Emily, the Poetic Myth that binds generations

The Lovers of Amherst, William Nicholson, Quercus, £22.99

Deirdre Conroy

Any enquiry into the life of Emily Dickinson requires a deft and delicate hand to adduce what little practical, private detail remains. The lady in white is a shadow in this book and though she has been 'called back' her presence is still palpable in her poetry.

The novel is based on research into Emily Dickinson's family. It is set in the 1880s and counterbalanced with the life in 2013 of 24-year-old Alice Dickinson. As the title suggests, most of the action takes place in Amherst, the town in which Emily Dickinson lived. Nicholson deals with the mystery of Emily through the more public life of her brother, Austin, a lawyer. Correspondence between Austin and the beautiful Mabel Todd, conveys their devotion to each other but to rely entirely on these records as a narrative would have been extremely dull, given that each letter is brimming with encomiums.