Thursday, March 29, 2012

Emily's Ghost by Denise Giardina

Wuthering Heights is my all time favorite book.  If I had a son, I would name him Heathcliff.  Heathcliff has ruined me for all men.  I'm going to spend my whole life waiting for someone to love me the way he loved Cathy.  But that's okay because it's better than glaring at the man you're with and wishing he were someone else, right?

I wanted to read this because I was going to try to include in my summer vacation a visit to the the area the Bronte sisters called home.  I ended up not going, the travel plans started to get too complicated.  Also, this book described the area as being so harsh, especially during that time period when Emily lived, I sort of lost my desire to visit.

This is a completely imagined story.  I don't think there is any proof that Emily ever had a love interest.  As fans, we assume there must have been someone, someone secret that we know nothing about, because how else could she have written so passionately about love?

The author has taken this idea and created a world in which Emily does fall in love.  We also see her interacting with her family and community.  It's an interesting story, even if it is all imagined.

I enjoyed the romance, though they never quite reach a Cathy and Heathcliff level of passion.  As expected, the ending is sad.  We know she isn't going to live happily ever after. 

It's a well written story.  I liked it, but wasn't blown away by it.  There are several books about the Bronte sisters on my "to-read" list, but I've not gotten around to them yet, so I can't compare them.  I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this one to any Emily Bronte fans.   

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