Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Aug 2021
384 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Information
An evocative new novel about Emily Dickinson's longtime maid, Irish immigrant Margaret Maher, whose bond with the poet ensured Dickinson's work would live on, from the USA Today bestselling author of Flight of the Sparrow, Amy Belding Brown.
She was Emily Dickinson's maid, her confidante, her betrayer…and the savior of her legacy.
Massachusetts, 1869. Margaret Maher has never been one to settle down. At twenty-seven, she's never met a man who has tempted her enough to relinquish her independence to a matrimonial fate, and she hasn't stayed in one place for long since her family fled the potato famine a decade ago.
When Maggie accepts a temporary position at the illustrious Dickinson family home in Amherst, it's only to save money for her upcoming trip West to join her brothers in California. Maggie never imagines she will form a life-altering friendship with the eccentric, brilliant Miss Emily or that she'll stay at the Homestead for the next thirty years.
In this richly drawn novel, Amy Belding Brown explores what it is to be an outsider looking in, and she sheds light on one of Dickinson's closest confidantes—perhaps the person who knew the mysterious poet best—whose quiet act changed history and continues to influence literature to this very day.
"Brown crafts an enjoyable story out of what is known about Margaret Maher, the Irish maid who preserved Emily Dickinson's poems for posterity...Margaret paints a shrewd picture of the family's personalities, customs, and complexities. Brown once again shows a gift for shedding light on historical women." - Publishers Weekly
"Brown's prose is captivating, sprinkled with historical accuracy regarding what's known of Emily Dickinson's peculiar life. The characters come to life with Brown's fictional spin and dramatic flair. Fans of Marie Benedict and Kate Quinn will delight in this moving story that sheds light on the life of one of literature's most influential, yet mysterious poets." - Library Journal
"With lyrical prose and an irresistible narrative voice, Brown gives the reader a scrappy and little-known literary heroine to root for—the Irish maid-servant who helped rescue Emily Dickinson's poems. The immigrant experience is lovingly rendered against the backdrop of family drama, the historical details are immersive, and Dickinson fans will love this novel!" - Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author of The Women of Chateau Lafayette
"Amy Belding Brown brings us a warm, intimate, and rich portrayal of Irish immigrant Margaret Maher, maid and confidante to Emily Dickinson. Margaret's story gives us a fascinating glimpse into another time while placing us directly inside the Dickinson household. I was captivated by this story and I know you will be too." - Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of The Kitchen House
"What a joy it is to once again revel in Amy Belding Brown's incomparable voice. In Emily's House, Brown introduces us to the remarkable Irish maid who saved Emily Dickinson's unpublished oeuvre from certain destruction after her death. Margaret Maher's own disappointments mirrored her mistress's many, but the two women formed a bond so deep that if not for Maher's abiding determination, Dickinson's legacy would have been lost to us forever. Do we call Maggie Maher an American treasure? I think we must, and Amy Belding Brown, too." - Robin Oliveira, bestselling author of My Name is Mary Sutter
This information about Emily's House was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Amy Belding Brown is the author of historical novels, including the USA Today bestselling Flight of the Sparrow, and Mr. Emerson's Wife. A New England history enthusiast, Amy was infused at an early age with the region's outlook and values. A graduate of Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, she received her MFA from Vermont College and now lives in rural Vermont with her husband, a UCC minister and spiritual director.
The Stone Home
by Crystal Hana Kim
A moving family drama and coming-of-age story revealing a dark corner of South Korean history.
The Flower Sisters
by Michelle Collins Anderson
From the new Fannie Flagg of the Ozarks, a richly-woven story of family, forgiveness, and reinvention.
The Funeral Cryer by Wenyan Lu
Debut novelist Wenyan Lu brings us this witty yet profound story about one woman's midlife reawakening in contemporary rural China.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
