The Raven’s Bride | Book It Sisters!

This month we read The Raven’s Bride by Lenore Hart.
(Published Feb 15, 2011, 358 pages)
Hosted by Judy Bush
Book It Sisters’ Grade: B-

When eight-year-old Virginia “Sissy” Clemm meets her handsome cousin, Eddy, she sees the perfect husband she’s conjured up in childhood games. Thirteen years her elder, he’s soft-spoken, brooding, and handsome. Eddy fails his way through West Point and the army yet each time he returns to Baltimore, their friendship grows. As Sissy trains for a musical career, her childhood crush turns to love. When she’s thirteen, Eddy proposes. But as their happy life darkens, Sissy endures Poe’s abrupt disappearances, self-destructive moods, and alcoholic binges. When she falls ill, his greatest fear– that he’ll lose the woman he loves– drives him both madness, and to his greatest literary achievement.

Part ghost story, part love story, this provocative novel explores the mysterious, shocking relationship between Edgar Allan Poe and young Sissy Clemm, his cousin, muse and great love. Lenore Hart, author of Becky, imagines the beating heart of the woman who inspired American literature’s most demonized literary figure– and who ultimately destroyed him.

Here are our reviews. If you have read it, feel free to leave your review and grade in the comments below!

Judy Bush	B	Interesting story and good job with setting the historical time period. I was more sympathetic to Poe after reading it. He may have been ADD and self-medicated with alcohol. I wish I could have known his wife to know if she was like the character in the book.
Janet Maisel	B	Enjoyed the historical context, being from Baltimore. Loved the beginning and the emotion. Just didn't like Poe. But, then, the author did a good job of developing him.
Mary Halsey	B+	Loved traveling back in time. Stark situations in day to day life in the 1800's make me appreciate my posh life today!!
Tricia Gadberry	C+	I enjoyed the historical aspects and learned things about the era and about Poe. However, the story didn't draw me in and keep me interested.
Suzanne Rigby	C+	The writing didn't draw me in as much as some books. The characters were interesting and the historical aspects I enjoyed. All in all I wouldn't recommend it.
Denise Link	C+	I enjoyed the history, however, the story tended to drag along.
Cheryl Clowes	B	I liked the book because of the historical descriptions and the relationships.
Nina Yatsko	B-	I felt it was an enjoyable read, and would be so for anyone who enjoys Poe and may have a curiosity to learn more about him in a biographical sense, about the very mysterious person behind his literature. I knew little about the relationship between Poe and Osgood before reading it, or the ensuing scandal, so that was interesting to me. I think for readers who dabble in historical fiction without truly scrutinizing the historic validity of certain portrayals would also enjoy the book.