Emily’s House

She was Emily Dickinson’s maid, her confidante, her betrayer… and the savior of her legacy.

Amherst, Massachusetts – March 1869

Margaret (Maggie) Maher, an Irish immigrant accepted a temporary position in the Dickinson Household. She had plans to move to California where her brothers had moved. The Dickinson’s house if large and she felt uncomfortable there. But she didn’t plan to be there long, so she made do. Never did she imagine staying. She needed to make money and when she has earned enough, she planned to move to California.

Best laid plans.

Her move to California never happened. Instead, Maggie and the Dickinson’s daughter, Emily formed a life changing and altering friendship. Maggie never imagined that when she accepted the temporary position as a maid that she would stay for thirty years. That her close friendship with the reclusive and eccentric Emily would put her in a position to refuse to do as her employer asked and that her act of insubordination would forever change both history and literature.

Is there anyone who has not heard of Emily Dickinson? Is there anyone who has not read at least one of her poems? Perhaps it was required reading for a high school literature class? It was for me! But did you know that we are able to read and enjoy her work because of Margaret Maher.? Emily Dickinson wanted all her writing burned upon her death. She hid her finished work in her maid’s trunk. Maggie refused to burn them. “It was Margaret Maher “whom Emily Dickinson judged capable of the disobedience necessary to bring her work to the world. Maher did not disappoint. Her act of insubordination worked the miracle for which posterity is in debt, turning the private genius of her mistress’s poetry into a universal legacy.” (quote from Wikipedia)

This book has so many things going for it. Not only does it show us what life was like as an Irish immigrant and how they were treated, we are shown the hierarchy in society, and we are shown how a chance encounter turned into a lifelong friendship which changed history. This book shows how Emily had doubt in her work, how she was eccentric and how she was not always taken seriously being a woman who writes.

Told through alternating timelines this book was a pleasure to read. There was a lot of research that went into the writing of this book. The author uses facts and shows us what life must have been like for both women. This book had me from page one. I only read two chapters and knew that I was going to enjoy this book. I was drawn by the writing, and it didn’t hurt that I enjoy many of Emily Dickinson’s poems.

More is known about Emily Dickinson, but I enjoyed how Margaret/Maggie was written. “Emily described Margaret as “courageous”, “warm and wild and mighty”, and “good and noisy, the North Wind of the Family.” (quote from Wikipedia)

I really enjoy books that not only entertain but teach me as well. This was one of these books. I wanted to know more about both women – hence my looking on Wikipedia. I also found myself reading some of Emily’s poems as well.

Fans of Emily Dickinson, Historical fiction and books which blend facts with fiction will love this one.

Beautifully written, interesting, and inspiring.

Highly recommend.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.