I have fancied myself a poet from a young age. During my early college years I sent off poetry to publishers and was published a handful of times. Then I gave birth and all of my creativity went to my uterus; though I never stopped reading and loving other people’s poetry. I have many favorite poets for different reasons, but Emily Dickinson has always remained one of them over the years.  Her poetry is haunting and her background was always shrouded in a bit of mystery. So I was quite happy to receive a book for review entitled “The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson.”

When I received my book I was quite charmed with the cover. It shows the playful and wild spirit that Emily possessed and is quite aesthetically pleasing to me. It hints at what lies beneath the surface of Emily Dickinson, the Woman. The book is mostly written in first person narrative as Emily herself tells us her story. It is well-written and was very entertaining to me. As an English major in college I was, of course, introduced to Emily in a more academic way, but she was never described as much more than a reclusive and eccentric spinster. This book tells the story of the inner workings of this marvelously passionate woman and her deepest desires. It shows the fiery dynamics between herself and different men who form a motif throughout her life. I especially enjoyed the relationship the author describes between Emily and her dog, Carlo, who was a constant companion. I read this book in 2 1/2 days because I enjoyed it so thoroughly. Books, poems, authors and poets have a habit of becoming like a friend to those of us who truly enjoy literature. This book was able to topple my previous knowledge of this old friend, Miss Dickinson, and turn her into someone I like even better. It also introduced me to the works of Jerome Charyn whom I had never read before. This book will become one of those old friends. I think anyone who enjoys poetry, Miss Emily herself or period pieces would surely enjoy “The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson.”

“The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson” was written by Jerome Charen in 2010 and was recently named a must-read by the Massachusetts Center for the Book. His upcoming book with Harvard Press is also about Emily Dickinson. You can check out his other books and some excerpts on his website.

The book has a dedicated fan page on Facebook that is filled with a lot of fun information about Emily and other historical figures.

Jerome Charen has offered to give one of our lucky readers a copy of The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson. Contest ends May 8, 2012 at 11:59 pm and is open to US,Canada, and Europe.

Betty