Book Review: Because I Could Not Stop for Death by Amanda Flower

 

Because I Could Not Stop for Death (Emily Dickinson Mystery #1). Amanda Flower. Berkley Books (2022). 336 pages. Genre: Mystery.

First Line: "Icy rain slapped the dirt road, turning it into mud."

Summary:  Willa Noble has just been hired as the new maid at the Dickinson household.  She didn't expect to get the job and she especially didn't expect to get it immediately.  But, when Emily Dickinson overheard her interview with the head housekeeper, she insisted that Willa be hired immediately.  Emily explains that she "likes someone who would sacrifice herself for her family and duty" and she believes Willa is just that sort of person. 

Soon after Willa begins working for the Dickinson family, her beloved brother, Henry, is killed by a horse at the stable where he works.  The police and stable owner claim it was an accident caused by Henry's carelessness.  However, Willa knows her brother wasn't careless and finds it hard to believe he would do what he is being accused of doing.  Since Henry can't speak for himself, Willa feels she must get to the bottom of what really happened to her brother.  Fortunately, Emily Dickinson feels the same way and is eager to join Willa in her investigation.  

My thoughts:  Other than reading some of Emily Dickinson's poetry, I know very little about her life. Whether or not her character is true to life, she is enjoyable.  She is a young woman who knows her own mind and isn't afraid to speak it, often upsetting her father.  She also knows that her father would do almost anything for his children.  According to her sister, Lavinia, it is only for Emily that their father would do almost anything.  Lavinia is very protective of her sister.  She doesn't like Willa because she sees her as being a bad influence on Emily.  What Lavinia doesn't know is that it is Emily who encouraged Willa to begin looking into her brother's death.  

The story is told from Willa's point of view and really she is the main character.  She is a young woman who knows her place, works hard and is kind.  It is no wonder that Emily likes her immediately.  Her brother was the only family she had left in the world, so it is devasting when he is killed.  At first she is not sure if she wants to know what happened to her brother.  But the more she learns, the more determined she becomes to find out.  

The Dickinson family lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.  Mr. Dickinson is in politics, so the family travels to Washington D.C. for a short while.  This made for an interesting look at the country during this time period (1855). Politics come into the story not only because of Mr. Dickinson, but also because of the mystery.  Slavery was a big topic in many peoples minds.  The Underground Railroad was in operation and there were people called Slave Catchers who pretended to be part of the Railroad, but would actually catch slaves and take them back to their owners in the south.  And this was legal.  All of this comes into play in regards to what happened to Henry.  It was fascinating to learn about all of this and to see the layers get peeled away as the story progressed.  

There is an author's note at the end of the book which sheds a little more light on what is fact and what is fiction. This is a great start to a new series and I look forward to seeing where the next book takes Willa and Emily.

Quotes: 

"He gave a portion of his meal to the mouse family that lived in the walls.  He was kind.  Yes, he had a way of finding trouble, but his motivation was kindness and doing what he believed was right. Maybe that didn't follow convention and maybe it made his life more difficult, but he did not care."

"As soon as I stepped into the room, I inhaled the post office scent.  It was a mix of fresh paper, old books and lavender.  The lavender came from a wreath on the door."

"This ice cream cone that might have only cost a few cents was proof to me that there was still joy to be found in the world."