The Madwoman Upstairs

January 11, 2016
American Samantha Whipple’s hopes for an uneventful university career at Oxford are soon dashed when she realizes that everyone already knows her family story: she’s the last surviving twig of the Brontë family tree. What’s more, someone is frightening Samantha by surreptitiously planting her late father’s copies of Brontë novels in Samantha’s dorm room. Samantha had thought these were destroyed in the fire that killed her father several years earlier, but they may be cryptic clues to the mysterious Brontë estate Samantha stands to inherit. Samantha’s maddeningly demanding (and handsome) tutor, James Orville, is no help—he flat-out refuses to discuss the Brontës. Lowell’s debut novel offers some intriguing speculation about Brontë family dynamics, particularly with regard to the life and work of lesser-known sister Anne; the repeated discussions of authorial intent, however, will likely be glossed over by all but the most dedicated English majors. Even without its attraction for Brontë-philes, however, this is an enjoyable academic romp that successfully combines romance and intrigue, one that benefits from never taking itself too seriously.

When Samantha Whipple begins her studies at Oxford University, she is prepared for the inevitable attention. Not only is she the last descendant of the Bront‘ family but also it's thought, wrongly, that her late father left her a treasure-trove of literary memorabilia. Narrator Katie Koster's charming performance sweeps listeners into this well-paced story of Samantha's quest for her true inheritance, which takes her on a journey of self-discovery. Koster's impressive emotional range captures Samantha's complex personality. She flawlessly portrays the girl's cheekiness as a cover for embarrassment and insecurity and perfectly captures her other emotions as she learns more about her famous cousins, her father's youth, and her own heart. Using an expressive, relaxed style, Koster connects listeners to the fun of Samantha's adventures. C.B.L. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine