Friday, February 5, 2016

The Madwoman Upstairs: A Novel by Catherine Lowell



Anyone who has read Jane Eyre has somewhere along the line learned of the Bronte sisters. But what do we really know about them outside of what we've been handed down. In this story we are introduced to the last living relative of the Bronte family who has recently lost her father who always insisted that the novels written by the three sisters were literally a guidebook to not only understanding them but to finding the lost treasure of the Brontes. As she attends his alma mater in Oxford she finds herself in the unenviable position of minor celebrity as she is repeatedly touted as the last heir of this great treasure horde which could vary from simple forgotten everyday items used by the Brontes to unknown works. The sad truth however is that there is no legacy and no one will believe her

But as she tries to come to grips with her father's legacy something strange begins to happen; books are being left for her in her room. Not just any books though, Bronte titles from her father's private library which burned down years ago taking him with it. There are clues left for her in her father's comments written on the pages and as she starts to try and come to grips with these mysterious events she realizes that she may potentially be coming unraveled or on the cusp of the greatest literary find of the century. Was her father right in believing there was a legacy left or like the madwoman upstairs, is she losing contact with reality?

Although there is a blend of mystery, humor, love story, history, and thriller in this book what you're really absorbed by is the story of a young woman coming to a head with the still raw grief over her father's death. Having to figure out what her father is trying to communicate with his notes pushes her to the extreme because in doing so, this last chance to speak to him can lead to only one ending, acknowledging he is no longer with her.

If you are ensnared by the thought of what the Bronte treasure is, look no further than this book. The thoughtfulness that shines through and the apparent fascination with the Brontes as regular women gilds every page and makes this a delightful read. I'm sure Emily, Anne, and Charlotte would agree.

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