Miss Emily by Nuala O'Connor

 

Summary (from the publisher): Emily Dickinson’s life is reimagined in her own voice and through eyes of a young Irish maid—an enchanting novel in the spirit of Longbourn and Mrs. Poe.

Ada Concannon’s first day in America is a success. She’s the new maid for the respected but eccentric Dickinson family of Amherst, Massachusetts. Despite the differences in age and class, eighteen-year-old Ada, “a neat little Irish person, fresh off the boat,” strikes up a deep friendship with Miss Emily, the gifted elder daughter living a spinster’s life at home. Emily is a bastion of support as Ada struggles to find her place in this new world, while Ada’s toil gives Emily the freedom she needs to write.

But Emily’s passion for words begins to dominate her life. She decides to wear nothing but white and increasingly avoids the outside world. When Ada’s safety and reputation are threatened, however, Emily faces down her own demons in order to help her friend, with shocking consequences.

Review: Ada Concannon has recently immigrated from Ireland to America and secured a job as a maid for the Dickinson family of Amherst, Massachusetts. Despite the differences in their age and class, 18-year-old Ada quickly firms a deep friendship with the elder spinster daughter and poet Emily Dickinson. When Ada's future is threatened, Emily rises to the challenge to help her friend. 

This is a novel that I was approved to read as an ARC way back in 2015 on NetGalley. I never did get around to reading it and it continues to sit on my shelf, balefully eyeing me every time I log in. I finally decided it was time, after 11 long years, to read this book and tracked down a copy of the audiobook. 

I liked the focus on female friendship and the upstairs/downstairs unlikely friendship that develops in her. I really liked Ada and was rooting for her throughout this whole book, especially when she endures things she never should have to. I think this book really spotlights the horrible realities of assault and the way the female victim is usually the one that pays the highest (or only) price. 

I'll be honest that I was not sure where this novel was going in the first half. The connection between Ada and Emily honestly felt tenuous at best. However, this ultimately takes a very dark turn in the plot, and I was horrified for Ada and anxious to see how this would end up. I was satisfied with the ending. 

Reading this, I felt confused in some ways why the author wanted to make one of the main characters a famous historical figure. Emily Dickinson herself feels very ancillary to the central storyline, which is really about Ada and her life. Ada could have worked for anyone in America. It didn't need to be Emily Dickinson. This choice is all the more perplexing knowing that this is in no way based on a true story. Emily had no maid named Ada in real life. While I appreciate that she steps up(/interferes) on Ada's behalf and tries to make things right for her at a time when women, and especially servants, had little rights, it just felt like it didn't need to be the famous writer. 

The audio for this was well done with dual narrators, one for each of the main female characters. However, I was a bit confused why Ada's narrator didn't have an Irish accent. 

Stars: 3