Book Review: How Do I Love Thee? by Nancy Moser

How Do I Love Thee? by Nancy Moser
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0501-9
Paperback, 365 pages
Publisher: Bethany House
Retail: $13.99

Elizabeth Barrett- an ill, reclusive poet convinced that she is never to love (and will die at any moment), writes of it and dreams of it for others. She lives her life in her room and shuns visits from but a few close friends until her fortieth year, when she becomes smitten with a fellow poet; Robert Browning. Here is an historical fiction novel that gives us a look into their life together.

I really enjoyed this book! I love Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Sonnet 43, “How Do I Love Thee?”, as it has always been known by me. I really do not know much about her life though, nor about Robert Browning. This book gives a glimpse into both of their lives. At the end of the book are notes from each chapter that give the actual details about “Ba’s” life (as she was known to family and friends) and how the author changed them up to make it fit into the story.

Her father was a tyrannical, unloving (although he said that all he did for his children was out of love), and in the end, unforgiving. His influence on her probably played a huge role on who she was and they way that she wrote. In the end (and if you already know her story it won’t be a surprise), she is able to free herself from his tyranny but at a price. I think that what she gained was worth the cost. I had no idea that she had a child. I had long thought she married but was still ‘unhappy’ and died without children. Shows what I don’t know…

Speaking of her father, in the back of the book the author points out that Elizabeth’s father, who had always joined her for evening prayers, stopped coming. It shows a bit what kind of person he truly was.

Something I really enjoyed about the book is that it highlights E.B.B.’s reliance on God (even before her earthly father). In every day living, she praises Him for the smallest things in her life and has conversations with Him. Also, it seems so coincidental that circumstances led up to her and Browning’s marriage. They called it Providence- I call it God.

I really like this book and would recommend it to others. Some of the facts are skewed to make it mesh better but I appreciate the author’s honesty about that in the notes on each chapter. I will also admit that I found many parts of the book boring. I am not entirely sure why- but possibly because they are mundane, every day details. I forced myself to stop skimming over those parts and enjoy the ‘every day’ details and I discovered it makes the story more enjoyable because then it is more personable. (but some may already have realized that )

***Disclaimer: I checked this book out from the library and this is a review that I decided to write on my own. Just because!***