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Ladies of History #4
How Do I Love Thee?
She dreams of love for others but never for herself...
Elizabeth Barrett is a published poet--and a virtual prisoner in her own home. Blind family loyalty ties her to a tyrannical father who forbids any of his children to marry. Bedridden by chronic illness, she has resigned herself to simply existing. That is, until the letter arrives...
"I love your verses with all my heart," writes Robert Browning, an admiring fellow poet. As friendly correspondence gives way to something more, Elizabeth discovers that Robert's love is not for her poetry alone. Might God grant her more than mere existence? And will she risk defying her father in pursuit of true happiness?
352 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2009
74 people are currently reading
1266 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Moser
78 books768 followersNancy Moser is the author of over forty books. Her award-winning stories will inspire you to discover your unique God-given purpose. Her genres include both contemporary and historical stories, inspirational humor, and children's books.
Her newest release, "An Undiscovered Life" is about an elderly woman who wants her family to know about her "before" life—her life before them. It's inspired by Nancy's mother who died in 2020 at age 99. It's a poignant, inspiring family story.
Another newer release is "Eyes of Our Heart" which showcases a group of ordinary people who are called to discover where God is working in their lives--and join Him.
Another recent release is "The Shop Keepers", book #3 of the Pattern Artist series about a group of women designing fashion and opening their own store in 1911-19 New York City. The first book in the series, "The Pattern Artist", was a finalist for a Romantic Times award.
Other titles include the time-travel historicals, "Where Time Will Take Me", "Where Life Will Lead Me", and the Downton Abbey-inspired Manor House Series beginning with "Love of the Summerfields."
Her historical bio-novels allow real women-of-history to share their life stories: "Just Jane" (Jane Austen), "Mozart's Sister" (Nannerl Mozart),"Washington's Lady" (Martha Washington) and "How Do I Love Thee?" (Elizabeth Barrett Browning.)
"An Unlikely Suitor" was named to Booklist's Top 100 Romance Novels of the last decade. Nancy's time-travel novel, "Time Lottery", won a Christy Award, and "Washington's Lady" was a finalist. Her contemporary books are known for their big-casts and intricate plotting.
Some contemporary titles are "The Invitation", "John 3: 16", "The Sister Circle", and "The Seat Beside Me."
Nancy and her husband live in the Midwest. She's earned a degree in architecture, traveled extensively in Europe, and has performed in numerous theaters, symphonies, and choirs. She is a fan of anything antique--humans included.
Website: nancymoser.com
Her newest release, "An Undiscovered Life" is about an elderly woman who wants her family to know about her "before" life—her life before them. It's inspired by Nancy's mother who died in 2020 at age 99. It's a poignant, inspiring family story.
Another newer release is "Eyes of Our Heart" which showcases a group of ordinary people who are called to discover where God is working in their lives--and join Him.
Another recent release is "The Shop Keepers", book #3 of the Pattern Artist series about a group of women designing fashion and opening their own store in 1911-19 New York City. The first book in the series, "The Pattern Artist", was a finalist for a Romantic Times award.
Other titles include the time-travel historicals, "Where Time Will Take Me", "Where Life Will Lead Me", and the Downton Abbey-inspired Manor House Series beginning with "Love of the Summerfields."
Her historical bio-novels allow real women-of-history to share their life stories: "Just Jane" (Jane Austen), "Mozart's Sister" (Nannerl Mozart),"Washington's Lady" (Martha Washington) and "How Do I Love Thee?" (Elizabeth Barrett Browning.)
"An Unlikely Suitor" was named to Booklist's Top 100 Romance Novels of the last decade. Nancy's time-travel novel, "Time Lottery", won a Christy Award, and "Washington's Lady" was a finalist. Her contemporary books are known for their big-casts and intricate plotting.
Some contemporary titles are "The Invitation", "John 3: 16", "The Sister Circle", and "The Seat Beside Me."
Nancy and her husband live in the Midwest. She's earned a degree in architecture, traveled extensively in Europe, and has performed in numerous theaters, symphonies, and choirs. She is a fan of anything antique--humans included.
Website: nancymoser.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
May 23, 2009
Oh, where to begin? This novel by Nancy Moser tells the story of Elizabeth Barrett and how she became Elizabeth Barrett Browning. It starts with the accidental death of her brother while at Torquay and covers the next few years of EBB's life, including her courtship and marriage to Robert Browning, ending after the birth of their son.
I don't have much good to say about this novel. The description made it appear that this was mostly going to be the tale of EBB and RB - how they met and fell in love. However, RB does not appear until 100 or so pages in. For all the time spent covering EBB life before Robert, we really don't learn terribly much about her. Why is she confined to her room? Why does she feel such intense loyalty to her father? How did the family dynamics get this way? These are pretty important questions if the author expects us to feel any sort of sympathy for EBB. I didn't know a whole lot about her before reading this book (and I don't feel like I know very much more after), and while reading, I discovered I couldn't stand EBB. Moser really paints her as a subservient and defeatist woman. The whole time, she knows what she wants but a combination of blind loyalty to her tyrannical father and her own poor attitude leave her unable to do the things she desires. Since I have no idea why she is this way, I don't feel sympathy for her at all. She comes across to me as a poor example of the rebellious nineteenth century woman that Moser wants her to be.
The romance was decently described and probably the strongest part of the novel. I can only attribute this to the fact that nearly all of EBB and RB's letters to each other survive - I certainly don't feel it was through any talent of Moser's. I didn't think Moser did a very good job of describing EBB's newfound strength after she and RB ran away. All of a sudden she's no longer an invalid? I'm not going to accept that on blind faith (I'm no EBB after all).
My final criticism is really my own fault. I was not aware that this was "inspirational fiction" before the book arrived in my hands - I would not have wanted to read it if I had known. And, indeed, I found the constant religious references preachy and intrusive and detracting from the story. Perhaps this is only a function of my own personal belief system and someone more in line with Christian beliefs will not be as annoyed as I was, but I still don't think the novel s strong enough.
I don't have much good to say about this novel. The description made it appear that this was mostly going to be the tale of EBB and RB - how they met and fell in love. However, RB does not appear until 100 or so pages in. For all the time spent covering EBB life before Robert, we really don't learn terribly much about her. Why is she confined to her room? Why does she feel such intense loyalty to her father? How did the family dynamics get this way? These are pretty important questions if the author expects us to feel any sort of sympathy for EBB. I didn't know a whole lot about her before reading this book (and I don't feel like I know very much more after), and while reading, I discovered I couldn't stand EBB. Moser really paints her as a subservient and defeatist woman. The whole time, she knows what she wants but a combination of blind loyalty to her tyrannical father and her own poor attitude leave her unable to do the things she desires. Since I have no idea why she is this way, I don't feel sympathy for her at all. She comes across to me as a poor example of the rebellious nineteenth century woman that Moser wants her to be.
The romance was decently described and probably the strongest part of the novel. I can only attribute this to the fact that nearly all of EBB and RB's letters to each other survive - I certainly don't feel it was through any talent of Moser's. I didn't think Moser did a very good job of describing EBB's newfound strength after she and RB ran away. All of a sudden she's no longer an invalid? I'm not going to accept that on blind faith (I'm no EBB after all).
My final criticism is really my own fault. I was not aware that this was "inspirational fiction" before the book arrived in my hands - I would not have wanted to read it if I had known. And, indeed, I found the constant religious references preachy and intrusive and detracting from the story. Perhaps this is only a function of my own personal belief system and someone more in line with Christian beliefs will not be as annoyed as I was, but I still don't think the novel s strong enough.
August 4, 2009
In How Do I Love Thee, author Nancy Moser gives us a glimpse into the life of Elizabeth Barrett. The title refers, of course, to her famous poem. Including lines like “I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach,” I’ve always thought of Barrett as a passionate woman who lived a big life. Seems I didn't get that quite right.
The book opens with a housebound Barrett. In her thirties, she is already published and known for her poetry. But she is bedridden by a mysterious chronic illness that saps the energy from her. An overbearing father, whom she loves dearly, only complicates the issue. And so she has resigned herself to live life from the inside of a house.
When she strikes up an acquaintance with Robert Browning, something comes alive in her spirit. She begins to wonder if God has more for her, and if she has the strength to defy her father and find out what that is.
Moser is a master at breathing life into historical figures. She is also meticulous in her research, including a “Fact or Fiction” section in the back of each book. What you end up with is a novel that is just about as factually accurate as any biography, but much more entertaining.
How Do I Love Thee moves at a slow, languid pace, like much of Elizabeth's life. The language and details will make you feel like you have taken a step back into time and are watching the characters live out their lives. This is one to read in long, uninterrupted chunks. It’s the kind of book to enjoy on a quiet summer evening, your feet kicked up on the porch rail and a glass of sweet tea at your side.
The book opens with a housebound Barrett. In her thirties, she is already published and known for her poetry. But she is bedridden by a mysterious chronic illness that saps the energy from her. An overbearing father, whom she loves dearly, only complicates the issue. And so she has resigned herself to live life from the inside of a house.
When she strikes up an acquaintance with Robert Browning, something comes alive in her spirit. She begins to wonder if God has more for her, and if she has the strength to defy her father and find out what that is.
Moser is a master at breathing life into historical figures. She is also meticulous in her research, including a “Fact or Fiction” section in the back of each book. What you end up with is a novel that is just about as factually accurate as any biography, but much more entertaining.
How Do I Love Thee moves at a slow, languid pace, like much of Elizabeth's life. The language and details will make you feel like you have taken a step back into time and are watching the characters live out their lives. This is one to read in long, uninterrupted chunks. It’s the kind of book to enjoy on a quiet summer evening, your feet kicked up on the porch rail and a glass of sweet tea at your side.
June 22, 2009
Because this is a Christian book I thought it would follow the road of basic writing and too much preaching, but I was wrong. I picked it up solely because I love EBB's poetry and the love story between her and Robert. The author made his story come to life in 19th century language and a vocabulary that surpasses most novels. She also used real letters wrien even to provide correct conversation, trying to make the evens as close to the truth as possible. Even her use of God was as it would be in our own lives; not all trials suddenly becoming great triumphs. At the back she outlines exactly what was fact and where she deviated. She also includes the Sonnets from the Portuguese for those who haven't read Mrs. Browning's most beloved work. Read them sofly, out loud, and you will understand.
February 11, 2010
I loved this book. This is the first Nancy Moser book I've read but I can't wait to get my hands on others.
I couldn't decide if I was going to give this book a 4 or 5 star rating. It was a bit slow in the first couple chapters and I almost returned the book to the library. But then I started getting really interested in Elizabeth and Robert and wanted to know how they were going to marry. If I could, I'd give this book a 4.5 rating.
While reading through the book, I couldn't help but wonder how much of it was based on truth and how much was fictionalized. The author was kind enough to include a chapter by chapter list of the events that were true to life. The vast majority of this book is true! That made the story all the more engaging.
This is one of my new favorite poems:
If thou must love me, let it be for nought
Except for love's sake only. Do not say
`I love her for her smile ... her look ... her way
Of speaking gently, ... for a trick of thought
That falls in well with mine, and certes brought
A sense of pleasant ease on such a day'
For these things in themselves, Beloved, may
Be changed, or change for thee,--and love, so wrought,
May be unwrought so. Neither love me for
Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheeks dry,
A creature might forget to weep, who bore
Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!
But love me for love's sake, that evermore
Thou may'st love on, through love's eternity.
I couldn't decide if I was going to give this book a 4 or 5 star rating. It was a bit slow in the first couple chapters and I almost returned the book to the library. But then I started getting really interested in Elizabeth and Robert and wanted to know how they were going to marry. If I could, I'd give this book a 4.5 rating.
While reading through the book, I couldn't help but wonder how much of it was based on truth and how much was fictionalized. The author was kind enough to include a chapter by chapter list of the events that were true to life. The vast majority of this book is true! That made the story all the more engaging.
This is one of my new favorite poems:
If thou must love me, let it be for nought
Except for love's sake only. Do not say
`I love her for her smile ... her look ... her way
Of speaking gently, ... for a trick of thought
That falls in well with mine, and certes brought
A sense of pleasant ease on such a day'
For these things in themselves, Beloved, may
Be changed, or change for thee,--and love, so wrought,
May be unwrought so. Neither love me for
Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheeks dry,
A creature might forget to weep, who bore
Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!
But love me for love's sake, that evermore
Thou may'st love on, through love's eternity.
November 22, 2014
Christian/historical fiction. My favorite thing about Nancy Moser's Ladies of History series (this is book 4) is how much you learn about each selected lady. The details of life in the chosen time period as well as personal events and feelings are plentiful (thank you!). I feel that the author gets better with each book. This story in particular was wonderful because she beautifully describes how faithful Elizabeth Barrett Browning (and others in her life) are to God and His will (even if it can be applied in questionable ways). Knowing little about E.B.B. before starting this novel allowed me to be surprised and held in suspense as her story unfolded. There are issues in this book that are as real today as they were then--can one overcome illness? How does one respect their father while staying true to what they believe God has planned for them? How do we best honor God? It is so satisfying to read a book about a real person who is humble and takes the time to count their blessings, even after falling first. Highly recommend--a definite favorite.
August 20, 2013
I'd already read Moser's other works about Martha Washington, Nannerl Mozart, and Jane Austen, so was looking forward to this novel. I didn't know much about EBB (beyond the sonnets she wrote for her husband) and was saddened to learn of how she was manipulated by her father. While the story is certainly interesting, I did not find it particularly enjoyable. Living in one room, writing letters and speaking with only a handful of individuals does not exactly lend itself to a riveting read. It was well-written and seemingly well researched (and appreciated that the author included some additional notes in the Fact or Fiction section), but just drug on a bit too long.
August 2, 2025
An invalid.
A shut in.
An heiress.
An opium-addict.
A dog-lover.
An advocate.
A child of an abusive and controlling father.
And a world-renowned poet.
Who fell in love.
I knew only the barest literary facts about Elizabeth Barrett Browning heading into this read. I found her life to be a portrait in such vivid contrasts. I struggled with some of the aspects of the book--especially her constant desire to berate herself and please her father; but I'm certain I will go hunting about for more information on this intriguing woman.
A shut in.
An heiress.
An opium-addict.
A dog-lover.
An advocate.
A child of an abusive and controlling father.
And a world-renowned poet.
Who fell in love.
I knew only the barest literary facts about Elizabeth Barrett Browning heading into this read. I found her life to be a portrait in such vivid contrasts. I struggled with some of the aspects of the book--especially her constant desire to berate herself and please her father; but I'm certain I will go hunting about for more information on this intriguing woman.
November 1, 2009
I loved this book I knew the story of the Brownings because I'd seen the movie "The Barrets Of Wimpole Street" starring John Gielgud and Jennifer Jones. It makes me want to re-watch the movie all over again. I also knew the poem "How Do I Love Thee" by heart and it is one of my favorite poems. Looking forward to reading more by Nancy Moser.
June 21, 2016
To me this book was very boring. The characters were okay, but the book itself was bland. This was honestly one of the least interesting books I have ever read. Was it worth reading? No way. It was extremely bland and that is all I can say. There may have also been suggestive material but I can't remember.
June 1, 2020
I plan to make this my next book after I finish “Where He Leads”(1974)by Dale Evans. I’m a avid fan of Nancy Moser’s books, especially this series. I love Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poems but dint know a lot about her but know this will be a amazing, enjoyable and enlightening read!
I promise to write a review when I do read it! See y’all then😘
I promise to write a review when I do read it! See y’all then😘
dnf
November 25, 2014I couldn't get past the first few chapters. The narrator came across as spoiled and defeatist, and I had no desire to learn what would happen to her.
April 11, 2017
This was a well written historical romance novel with well drawn characters, and I don't know that I've ever run across such a villainous real life character than Elizabeth's father. I had never known much about Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and I certainly learned a great deal about her while reading this novel; for instance, only strangers used her real name: family and friends called her "Ba" (coming from "Baby"). I really loved this book and wish that Nancy Moser would write more Ladies of History novels.
April 21, 2020
I knew from the first moment I read the description of this book that Elizabeth Barrett Browning and I probably had more in common than I realized. We're both the firstborn in large families (10 or more children), unmarried into our 30's (or beyond), and have at least one oppressive parent. Even so, I wasn't prepared to open this book and find so much of my own journey within the pages. Elizabeth's battles held a striking familiarity with those I have faced in my own life.
Elizabeth Barrett's father was a horrible man. While his family was expanding he raised them in isolation, and then after the death of his wife kept all of his children beaten down with emotional abuse in the form of absurd demands. One of his edicts was that none of his children would ever marry. As a teenager Elizabeth fell into ill health, which was never diagnosed as a particular disease but from which she suffered to various degrees for the rest of her life. It was easy for her to stay bedridden, or at the very least housebound, and follow along with the life conditions prescribed by her father. At the beginning of the book Elizabeth is a rather selfish creature, as she has been living for several years by the sea and has had nothing to do but think about herself and her ill health. When her closest sibling dies in a sailing accident, Elizabeth returns to the family home in London, much grieved and feeling like the death was somehow her fault.
Throughout the years many people corresponded with Elizabeth, including her publishers, acquaintances, and friends, but few were allowed to visit her at home, and she never went out. When Elizabeth's younger sister wishes to marry, her father violently rebukes the notion and continues his iron-fisted rule. While Elizabeth sees some faults with her father's method of parenting, she truly believes it is his form of love and doesn't see what is all that terrible about it.
Until Robert Browning enters the scene. Robert, impetuous and full of life, has been captivated by Elizabeth's poetry, and he overcomes the barriers which have kept everyone out of her heart and home. While forced to keep his visits secret from her family, Elizabeth begins to recognize what real, true love is. Love is respect. Love is compassion. Love is wanting the best for another, wanting to see that person grow to be all that God intended them to be. Love gives unreservedly. Love is not the hard, stone-faced thing her father has given her, nor does love come with conditions. Yet that is the only kind Elizabeth has previously known. When Robert gives Elizabeth the real thing, the whole world opens up anew to her. Even if Robert's love for Elizabeth had not been romantic, it still would have been life-changing for her.
How do I know? Because my own life has been changed by true love of the non-romantic persuasion. I, too, was raised in relative isolation with imposed limits which I did not realize were anything less than normal at the time. There is a terribly poignant scene in the book where Elizabeth struggles between two choices: the one she feels would be best for her health, and the one her father approves of. When Elizabeth chooses to follow her father's wishes, I knew what was coming and my heart broke for her and for myself. Her father punished her emotionally even though she acquiesced to his ridiculous demands. He brutally turned against her solely because she dared to have a different opinion than his in the first place. It didn't matter what she chose. There was no winning choice for her in this equation. That, my readers, has been an experience often seen in my own life. I did not know any better than Elizabeth what accepting, healthy love and relationships looked like until those offering such love stepped onto the scene. Is it terrible that such love was not found in my home? Yes. But the good news for myself and Elizabeth is that God did not let us live all our lives in this way. He brought people to us whose perspective and care was a healing balm. He brought people to us who showed us Himself in action.
To watch Elizabeth learn to trust in love and learn to make decisions for herself was like looking in a mirror. This was my story, too. Only in the love and security of community have I been able to fully be who God wants me to be. It was only in Robert's love that Elizabeth grew as an individual and spread her wings towards recovering mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health.
Stories like this are ones that I would recommend to all who have suffered under an emotionally and spiritually abusive parent. Such suffering does not have to be the end of your story, and while it will be part of your life forever, it does not determine who you are. The past may have been damaging, but the future is full of hope. Seek that hope, seek God's love, and seek healing. It is out there.
This review originated at http://reviewsbyerin.livejournal.com
May 27, 2009
My most recent read has been How Do I Love Thee by Nancy Moser from BethanyHouse Publishers. To be released June 1, 2009 in Trade Paperback. I received an ARC copy from LibraryThing's EarlyReviewers program.
***************
The year is 1845. Elizabeth Barrett is a published poet--and a virtual prisoner in her own home. Blind family loyalty ties her to a tyrannical father who forbids any of his children to marry. She has resigned herself to simply existing. That is, until the letter arrives... "I love your verses with all my heart," writes Robert Browning, an admiring fellow poet. And as friendly correspondence gives way to something more, Elizabeth discovers that Robert's love is not for her words alone. Could it be that God might grant her more than mere existence? And can she risk defying her father in pursuit of true happiness?
Nancy Moser has crafted a romantic, emotion-charged novel based on the true story of beloved poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
***************
This is an inspirational historical fiction novel based on the life of the poetess Elizabeth Barrett Browning. There are elements of Christian faith within the story - being inspirational fiction - and being a not very religious person I did not find it overwhelming. Elizabeth and her Father pray together in one scene and I did have a twinge of uncomfortableness but otherwise I thought these elements enhanced the story because Moser uses faith as a tool for comparing different types of love.
When we first meet Ba (as Elizabeth Barrett was called throughout her life by close friends and family) she is introspective, living through her writing, rigid and martyr-like, with aspects of her character forced upon her by a restricted existence but otherwise a tacit willfulness to be obedient. Her father has dictated no child of his shall marry and Ba never thinks of defying her father. Ba allows her life to wither away until the persistence of Robert Browning awakens her to the possibilities of happiness and love.
The novel reveals Ba's complex emotional journey...in the beginning she is nervous, weakhearted, cowardly, unwilling to defy her father's iron hold over her and smothered by fear of the unknown. She wills herself, step by infinitesimal step, to change, take risks and step outside the cage she lives in, as for most of her life she confines herself to her room. We see her joy as she discovers a world of possibilities and overcomes all obstacles. Eventually she escapes to Italy with Robert, becomes a mother and lives a fulfilled life.
At the beginning of the book I did not like Ba at all. It is so hard to relate to someone who has no sense of independence and it is the strangest thing in the world for a father to deny his child love, marriage and for a child to be complacent and accept these dictates. How Do I Love Thee presents many lessons. We can be mired in despair and loneliness, yet the next day can be brighter if we embrace change. At its essence this novel is about a woman's struggle to be more courageous, break free of self-imposed bonds, fulfill her destiny and experience life and love.
The book contains excerpts of the love letters between E.B.B. and R.B. and also stanzas of their poetry throughout, with Moser helping to reveal the meanings behind their discourse and literature by expressing their thoughts and feelings. Additional content includes a Dear Reader letter from Nancy Moser, Fact or Fiction chapter by chapter, Discussion Questions, and Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Here is a great quote from the book:
***************
I shook my head, needing to continue. "You own a past full of love and happiness, Robert, but I...my past is a drop if ink in a pool of clear water. It radiates outwards, seeping into every droplet, coloring the clearness with dark. The stain cannot be removed."
"But surely if more clear water is added, the darkness can be diluted."
I smiled and cupped his face with a hand. "You are my clear water, Robert. Refreshing and brilliant."
***************
My Rating: 3.5
http://myobsessionwithbooks.blogspot....
***************
The year is 1845. Elizabeth Barrett is a published poet--and a virtual prisoner in her own home. Blind family loyalty ties her to a tyrannical father who forbids any of his children to marry. She has resigned herself to simply existing. That is, until the letter arrives... "I love your verses with all my heart," writes Robert Browning, an admiring fellow poet. And as friendly correspondence gives way to something more, Elizabeth discovers that Robert's love is not for her words alone. Could it be that God might grant her more than mere existence? And can she risk defying her father in pursuit of true happiness?
Nancy Moser has crafted a romantic, emotion-charged novel based on the true story of beloved poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
***************
This is an inspirational historical fiction novel based on the life of the poetess Elizabeth Barrett Browning. There are elements of Christian faith within the story - being inspirational fiction - and being a not very religious person I did not find it overwhelming. Elizabeth and her Father pray together in one scene and I did have a twinge of uncomfortableness but otherwise I thought these elements enhanced the story because Moser uses faith as a tool for comparing different types of love.
When we first meet Ba (as Elizabeth Barrett was called throughout her life by close friends and family) she is introspective, living through her writing, rigid and martyr-like, with aspects of her character forced upon her by a restricted existence but otherwise a tacit willfulness to be obedient. Her father has dictated no child of his shall marry and Ba never thinks of defying her father. Ba allows her life to wither away until the persistence of Robert Browning awakens her to the possibilities of happiness and love.
The novel reveals Ba's complex emotional journey...in the beginning she is nervous, weakhearted, cowardly, unwilling to defy her father's iron hold over her and smothered by fear of the unknown. She wills herself, step by infinitesimal step, to change, take risks and step outside the cage she lives in, as for most of her life she confines herself to her room. We see her joy as she discovers a world of possibilities and overcomes all obstacles. Eventually she escapes to Italy with Robert, becomes a mother and lives a fulfilled life.
At the beginning of the book I did not like Ba at all. It is so hard to relate to someone who has no sense of independence and it is the strangest thing in the world for a father to deny his child love, marriage and for a child to be complacent and accept these dictates. How Do I Love Thee presents many lessons. We can be mired in despair and loneliness, yet the next day can be brighter if we embrace change. At its essence this novel is about a woman's struggle to be more courageous, break free of self-imposed bonds, fulfill her destiny and experience life and love.
The book contains excerpts of the love letters between E.B.B. and R.B. and also stanzas of their poetry throughout, with Moser helping to reveal the meanings behind their discourse and literature by expressing their thoughts and feelings. Additional content includes a Dear Reader letter from Nancy Moser, Fact or Fiction chapter by chapter, Discussion Questions, and Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Here is a great quote from the book:
***************
I shook my head, needing to continue. "You own a past full of love and happiness, Robert, but I...my past is a drop if ink in a pool of clear water. It radiates outwards, seeping into every droplet, coloring the clearness with dark. The stain cannot be removed."
"But surely if more clear water is added, the darkness can be diluted."
I smiled and cupped his face with a hand. "You are my clear water, Robert. Refreshing and brilliant."
***************
My Rating: 3.5
http://myobsessionwithbooks.blogspot....
April 6, 2011
This Christian author’s books were suggested by a friend. This was not one of the suggested books just the only one in our library. It is the story of Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning—how they met, fell in love and eventually married. Both had achieved some literary success, although Elizabeth’s poetry was more critically acclaimed than Robert’s at the time. Elizabeth is about 36 years old when the story opens and because of continuing health problems she is living near the sea. She is a recluse who frequently corresponds via letter with many other literary persons of the period. After the death of her favorite brother, she returns to her family home in London and is extremely depressed because she blames herself for her brother’s death. She and all of her brothers and sisters live under the tyrannical rule of their father, who has decreed that none of them were to marry and they were to always live together as a family. Elizabeth was the oldest and favorite child and always obeyed her father. She felt she would never marry and took solace in her intellectual endeavors.
She loved Robert Browning’s works and began corresponding with him when she was 39 years old. She received permission from her father and allowed Robert to begin personal visits with her in her room. As the two fell in love, Elizabeth began to recognize that her father’s love was very conditional on her complete obedience, but Robert’s love was totally unconditional. Robert challenged her to get out of her room, to get into the world and to relinquish her dependency on opium, which she did to some degree.
Excerpts of Elizabeth and Robert’s letters are used to advance the story of their blooming love. They secretly married and moved to Italy where a small inheritance of Elizabeth’s allowed them to live comfortably. Elizabeth’s father promptly disowned her because of the marriage and never opened any of the letters she and Robert wrote to him in the proceeding years. I enjoyed learning more about the lives of these literary geniuses, but wished there had been more info given about their married years. Much of the first half of the book was dedicated to Elizabeth’s history and her seclusion. There were times when I was just aggravated by the way Elizabeth hid in her room and blindly obeyed her father. I had to remind myself that she lived during the Victorian era and children, especially female children, did what their parents wanted with no questions. Thankfully she recognized Robert’s love and allowed it to give her the strength she needed to come back into the world and break away from her father’s tyranny.
She loved Robert Browning’s works and began corresponding with him when she was 39 years old. She received permission from her father and allowed Robert to begin personal visits with her in her room. As the two fell in love, Elizabeth began to recognize that her father’s love was very conditional on her complete obedience, but Robert’s love was totally unconditional. Robert challenged her to get out of her room, to get into the world and to relinquish her dependency on opium, which she did to some degree.
Excerpts of Elizabeth and Robert’s letters are used to advance the story of their blooming love. They secretly married and moved to Italy where a small inheritance of Elizabeth’s allowed them to live comfortably. Elizabeth’s father promptly disowned her because of the marriage and never opened any of the letters she and Robert wrote to him in the proceeding years. I enjoyed learning more about the lives of these literary geniuses, but wished there had been more info given about their married years. Much of the first half of the book was dedicated to Elizabeth’s history and her seclusion. There were times when I was just aggravated by the way Elizabeth hid in her room and blindly obeyed her father. I had to remind myself that she lived during the Victorian era and children, especially female children, did what their parents wanted with no questions. Thankfully she recognized Robert’s love and allowed it to give her the strength she needed to come back into the world and break away from her father’s tyranny.
September 2, 2012
First of all, I'd give this book 2.5 stars. It's not terrible, but parts of it are quite frustrating to read.
The novel tells the story of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and since I find her sonnets beautiful, I thought it would be interesting. From the cover blurb, one would think that it primarily covers her romance with Robert Browning, but the book actually starts earlier than that. For the first hundred or so pages, we mainly get a feel for Elizabeth's life as the overly sheltered 36-year-old daughter of a very controlling father. Suffering from ill health (or at least claiming to - the author is somewhat ambiguous as to whether Elizabeth was truly ill or whether some of it was psychologically based), Elizabeth (Ba) very rarely leaves her own room.
We quickly learn that Ba's father has forbidden any of his many children to marry, and even though most are adults, he controls their daily lives to a degree that would be unthinkable today. In addition to Ba's almost worshipful attitude toward her manipulative father, we also see her constantly using her claims of ill health to manipulate others herself and it's a frustrating cycle to watch.
Though we are told of Ba's literary reputation, her work is not quoted within the text much in the first part of the book, and we see less of Ba the poet and more of her as a whimpering invalid who seems to quail at even the slightest discomfort. Her character in this book is the embodiment of the overly fussy lady with fits of nerves that we more often see in satire. Things improve by the time Robert Browning comes into the picture, but Ba had grown so tiresome by that point that I really had a hard time caring. I think the author did a good job of researching her characters and their times, but Elizabeth was just not a very likable or compelling heroine.
The novel tells the story of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and since I find her sonnets beautiful, I thought it would be interesting. From the cover blurb, one would think that it primarily covers her romance with Robert Browning, but the book actually starts earlier than that. For the first hundred or so pages, we mainly get a feel for Elizabeth's life as the overly sheltered 36-year-old daughter of a very controlling father. Suffering from ill health (or at least claiming to - the author is somewhat ambiguous as to whether Elizabeth was truly ill or whether some of it was psychologically based), Elizabeth (Ba) very rarely leaves her own room.
We quickly learn that Ba's father has forbidden any of his many children to marry, and even though most are adults, he controls their daily lives to a degree that would be unthinkable today. In addition to Ba's almost worshipful attitude toward her manipulative father, we also see her constantly using her claims of ill health to manipulate others herself and it's a frustrating cycle to watch.
Though we are told of Ba's literary reputation, her work is not quoted within the text much in the first part of the book, and we see less of Ba the poet and more of her as a whimpering invalid who seems to quail at even the slightest discomfort. Her character in this book is the embodiment of the overly fussy lady with fits of nerves that we more often see in satire. Things improve by the time Robert Browning comes into the picture, but Ba had grown so tiresome by that point that I really had a hard time caring. I think the author did a good job of researching her characters and their times, but Elizabeth was just not a very likable or compelling heroine.
March 20, 2010
I've finally reached an impasse with this book. It needs to go back to the library and I have not yet finished it. What do I do? After thinking about it for a bit, I decided that this book is much too slow. After reading approx. 200 pages, the characters still were not progressing very far.
The book is written in the first person. We follow Elizabeth Barrett. At times I really enjoyed this character, especially when her poetry was discussed and she got more involved with her writing. I did not enjoy the fact that she was very passive with her health, life style and family members.
The author touches on the subject of her father's beliefs that each of his child not marry, however the reasons behind this rule is not made clear and is not discussed within the family. As the reader, I found I am still confused as to his reasons, even if they are irrational.
It was not until pages 180 or so when Elizabeth met her love interest.
I was willing to stick with the book to find out what happens with Elizabeth and Robert but I do not think I will seek out this book again to finish the story. Which is sad because the book is based on real people and true events. It was a great premise for a book but for several reasons it just didn't work.
The book is written in the first person. We follow Elizabeth Barrett. At times I really enjoyed this character, especially when her poetry was discussed and she got more involved with her writing. I did not enjoy the fact that she was very passive with her health, life style and family members.
The author touches on the subject of her father's beliefs that each of his child not marry, however the reasons behind this rule is not made clear and is not discussed within the family. As the reader, I found I am still confused as to his reasons, even if they are irrational.
It was not until pages 180 or so when Elizabeth met her love interest.
I was willing to stick with the book to find out what happens with Elizabeth and Robert but I do not think I will seek out this book again to finish the story. Which is sad because the book is based on real people and true events. It was a great premise for a book but for several reasons it just didn't work.
January 23, 2025
This is the story of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and her secret romance with Robert Browning. Being a 39 year old invalid bound to her room, she enjoys the pleasure of correspondence with writers. When faced with the opportunities to meet her correspondents face to face, her reclusiveness causes her to battle fear of people and the outside world constantly. But then Robert Browning writes her a letter, and her life changes forever.
The title, taken from one of her sonnets, is quite appropriate as Elizabeth struggles to understand what true love is. How is true love demonstrated, both romantically or otherwise?
I loved, loved, loved this book. It will probably go down as one of my favorites of all time. I could identify with Elizabeth's fears and her desire to please her father. I found myself wanting to tell her what to do every time she tried to commit to a decision, even though I could feel her emotion in her struggle to do the right thing.
So this one gets 5 stars from me. I highly recommend it to those who like historical fiction based on true-life people and events. If you like poets and poetry, you'll appreciate it even more.
The title, taken from one of her sonnets, is quite appropriate as Elizabeth struggles to understand what true love is. How is true love demonstrated, both romantically or otherwise?
I loved, loved, loved this book. It will probably go down as one of my favorites of all time. I could identify with Elizabeth's fears and her desire to please her father. I found myself wanting to tell her what to do every time she tried to commit to a decision, even though I could feel her emotion in her struggle to do the right thing.
So this one gets 5 stars from me. I highly recommend it to those who like historical fiction based on true-life people and events. If you like poets and poetry, you'll appreciate it even more.
January 11, 2011
This was a wonderful book! Nancy Moser drew you in from the first page to the very end. I highly recommend picking up this book and reading it! Moser has interwoven fact with fiction very well. I am looking forward to reading more of her books.
Ba had to go through a lot of things in her life with her illness, and a father who ruled the household with an iron thumb. The trials Ba goes through, the emotions, and finally the happiness will make you think of your life and just maybe it relates to Ba's story.
What Ba goes through is what typically anyone can go through in life. Some may not have a controlling father, some may have grown up in an abusive home, or some may have grown up in a loving home with supportive parents; but whatever circumstances your life was like, then or is like now, there will always be some trials in life. However, with trials come triumphs.
Life's journey is not easy, but with God it is that much easier and comforting to know He is there beside us, guiding and comforting us.
Ba had to go through a lot of things in her life with her illness, and a father who ruled the household with an iron thumb. The trials Ba goes through, the emotions, and finally the happiness will make you think of your life and just maybe it relates to Ba's story.
What Ba goes through is what typically anyone can go through in life. Some may not have a controlling father, some may have grown up in an abusive home, or some may have grown up in a loving home with supportive parents; but whatever circumstances your life was like, then or is like now, there will always be some trials in life. However, with trials come triumphs.
Life's journey is not easy, but with God it is that much easier and comforting to know He is there beside us, guiding and comforting us.
September 18, 2011
This was a very good, accurate portrayal of the life of poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. It was a little bit slow moving at times, especially at the beginning, so I debated about whether it deserved 3 or 4 stars. The later part of the book was so good that I ended up with the higher of the two; I found myself cheering her on as she made small changes in her life. It is also a lovely touch that the author lets you know which parts are actually based on true events, and ahe also includes her best-known love sonnets at the back of the book. You will have a greater understanding of Ms. Browning and her poetry after reading this book, and, if you're like me, a great deal of anger that she spent so much of her life as a recluse pleasing other controlling people. I am a Nancy Moser fan; the books I have read in this series are always worthwhile.
August 9, 2013
Wavering between rating this one a 2 star versus a 3 star. Again, I wish GoodReads had a half star system! I've read several other Nancy Moser books and enjoyed them. I did enjoy this one, but perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for this book, or type of book. It seemed fairly ... tedious, at times. The dialogue was troublesome for me (owing to the time and how I guess she thought Elizabeth Barrett would speak). And it just seemed to go over and over with her illness, reclusiveness, etc. I did like it, but not nearly as much as i had hoped. I actually owned this book in paperback form, had bought it a while back since I had read the other historical ones, but donated it to the library when it was offered free for Kindle. Sigh. I think enjoyed the Martha Washington one the most!
January 27, 2011
The entire first half of this novel is spent telling us over and over of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's feelings about her invalid lifestyle and her controlling father, which made her feel insecure and isolated. One well written chapter would have been enough for us to understand her situation before meeting Robert Browning. Reading their letters to each other was nearly like reading their poetry. We have the feeling that they (especially Elizabeth) kept trying to explain half of the things they wrote to each other, which makes our reading of them very tiresome. Although I appreciate facts in the biographies I read, in this case the story would have been more interesting if the letters had been editorialized for clarity.
July 22, 2014
Author Nancy Moser takes on the iconic love story of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning in this historical romance. Some of the dialogue seemed a little stilted, and I think readers interested in the love story of these two poets should probably read the play The Barretts of Wimpole Street. The play takes more poetic license perhaps, but the drama concentrates the essence of the story and bristles with a vitality the novel seems to lack. Still, How Do I Love Thee? offers an interesting take on this beautiful and true love story that inspired Elizabeth Barrett Browning's famous Sonnets from the Portuguese and of course, the most famous sonnet of the collection, How Do I Love Thee?
January 2, 2012
To be honest, I read the first 200 pages or so but then skimmed the rest. I didn't like Ba. She was spineless and listened to others more than herself. Now I understand that this was a historical novel and we were sticking with facts here, but Moser could have at least given real reasons as to why Ba was so submissive to her father and why she was scared to go outside.
I did like all of the sonnets included throughout and was appreciative of the historical facts in the back but overall, I was glad when I finally finished it and could put it down. It will be a very long time before I pick up a Moser novel again.
I did like all of the sonnets included throughout and was appreciative of the historical facts in the back but overall, I was glad when I finally finished it and could put it down. It will be a very long time before I pick up a Moser novel again.
June 21, 2013
I'd probably actually give this 3.5 stars. It isn't that the book wasn't good or I didn't like it... it was just a difficult book to read without wanting to yell JERK every time Papa came up. And I found it hard to understand how someone could live within the same room for decades with very little interaction with the outside world. I did find the story interesting though and I like how Nancy Moser infuses as much truth as possible into these historical fiction novels. I learn something while being entertained. What could be better? While not my favorite of her Ladies of History novels, I did like it.
June 30, 2010
This biographical novel about Elisabeth Barret Browning is an easy read while maintaining true to history. The author includes an appendix that indicates chapter-by-chapter true historical incidents and fictionalized moments so you know exactly what is real, what is not, and what is assumed. She excellently portrays the inward life of the poet, which is no easy feat, as the majority of E.B.B.'s life was indeed lived inwardly, being a recluse as she was. The author digs deeply into the poet's mind and heart and creates a realistic picture of who she really was.
October 26, 2010
This book is like no other I have ever read and it was really good. The plot was intertesting and the author did a wonderful job on the research. This author also has neat stuff in the back to show you more about fact vs. fiction. This book included Ba's Sonnets. The author does something Ba's contemporary novelists weren't doing and narrating inside the characters thoughts and emotions but the converstations were true to the period without sounding strained or fake like some historical fiction authors. If you read this book, I don't think you will be disappointed.
August 17, 2011
I don't usually like biographical fiction, but for some reason I picked this one up at the library.... and I'm so glad I did. Elizabeth Barrett's life was actually very interesting ... and not as depressing as I thought it would be. She survived a lifetime of illness, an abusive and controlling father, and her own fears (which I believe to have stemmed from her life experiences) and finally, with the help of her pen pal-turned-love Robert Browning, managed to break out of the prison she called home. Just a great love story of two people who bested the odds and found their soulmate.
February 18, 2010
I was browsing the "Inspirational Fiction" shelf at the library when the title of this book caught my eye. Considering that "How Do I Love Thee?" has been one of my favourite poems for years, I just had to read it. I'm glad that I did.
I loved how the author used real incidents and parts of the letters written between Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning to move her story along. I feel like I actually learned something while enjoying the novel . . . nice feeling, that! :)
I loved how the author used real incidents and parts of the letters written between Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning to move her story along. I feel like I actually learned something while enjoying the novel . . . nice feeling, that! :)
November 16, 2010
I know I should like real books about real people better, but this was not only interesting and informative, it was an addicting story that I could hardly put down. (Ask my husband-I didn't want to go to sleep last night, even though I knew I'd be tired the next day.) What can I say? It was accurate enough for me to appreciate the history and learn about Elizabeth Barret Browning's life (my favorite non-fictions are memoirs) but the story was fabulous like non-fiction rarely does. Success!
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