and tendency to silence when there is trouble. And trouble there will be. Ada and Emily must attempt to navigate the narrow space between their classes to deal with the trouble, without compromising their reputations.

Miss Emily is a lively, charming read, she brings her characters to life, especially the Irish and creates a world we can quickly imagine and inhabit. There is something comfortable and reassuring in her prose and novels that makes you want to abandon all else until the last page is turned. Just as she did with Savage Mementos, so too she achieves with Miss Emily. My only regret is that it all ends too soon, I’m still wondering about Ada and could easily follow after her into a sequel.

[Mary Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel tells the story of a friendship which develops between the reclusive poet Emily Dickinson and the new Irish maid in her household, recently immigrated to America.
In all aspects it is pure delight.
Nuala Ni Chonchuir’s prose is simple and effortless. Her expertise extends across her writing on the relationship between Emily and Ada, to her descriptions of nature, the basis of Emily Dickinson’s inspiration. Even though the shocking event which befalls Ada does take over the mid section, Emily’s actions and reactions to it (brave and unusual for that era) still play a vital role.

Care is taken to develop the characters of Emily’s parents, her sister and brother and the complicated relationship with her beloved sister in law Susan. We are also given a feel for the debilitating episodes suffered by Emily and her reluctance to go outdoors.

This is a lovely read, worth a long wait

[Aisling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nuala O'Connor (Nuala Ni Chonchuir) writes, much as Emily Dickinson did, with an economy of words that paint a vivid and lasting picture. This book is a fictional (but clearly well researched) glimpse into one year of Emily Dickinson's life. The novel alternates between Emily's voice including her poetry and thoughts on writing, Amherst and being a recluse, and the experiences of a new Irish immigrant who works as a maid in the Dickinson house.

Even if the reader knows nothing of Emily Dickinson they will find it hard to put down. The story moves at a great clip, seethes with secrets and heart. It is charming and entertaining. If the reader has an interest in the Poet then they will be charmed by the portrayal of Emily and her thoughts, family and life.

This was a great read and I will be looking for more of the author's work immediately!

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slightly disappointed in this one. It fell flat for me until the major action in the second half. Even then I thought some of the events and the dialogue especially unlikely. I did like the illustration of Emily Dickinson's quirks, one of which, more of a major character trait, was pretty surprising and, in the end I thought the author could've done a lot more exposition there. The whole thing reminded me of Longbourn by Jo Baker, both in subject matter (seeing well-known characters via servants' eyes) and in the somewhat uninteresting storyline and flat characters. So much potential to be exciting, but it left me feeling very meh.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time reconciling with some of the decisions O'Connor made (plot, voice, any sort of craft) in regards to this historical fiction–which I found to be far too fictitious and yet, not enough to make the story interesting. The stars I do give belong to Ada and not to Miss Emily, whose own POV left me thoroughly unconvinced and detached.

I almost wish this was a draft, so that O'Connor could try again. It had so much potential.

[Wisewebwoman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nuala brilliantly captures the 19th century atmosphere in the home of Emily Dickenson, the poet, and her relationships with her sister in law and her new Irish maid.

Her writing is particularly tender in the observation of the small details.

The rape scene is horrific but is signalled well ahead of the incident.

5/5

[Olga Miret · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book to be enjoyed slowly and savored like the sweets the poet liked so much Thanks to Net Galley for providing me a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for a review.
I spent a year at Mount Holyoke College and visited Amherst often. And one of the first places I went to was for a visit to the house and museum of Emily Dickinson (and I was living at Dickinson House at Mount Holyoke, where the Centre for Women’s Studies resides).
I’ve always been intrigued by Emily Dickinson and this novel did not disappoint me. It achieves what for me is the trademark of great historical fiction, it makes historical characters and a time and place come to life, without becoming a textbook. It creates a sense of place and it submerges the readers in an era distant from their own.
The author provides enough detail of the period and places to transport us there, and in this case I felt the major strength of the novel was its psychological insights into the minds of the characters, Emily Dickinson and the fictional character of Ada Concannon. Each one of them take turns to tell the story from their point of view, in first person, present tense, and although the differences in language and education couldn’t be wider, the two women bond over a common interest in baking and a kindness of spirit and curiosity for the other’s world and life. Emily accepts and does not question Ada’s religious beliefs and what she sees as her superstitions, and Ada is non-judgemental about Emily’s rituals, reclusiveness and life-style.
The language captures beautifully Emily’s poetry and her creative process, and it reflects the differences between the two women and the other characters around them. The relationships between Emily and members of her family and friends are understated as it would correspond to the period and there are feelings and interests hinted at but never fully developed, in keeping with the sense of propriety of the era.
If Ada’s character is partly a way of providing an outsider’s perspective into Emily’s life, it also tells the story of Irish emigration to the US by sharing different experiences and very personal ones. Ada’s troubles also help highlight some of the difficulties women would have confronted at the time, and what the general attitude towards them might have been. Although these elements might be seen as detracting from the focus of the story I felt they created a more rounded reading experience.
I particularly enjoyed the amount of domestic detail, the cooking, the descriptions of smells, tastes, textures, colours that complement Emily Dickinson’s poetry. A book to be enjoyed slowly and savoured like the sweets the poet was so fond of.

[Elinor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by Irish author Nuala O’Connor, Miss Emily introduces an Irish character. Spunky and rebellious, Ada leaves her home in Ireland for the distant shores of Massachusetts and lands a job in the Dickinson household, where she and the reclusive daughter of the family bond over baking and become unlikely friends. Alternating chapters tell the story from each woman’s viewpoint, which heightens the contrast between the two characters.

Emily Dickinson provides rich material for any author – a fey creature who wears nothing but white, is increasingly reluctant to leave the house, and is secretly in love with her sister-in-law Susan. In reality we know little about this ghostly, mysterious figure, but here she comes to life.

Her fictional voice is suitably poetic. “From now on I shall be candle-white. Dove--, bread--, swan--, shroud--, ice--, extraordinary-white. I shall be blanched, bleached and bloodless to look at; my very whiteness will be my mark. But inside, of course, I will roar and soar and flash with color.” From that passage you can see that the author herself has a wonderful gift for words.

The plot suddenly turns dark when Ada experiences a horrifying assault. It is Emily -- by now more loyal friend than employer -- who forces herself to leave the sanctity of her chamber and come to the rescue.

[Terry Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm in two minds about this book ~ I started out expecting to be very impressed, and, when I wasn't completely captivated, wondered if my inability to appreciate it said more about me than the book. There is no doubt that this novel is beautifully written, but although I was aware of this and, on occasion, read passages more than once to enjoy the words themselves, I didn't feel particularly compelled to read it. After I'd finished it I had a look at the reviews on Amazon.com, where there are more and of more variation than on Amazon UK, and found that some people thought as I did ~ that there wasn't quite enough actual story to make a novel. I didn't know much about Miss Dickinson before, and now I know that she was a recluse, liked to bake, adored words more than people and possibly felt more than friendship towards her sister-in-law. That's kind of it. Or perhaps that's just me.


The story is told from the viewpoint of Emily and her fictional maid, Ada. The four stars reflect the authentic picture of domestic life at the time and the writing itself, which is delightful, but I can't say I found it memorable. I think people who love the style of, for instance, Jane Austen, would love this, though.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly light tale of home-bound poet with attachment to her family's new immigrant household servant. The writing -style is meant to convey the mood and sensibility of the late 1800s and the tone of Emily Dickinson's poetry and does a good job of accomplishing just that. Oddly enough, there is a violent act hidden within this frothy tale, but the book ties up all the loose ends in a nice happy way. This book provides an evening's quiet enjoyment, much as the poet's work did originally for her audience; today we read Dickinson in less concentrated forms. I received my copy from Penguin's First to Read program.

[Jennifer Gyuricska · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loved the first half of the book so entirely. I wanted to buy it for every single woman friend I have.

And then one of the central characters is raped, gets gonorrhea, and slowly poisons herself applying mercury to her vagina. Then she goes home and our main character continues life and living unabated.

Over a week later I am still angry. I imagine the author being pressured, "it's too beautiful, it needs tension". And at some point thinking, "I don't know how to end this story".

These are the only excuses that I can think of that would take a beautiful friendship and story and give it such a nonsensical twist that does nothing to further plot or character.

[Debumere · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite my misgivings I quite enjoyed this book.

A young girl from Ireland goes to America to be a housekeeper for an eccentric family, the daughter at least.

Trouble ensues for Irish girl, Ada, and Emily, the daughter, who'd found a friend in her, fights her family to save her.

Worth a read, quite surprised I enjoyed it.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gift from a friend in Ireland. I'd never heard of Nuala O'Connor before; on the basis of this book I will look out for more of her work. She writes beautifully, conveying Emily Dickinson's thoughts and feelings without trying to sound exactly like Emily. Emily's chapters alternate with Ada the maid's, also empathetically done.

It's a short, simple tale taking place over a year, with (melo)dramatic moments. The relationships between family members and between Emily and Ada are well drawn and believable.

[David]

An enjoyable read that picks up speed as stakes are raised. The device of using elements of the historical Emily Dickinson alternating as narrator with her 'Irish serving maid' Ada Concannon allows for an impressive clinic in the art of creating fictional voices. The conclusion is largely satisfying and one senses that all that is imagined is well within the realm of the plausible--as likely, indeed, as all that is historical in the novel.

[Sandra de Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming novel. Fictional account of Emily Dickinson and her 18 year old Irish maid, Ada, told in first person by each in alternating chapters. Well done historical fiction. Not the story I would have written (because it is a documented fact that Emily Dickinson and her sister-in-law Susan had a long-term love affair).

[Chanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting slice of Emily Dickinson’s life. It read quickly, too.

[Donna Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dreamed
I read
Anything
Everything
Young
I danced
I sang
Motion
Rhythm
Young
I loved
was loved
Possibilities
Passion
Promise
Young
Invincible
Unmarred
My mind full of me
Fearless
Thoughtless
Until youth ran from me
~D. Parker

Have you ever had one of those odd weeks, where you had to choose from odd choices? I did, and it seemed as though my viewing and reading, though vastly different, all had a common theme, at least, in my mind: choices.

Gone Girl. Mesmerizing, mostly due to Rosamund Pike’s luminously disturbing performance. The choices in this film and the fall-out of them had me speculating, head-shakingly weirded-out, kind of appalled and that wasn’t even by Ben Affleck’s ‘acting’. Pretty sure this goes into the movies-not-to-see-on-a-first-date category – http://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/02/14/2...

Zoo. Sorry, not Zoo Station by U2, but that would be a cool theme song, this Zoo is the TV adaptation of James Patterson’s bestselling-creepy-makes-Blackfish-look-like-Disneyland novel about how animal behaviours are changing and becoming more aggressive toward humans (gee, I can’t understand why, we’ve been sooo nice to them) due to choices and changes we’ve made.

Annie. I love Annie’s gumption and her choice to never be limited, to meet her hard-knock life with a smile, a song, kindness, and courage. I tried to watch the latest version, I don’t care what you change, as long as you don’t mangle the songs…yup, they mangled the songs.

Poldark. You’d think the trials and tribulations of people in the 1800s would at some point cease to be enthralling and yet…not even slightly, BBC, Masterpiece me some more! 40 years after the first run of this series, Aidan Turner (The Hobbit movies, The Tudors, Being Human, TMI, etc.) was chosen to take on the famous role of Capt Ross Poldark and he might give Colin Firth’s Mr Darcy a run for his money…might.

Miss Emily: A Novel. Ireland’s Nuala O’Connor (Penguin) brings us this fictional re-imagining of a time in the life of a writer known for her eccentricity almost as much as her poetry, Emily Dickinson.
When I read what I call a coat-tail book (a book that uses a famous historical or fictional character to bolster their success), I think, would this be as good if they hadn’t use a famous name? In this book, I found the main character being Emily Dickinson distracted from a well-written, at times disturbing, but ultimately intriguing story of overcoming trauma, adversity, and anxiety.
The story is told to us with the alternating voices of Emily and an Irish servant girl, Ada, who works for the unconventional Dickinson family in Amherst, Massachusetts. We see how the choices of the main characters and those around them affect lives, but more than that, how they respond to those choices.
With or without the charming voice of Emily Dickinson, an interesting read.

Our choices and the choices of others lead us down many paths, but none of those choices defines us, what we do after, that does.

http://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/07/11/t...

[Monique Mihalitsianos · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because I'm a fan of Emily Dickinson's poetry. This is the second book by Nuala O'Connor that I read. I also read Becoming Belle by her, which was okay. I was still excited to read this book, though. While I found the writing lyrical in some instances, especially the instances when Emily talks about her love of words and solitude, I could not shake the feeling that this book felt like an early draft of a novel, instead of a completed story.

It was better than Becoming Belle, in the sense that it had more atmospheric writing and the setting was more fleshed out, but the characters felt lacking. This is supposed to be a story of friendship between Emily Dickinson and Ada, their young Irish housekeeper, but the relationship between them feels too underdeveloped, like there isn't enough there to form the strong bond between them that the reader is supposed to see.

Likewise, the relationship between Emily and Susan, her brother's sister whom she is supposed to be in love with, is also underdeveloped. Susan is supposed to be Emily's love of her life but we don't see enough of this character or interactions between Emily and Susan to get to know Susan as a character or understand why Emily loves her so much.

Also, in terms of plot, there are some scenes that would serve to move the plot forward but they all happen "off-screen", which kills the tension. The book also starts off really sweet, and then something awful happens which veers the plot in an entirely different direction. I was led to believe the story would be a sweet, domestic, pastoral narration and then it plunges me into something darker. I found this jarring in terms of tone.

I give this 3 stars out of 5, a better rating than I would give Becoming Belle (2 out of 5 stars) just because I really liked the lyrical writing and the descriptions of Emily's poetic inner life. In that sense, I could even say that the poetry within this book is better than its prose. The author has a third novel out, Nora, about James Joyce's wife which I am debating reading. It has the best rating on GoodReads out of her three novels, but since these two didn't really do it for me, I am not sure I will pick up her third and most recent work.

[Amy Coles · Rating 4 out of 5]

***3.5/5 stars

Miss Emily is a story both beautifully simplistic and plainly genuine.
For a book that lacks in the epic action department, I found myself quite invested from the first page. The simple language in which it is written makes Miss Emily an easy read (for a story taking place in the 1800’s), and the shortness of it being 239 pages helps encourage binge reading. The alternating chapters written from Emily Dickenson’s point of view intrigued me the most. O’Connor did a beautiful job of recreating Emily Dickenson’s mind and bringing its innocence and marvel to life. Emily’s chapters look at the world in a very poetic way that I found fascinating to read about. Keeping in mind the fact that despite the many non-fictional characters, this is a fictional story, I loved how O’Connor was able to subtly display the inspirations for Emily’s poetry, and the mindset behind Emily’s choice to live secluded - among other seemingly queer decisions. I even found Emily to be very relatable to the point where I would pick up this book for consolation.

On the other hand, we have alternating chapters written from the Irish maid, Ada’s perspective. Ada’s story of travelling to a new country and facing the hardships of starting a new foreign life decently balanced out Emily’s chapters of living in her own head. Now, I didn’t find Ada nearly as poetic to read about, but the slowly developing, mild action of her story kept me just interested enough to want to know where her story was headed. I only wish that the friendship connecting Emily and Ada was emphasized more, because I found that for a decent portion of the book, I was reading two completely different stories.

The ending of Miss Emily was both satisfying and charming, but nothing extraordinary. This is the type of book where the journey is more important than the destination, and I was glad to have taken that journey. When reading this, don’t expect a lot of action (though there are a couple big events), but rather expect intriguing insight to the possible mindset of Emily Dickenson, friendship, romance, abuse, and even some poetry.

[Melissa Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn't read without frustration. Not at all because of the book, but because the DRC lagged and froze throughout and stole so much of the enjoyment away. I'm definitely grabbing a copy of this as soon as I can and would be thrilled to read it again without interruption.

I adored Emily in this story and I cherish this time period. How people spoke and acted. I feel the same with Jane Eyre. Love Love Love.

I do so wish there had been more of Emily's poetry in this story which I felt certain there would have been, but it wasn't like that. That absolutely didn't take away the pleasure of the story that it is, it was just different than expected.

I'll head back here as soon as I'm able to get a copy to read without the frustrations, but I do recommend it because there was so much *searching for the words*....sweetness, sadness because Emily and her circumstances as well as who she was. Some things she was completely happy with and others just wanted her to be different than she was in the book. I related to that part of her and understand her feelings (I related to more things than that, but I'm leaving that out of this), but she was still so full of positive and Joy it was a treasure to read those parts. I did miss some for the pages that wouldn't load, but enough to know I want to read it in full without interruption. I almost felt a kindred spirit with parts of her character as was written in this book.

I'm stumbling around with other thoughts I want to share, but I don't want to give too much. It's a very quick read, if your copy isn't defective, so to say too much would spoil it.

Thank you to the #Penguin .@FirstToRead Program for the DRC of this story. I look forward to reading it again.....

[Lianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won a complimentary copy of this book courtesy of the publishers. My full review of the novel can be found on my blog, eclectictales.com: http://www.eclectictales.com/blog/201...

Miss Emily was an interesting novel about Emily Dickenson’s friendship with her family’s new maid, Ada Concannon, recently arrived to the United States from Ireland. It’s an interesting friendship as Ada is young, outspoken, and vivacious for life whereas Emily is older and much more introverted, contented with her thoughts and her writings and the few choice friends she had. But it’s a wonderful friendship in that Emily is very supportive of her young friend, regardless of age and class, which became especially important after Ada’s attack.

The author does a wonderful job in bringing the characters to life. I thoroughly cared for both main characters and their respective plights. Ada is so young and kind and so welcoming that it was sad to read what happened to her. I loved Emily’s chapters partly because I could relate to her quite a bit and understood some of what she was going through. I also love the reflections on her writing and how important it is to her. I did feel as though this contrast between Ada and Emily sort of fell the weyside once the conflict regarding Ada’s safety and person comes to the fore, but it does show how far Emily is willing to go to help a friend despite of her own qualms about putting herself out there for people notice.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Miss Emily. I don’t know what else to say about this novel, the setting and the characters were wonderful and brought to life by the author’s writing. Readers of historical fiction will want to check this title out :)

Rating: 3.5/5

[Angie Reisetter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The chapters in this lovely story alternate between the voice of Emily Dickinson and her fictional Irish maid, Ada Concannon. Their voices feel authentic for the most part, and their relationship brings out their best characteristics. Also, the historical details of Emily Dickinson's Amherst, her family, and her relationship with her sister=in-law Susan Dickinson are wonderful.

But I must say that the plot launched into a dramatic adventure halfway through that was wholly unexpected and shone the spotlight necessarily on Ada rather than Emily. I guess I wasn't expected rape and murder in a book with this description, especially since that seems to take more of a free hand with the fiction part of historical fiction than I'm usually comfortable with. It seemed unnecessary and almost annoyingly distracting. Was it a good story? Sure. Was it believable in the historical context? Uh, no. Yes, sexual assault happened at that time -- of course it did. But its aftermath and how the different characters handled it felt unlikely in several places.

It felt like O'Connor was looking to fabricate the ultimate answer to why Dickinson never left the house in her later years. And she had to believe it was something traumatic, so she introduced trauma into a life that, as far as we know, had nothing of the kind. It feels like it disrespects Emily's lifestyle -- that only a trauma survivor would be allowed to live this way. All the drama felt misplaced.

Okay, so I didn't like the plot. All that said, I honestly enjoyed the book. The writing style was engaging and Emily's preoccupation with words and observing the world while not quite being in it felt true. I like that in a historical novel.

I got a free copy of this from First to Read.

[Johnny D · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliantly conceived story spanning approximately a year balanced between narratives provide by the privileged New England life of Emily Dickinson and a year in the life of an 18 year old serving girl, Ada Concannon. Ada, we first meet, leisurely floating in the Liffey to the consternation of her sister who she is accompanying to work in the local 'Big House' in rural Dublin. What follows is a captivating journey through the worlds of young Ada and Miss Emily who is twice Ada's age but due to her reclusive life of words within a caring family is on occasion a more youthful, playful voice than that of Ada. This is understandable as Ada is having to earn a precariously vulnerable future through her own hard work. Nevertheless a strong friendship grows between the two women anchored in the pioneering, independent spirits both possess and refuse to yield in the face of the repressive demands of a latter 19th century New England's society on both women to change and conform. The reader is drawn in completely to this world and time due to the deceptively easy and free flowing writing. Having been hooked early the completion of the story became as much a necessity as it might with the most addictive TV box set. When forces emerged to threaten the world that was being created my own anger expressed how invested I had become in their lives. And once invested Nuala O'Connor's master craftsmanship brings you home without a single misstep. This is superb idea for a book brilliantly executed and delivered. Do yourself a favour and read it. Just make sure you have a couple of days free when you start it.