Books & Java

The Madwoman Upstairs 

by Catherine Lowell

Synopsis:

Samantha Whipple is used to stirring up speculation wherever she goes. As the last remaining descendant of the Brontë family, she's rumored to have inherited a vital, mysterious portion of the Brontë's literary estate; diaries, paintings, letters, and early novel drafts; a hidden fortune that's never been shown outside of the family.

But Samantha has never seen this rumored estate, and as far as she knows, it doesn't exist. She has no interest in acknowledging what the rest of the world has come to find so irresistible; namely, the sudden and untimely death of her eccentric father, or the cryptic estate he has bequeathed to her.

But everything changes when Samantha enrolls at Oxford University and bits and pieces of her past start mysteriously arriving at her doorstep, beginning with an old novel annotated in her father's handwriting. As more and more bizarre clues arrive, Samantha soon realizes that her father has left her an elaborate scavenger hunt using the world's greatest literature. With the aid of a handsome and elusive Oxford professor, Samantha must plunge into a vast literary mystery and an untold family legacy, one that can only be solved by decoding the clues hidden within the Brontë's own writing.

A fast-paced adventure from start to finish, this vibrant and original novel is a moving exploration of what it means when the greatest truth is, in fact, fiction.

My Review:

This could be quite simply one of the most engrossing books I've read this entire year. Needless to say - I LOVED IT!!! Once again, in my attempt to immerse myself in everything Bronte, this book did not disappoint. Actually, I learned so much about the Bronte sisters and I feel like I've understood Jane Eyre quite differently than intended. Who knew that the maid held such an important role in the story of Jane Eyre while yet having such a small role. Also, Orville and Sam's discussion on the meaning of "mad" (as in the Madwoman) was truly enlightening and will have interpret Jane Eyre quite differently. This story was funny but complex. 

Sam is the living heir of the Bronte family. Her father, Tristan, died some 7 years prior and left Sam with an emptiness she longs to fill by immersing herself in the world of literature. She ends up at Oxford (like her dad some 30 years prior) and with the clues her dad was so famous for giving her leads her on a search for something so elusive. Instead, Sam comes to understand herself, her father and their complicated but very loving relationships as an adult rather than the young girl who lost the love of her life - her father. 

The character of Samantha Whipple is so snarky and somewhat outwardly unemotional that I looked forward to her quips and her obviously witty and honest remarks. I can't help but think that Ms. Lowell wrote a little of all of the Bronte male characters into the male characters of this book - all quite flawed but very proud and somewhat arrogant but dashing and attractive all the same. 

If you are a Bronte fan or would like to learn more about the famous works by the Brontes, you will thoroughly enjoy this book. 

Absolutely FANTASTIC.