How Do I Love Thee? By Nancy Moser - My Review

Okay. Quick confession: I know very little about Elizabeth Barrett Browning other than the poem after which this book is titled. That said, I came to this book, How Do I Love Thee? with no real expectations. Having already read all of Nancy Moser’s other biographical fiction titles, I must say that she is an author truly gifted to bring people back to life in her fiction! Once again, I was transported to another time – another place – into another life, and I came away happily sorting out fact from fiction, wanting to read more about this famous person from the past and savoring my experience!

Truly, the life of Elizabeth Barrett Browning is better than fiction in places! This book focuses particularly on her romance and subsequent marriage to Robert Browning. Writers always dwell in an emotional realm far beyond that of every day existence. To bring these two poets together! Ah! What romance! And when you discover how nicely they complimented one another…well, it’s just almost fictional!

I also learned some unsavory truths along the journey. Elizabeth was an opium addict as a result of an unspecified lung ailment. Having volunteered and worked with recovering addicts for more than two years now, this was a pretty disturbing fact to uncover. However, it seems that Robert did a great job discouraging her from the use of her drug, and that eventually she all but weaned herself from its use. My heart broke over the emotional enslavement that her father wielded over Elizabeth and all of her brothers and sisters. It was very sad that she lived the majority of her life not really understanding what love was all about.

It’s quite easy to understand why Nancy Moser chose to write the story of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s romance! How Do I Love Thee is a beautiful tribute to a woman whose life was complex, colorful and filled with both dramatic tragedy and dramatic romance. If you are looking for compelling historical fiction, look no further!

Go HERE to read an excerpt and HERE to purchase your own copy!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Nancy Moser is the author of three inspirational humor books and a eighteen novels, including Mozart's Sister, Just Jane, and Time Lottery, a Christy Award winner. She is an inspirational speaker, giving seminars around the country. She has earned a degree in architecture; run a business with her husband; traveled extensively in Europe; and has performed in various theaters, symphonies, and choirs. She and her husband have three grown children and make their home in the Midwest. Read more about her books at www.nancymoser.com.