Afternoons with Emily: A Novel
“Afternoons with Emily,” is a fictional story about the life of Emily Dickinson as seen through the eyes of her friend Miranda Chase. Miranda’s story begins as a small child. Her mother was ill with tuberculosis and her father was emotionally distant. Miranda was a very intelligent girl who spent her early years, trapped in her house, separated from other family members and friends. They were all led to believe that she had the disease as well. Miranda develops a close relationship with her tutor. She was a very intelligent girl and easy to teach. After the death of her mother, Miranda’s father seems to come to his senses of how his daughter is being neglected. He takes her to see family in Barbados. Here is a place where she comes alive. The descriptions of Barbados and the customs there are breathtaking. Miranda gains strength and for the first time has friends other than her tutors and nannies. Miranda’s father then moves them to Amherst, Massachusetts where Miranda meets Emily. At this point, Emily is 15-years older than her and already living a reclusive life. Emily is very eccentric, and in spite of her strange ways, Miranda is drawn to her. Emily relies on Miranda to let her know what is happening in the world. She has friendships with various people whom she knows through correspondence. As Miranda goes through her life experiencing love and heartbreak, Emily lives in a fantasy world where her suitors are the men that she writes to. At one point, the friendship is disrupted because Emily betrays her. Emily’s motives appear to be very selfish and Miranda finds herself needing to move on. “Afternoons with Emily” is a beautifully written story. Mrs. MacMurray had a gift with words in that she could pull you right into the story and make you feel like you are really there. This is a great way to learn about 19th century American History and Literature. Miranda’s life is very interesting. Emily Dickinson’s life is sad in a way. For whatever reason she chose to be reclusive, she still managed to write some incredibly beautiful poetry. |
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