The Raven's Bride

Starred review from December 20, 2010
The strange romance of Edgar Allan Poe and his cousin Virginia Clemm, who was just 13 when they married, is described by the strong-willed Virginia in this rich, imaginative novel. Tragedy haunts Virginia's life from her first meeting with her brooding, romantic older cousin in 1830, when she was seven, to her death from consumption at age 25. Layer by layer, Hart (Becky) builds her characters and their impoverished yet hope-filled world, creating a memorable young heroine whose naïve dreams soon give way to the urgency of saving the troubled, brilliant Poe from his inner darkness. Hart also explores the sometimes underrated effects of Poe's genius on the early American literary scene and the professional jealousies and squabbles that held him back, never losing sight of Virginia as the fully realized character at the center of the story. This is an impressive, original work that illuminates its subject.

November 15, 2010

In her acknowledgements, novelist Hart (Becky) noted that she was named after the young dead woman in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" and feels a personal connection to the subject of her touching new work. At the age of 13, Virginia "Sissy" Clemm married her cousin Edgar "Eddy" and was his constant companion and friend until her death from consumption at 25. As befits a historical novel about the ill-fated author, there are dark overtones here. The family must struggle through financial difficulties, frequent moves, and poor health, and Hart carries the reader with them every (frequently depressing) step of the way. At the same time, Hart depicts the love and companionship that Eddy and Sissy shared, and their story can't be told without the presence of Sissy's indomitable mother, "Muddy," who remained an integral part of the couple's household throughout their marriage. VERDICT A supernatural element frames the narrative, providing readers a satisfactory conclusion to a tragic tale. Highly recommended for fans of the slightly spooky and historical.--Donna Shuman, Westerville P.L., OH

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2011
Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most famous figures in American literature, but his wife, Virginia Sissy Clemm, is a mere footnote. Hart (Becky, 2008) sets out to rectify this in her vividly imagined new novel. First cousins Eddy and Sissy become acquainted when shes seven years old and marry when shes a mere 13. Hart delicately handles this relationship, which modern readers are likely to find wildly inappropriate, by imbuing Sissy with a quick mind and a depth of feeling beyond her years. Though this unconventional love story, narrated from Sissys perspective, plays out against Poes black depressions, bouts with alcohol, and failure to earn a steady income, Sissy shines through as muse and steadfast supporter. Time and again she saves Poe from the abyss, often at the expense of her own dreamsshe longed to become a singerand ultimately her health. Its her final illness that inspires Poe to pen The Raven, but Hart suggests that had fate been kinder, Sissy may have become as celebrated in life as she was in death.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)