Miss Emily

Quotes

“Evocative, thought provoking, and beautifully rendered…The language was so delicious and exciting that I forced myself to slow down, just enough to savor each sentence.” Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author

“An utterly human and believable Emily Dickinson…Their story is smart and witty and harrowing and brilliantly revelatory…in prose that has the same condensed, particularizing power of Dickinson’s poetry.” Robert Olen Butler, Pulitzer Prize–winning author

“A beautifully imagined account of an unlikely bond.” People

“O’Connor’s lovely novel pulls us in from its first limpid lines and then detonates with an explosion of power—much like Emily Dickinson’s poems. The novel captivates with its high emotions and rich images. Hope, Ada comments, ‘may be small and bald at first, but then it gathers feathers to itself and flies on robust wings.’ So, too, does O’Connor’s quietly soaring novel.” Washington Post

“O’Connor is a gifted writer; not only does she bring a believable sense of poetry (clay is ‘deathly cool around my fingers’) and self-assurance to Emily, she is also capable of conveying complex feeling succinctly, a talent shared by her historical heroine.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Beautifully and convincingly evokes the startling, luminous world captured in Dickinson’s poems in the alternating voices of Emily and Ada, who share a passionate nature at odds with proper Amherst society.” Library Journal

“Mesmerizing…Like one of Dickinson’s poems, the deceptively simple narrative packs a powerful punch… The dual perspectives add an Upstairs, Downstairs depth to the novel.” Booklist

“Narrators Tavia Gilbert and Alana Kerr do an admirable job and are well cast.” AudioFile

“A superb novel…With gorgeous, compelling period detail and graceful prose, Nuala O’Connor…celebrates her women with great delicacy and exuberance.” Kathleen Grissom, author of The Kitchen House

“Beautifully written and utterly compelling, this vivid portrait of Emily Dickinson examines her humanity, complexity, and profound relationship with words…[A] highly accomplished novel.” Cathy Marie Buchanan, author of Painted Girls

Awards

• Publishers Weekly Pick of the Week
• Conroy Legacy Award
• BookRiot Pick