I am fairly new to historical fiction and am finding them to be one of my favorite genres to read. Miss Emily is a novel about Emily Dickinson told in her own words and that of Emily’s friend and housemaid Ada. Their stories intertwine in alternating chapters. It is interesting to see how some of the events are perceived by Emily and then by Ada in a different way. I enjoyed their friendship.

Spending time with Emily in her own time, her own house, and in her own world was wonderful. Watching her interact with her siblings and family was entertaining and eye opening. I do not know a lot about Emily’s history and am not sure how much of this was made up and how much is true, but I was intrigued by her need to be alone. She stayed in the house or close to the house for most of her time, yet she didn’t want to always be truly alone. She would sit in the kitchen with Ada just to have her company or call on her sister-in-law to visit her just for the company. Then she would retreat to her room when it got to be too much for her.

While I enjoyed Emily’s storyline, Ada’s is what really pulled me in. To leave her home and travel to a new world then have her safety be threatened. I was upset with how Austin, Emily’s brother, dealt with Ada and thrilled with how Emily stood by her no matter what. Ada is the friend that Emily needed. She managed to push Emily out of her comfort zone, yet keep her comfortable by not pushing too hard.

Miss Emily is the perfect historical fiction book. I recommend checking it out.

Wonderful historical novel about the life of Emily DIckinson. Gives the reader a closer look at the life and times of the poet.