Emily Hudson

Emily Hudson: Milissa Jones
The story:
After the start of the Civil War, Emily Hudson-an orphan who lost her family to consumption and fever-finds herself the begrudged guest at the home of her relatives in Newport. Emily's longing to be an artist is dismissed by her puritanical uncle, who wants nothing more than to rid himself of her through marriage. Her only friend is her aesthete cousin, William, an ailing young writer. When a promising engagement to the eligible Captain Lindsay is broken, William rescues Emily from an uncertain future by taking her to England. Lonely and desperate to escape her cousin-once her confidante, now her obsessively controlling patron-Emily sets out alone to meet her destiny in the eternal city of Rome. Reminiscent of the novels of Edith Wharton, Emily Hudson is an exquisitely told tale about a heroine struggling to be true to herself, and also find love in a society where only marriage or an independent income guaranteed a woman the freedom to do as she pleased.

My review:
I stayed up far to late reading this every night. It wasn't anything deep. It wasn't anything that made me think hard about life or the ultimate path of women. It was a good read. It made me remember how naive I was at 19 and how not too long ago women were expected to do much more at that young age. I loved how it is told between Emily's letter writing to her friends and in normal story format. There is a sense you never trust a few people but always want to believe they have Emily's best interest at heart. It was a great read.
I am hesitant to say it but a wonderful summer read.