Becoming Emily: The Life of Emily Dickinson

by Krystyna Poray Goddu

Emily Dickinson wrote short, often-enigmatic poems that are widely anthologized, quoted, and read by students of every age. Yet, as widely known as her poetry is, Dickinson as a person is considered to have been an inscrutable recluse—a silent figure who wore only white, wrote in secret, never left her home, and had no interest in sharing her poetry. In Becoming Emily , young readers will learn how as a child, adolescent, and well into adulthood, Dickinson was a lively social being with a warm family life. Highly educated for a girl of her era, she was fully engaged in both the academic and social aspects of the schools she attended until she was nearly 18. Her family and friends were of the utmost importance to her, and she was a prolific, thoughtful, and witty correspondent who shared many poems with those closest to her. Including plentiful photos, full-length poems, letter excerpts, a time line, source notes, and a bibliography, this indispensable resource offers a full portrait of this singular American poet.

Genres: Biography, Poetry, Nonfiction, History, Family, Childrens, Middle Grade

176 pages, Paperback

Published June 7, 2022

About the author

Krystyna Poray Goddu holds a degree in comparative literature from Brown University. Author of numerous books including A Girl Called Vincent: The Life of Poet Edna St. Vincent Millay and Dollmakers and Their Stories: Women Who Changed the World of Play, she has contributed to American Girl magazine, the New York Times Book Review, and the Riverbank Review of Books for Young Readers and is a writer and regular reviewer of children’s books for Publishers Weekly. She has worked at Woman’s Day magazine and was founding editor of Dolls magazine and cofounder of Reverie Publishing Company, which publishes books on dolls and toys for collectors and children. She has also worked in school libraries and taught writing to middle-school students in independent schools in New York City.

Reviews

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Becoming Emily is a biography for middle-grade. It covers her whole life, with focus on her school years and her love for botany which she also expressed in her poetry.

When Emily wrote, she didn’t have in mind publishing her work. Thus, very little was published during her life time.

Emily was lucky to be born into family where education for girls was encouraged. She was a recluse, who thrived academically. She also felt a strong connection with nature. She loved studying about plants and flowers.

Even though, it’s a biography, it still would be nice to know how Emily felt. Without those feelings, the writing feels dry. I think it might be hard for the age group it’s meant to connect with this story.

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This comprehensive biography of Emily Dickinson was very informative and well suited for middle grade students. We learn much about Emily's family life, habits and love for nature. Tidbits of her poems are included, but she wrote hundreds and hundreds more in her lifetime. Would be useful for students learning about poets and women's rights.

A big thank you to Chicago Review Press for a digital ARC of this new juvenile biography.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

"So intimate and passionate was her love of Nature, she seemed herself a part of the high March sky, the summer day and birdcall."
These are the words used by Emily Dickinson's sister-in-law and dear friend to describe her in her memorial, no better words could have been used. The importance of Nature in Emily Dickinson's life is very clear since her childhood and it's an interest and a love that accompanied her throughout all her life.
This book documents all of Dickinson's life, from birth until death. It talks a lot about her childhood and teenage years, placing emphasis on her education and her love for studying.
This book is a biography of this talented author. It's perfect if you want to know more about Emily's life. While reading you can actually feel and see all the research work that was done to put this book together.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING: 4 STARS
2019; Chicago Review Press/Independent Publishers Group
(Review Not on Blog)

I have always loved the poems of Emily Dickinson and since watching a movie last year on her life, I have become more interested in knowing about the woman behind the quill. This is a biography aimed at a young audience, but is well-written and researched for any age. This biography is brief which is perfect for younger kids, and am looking forward to reading about this fascinating woman.

***I received an eARC from EDELWEISS***

[Martha Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Introducing Emily Dickinson to middle grade readers using her own words from letters and poems, this book focuses on her early years and friendships, but also includes the rest of her life. Ms. Goddu shares the cultural context of Emily’s time, but you also feel you know Ms. Dickinson well. I love the author’s restraint -- no made up sentences, no theorizing about mysteries, just presenting what we can know of Emily from her letters as clearly and deeply as she can. Biography beautifully done.

[Holli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is written for children and I expected it to be a picture book, but it's a chapter book and is very well written and comprehensive. I read it in preparation for my second visit to the Emily Dickinson Museum in Amherst. My first visit was 9 years ago in 2016. After reading this book, I knew pretty much everything the tour guide told us and then some. Except for specific details about the house.

I found the passage on pp 121-122 describing her visit with Thomas Higginson interesting:

"In spite of her initial fright, she quickly began to talk, stopping occasionally to invite him to speak but then spilling forth her thoughts again. She told him about her love of reading, how Edward had insisted they read only the Bible when they were young and how she and Austin had to sneak novels into the house. She told him how much Shakespeare meant to her. She offered him her definition of poetry: 'If I read a book [and] it makes my whole body so cold no fire ever can warm me I know that is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry.'

"After an hour with Emily, Thomas was exhausted-though fascinated. He wrote to his wife that evening, describing the visit and guessing that she would have found some of Emily's talk foolish, but that he found much of it wise. Still, he was afraid to question Emily directly when he didn't understand something she said. He had a feeling that a direct question would make her withdraw from him. As for Emily, she felt that Thomas 'ask[ed] great questions accidentally.' Being with him in person instead of reading his words on paper was at once unreal and unbearably sweet.

"Before leaving Amherst the next day, Thomas returned to the Homestead. His second conversation with Emily was equally fascinating and equally draining. He found her remarks so intriguing that, afterward, he made it a point to write down everything he could remember. And although it seemed to Thomas that she lived a strange life, he noted that she found it joyful, saying, 'I find ecstasy in living-the mere sense of living is joy enough.'

"After the second visit, Thomas wrote again to his wife, saying he had enjoyed his time with Emily very much. While he found her considerate of other people, he added that he had never been with anybody who took so much out of him. In spite of his fascination with Emily, he concluded, he was glad that he lived a good distance away. (Not until December 1873 did he make a second, and last, visit to her.)"

The tour guide also mentioned Thomas Higginson's letter to his wife saying that his visits with Emily were exhausting and draining. This makes me wonder if she might have been neurodivergent and when I looked it up I found that this is a common speculation. Very interesting.

I was also interested in the descriptions of Emily's faith:
"In Emily's own eyes, though, she was full of hope, and that hope was rewarded with each of nature's sea-sons. Every autumn as she watched the blooms fall off her plants and the trees grow bare, she had not only hope but also faith. She knew without a doubt that, come spring, those plants would flower again and the trees would grow abundant with greenery. The death of the natural world and its rebirth, every year without fail, was all the proof Emily needed of God. She didn't need to profess her faith with words; she experienced her faith through nature." p. 41


"It wasn't that Emily didn't believe in God. The many poems she wrote about God, death, heaven, and the soul reflect a deep faith in the life of the spirit. And she listened thoughtfully to sermons at church, when she went, especially to those that were about wrestling with belief in God. But she didn't agree that people were born sinful and could not become good without God's help. Instead, she increasingly saw God's goodness and love everywhere around her, in the beauty of the world and the love of her family and dear friends. It was hard for her, though, to hold onto this faith when everyone around her, those very same people she loved, believed differently." p. 94

[Melissa Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book with my kids. We all enjoyed this book and learned a lot about Emily Dickenson. It was a bit dry at times but I think that can be the nature of biographies. The kids enjoyed it.

[Jhallowell123gmail.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was lovely and inspired me to write a poem for my granddaughter:

I wrote what follows on the inside front blank pages of this book and will ask my son to give it to her when she is old enough to appreciate it.

For Zoe

I bought this book at Round Top
A poetry festival —
Their bookshop had a children’s shelf
Which made me think of you

Great Grandpa studied Emily
And imitated her —
He wrote Six Poems in her same style
Some day you’ll read them sure

She also lived in Amherst Mass.
A town where I lived too —
Your Father born in nearby town —
Connections rendezvous

Since you and I wrote poetry
Together years ago —
I hope this book will speak to you
Perpetuate and Grow

Lots of love...

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've long admired Emily Dickinson's poetry but never knew much about her mysterious life. Poray-Goddu reveals Emily's love of family, friendship, and nature as the reader follows her from youth to adulthood. Poems, an Epilogue, and a Timeline strengthen the biography. I liked the old-fashioned touch in the book cover illustration, and illustrated flower chapter headings. Images include historic photos, some silhouettes (so popular at the time), and a page from Emily's herbarium showing plant specimens. Middle-graders would enjoy this well-written and researched biography about one of America's greatest poets.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid juvenile biography of Emily Dickinson. I appreciate that the author made a great effort to use Dickinson's own words and let her speak for herself whenever possible. Ultimately though, I set it aside and ended up going with a picture book biography for Morning Time because this one would have taken up too much of our school time. However, when we circle back to Dickinson in a few years, I will probably give it to at least one of the girls to read.

[Reshamad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Becoming Emily is a chapter book biography on Emily Dickinson, a poet who has been widely read and revered. The book walks us through Emily's life and her journey into becoming a poet. Later chapters shows snippets of her poetry giving us a peek into her developing poetry. Throughout the reading, the author highlights Emily's love for nature, which becomes evident in her poetry. 
Emily was born in household were girls were encouraged towards education when it wasn't customary for girls to go to school. And while women weren't encouraged to have a profession, educated ladies were allowed to become teachers. Emily chose a different path for herself. She dived into writing poetry.
Overall, this was an intriguing read. The book is published with pictures, photographs and her poems. The glossy pages make for a lovely experience while reading. Towards the end, i found the theme of sickness, illness and death being too over-powering. I would have loved reading more in depth on some of her relationships with the scholars that Emily surrounded herself with. 
Despite the above observations, this is a good read, thoroughly researched and presented. I recommend this volume to upper elementary / middle graders.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Straightforward about major life events and significant relationships, aspects of Emily Dickinson's life are found here. I appreciate that facts are presented without theories or explanations about behavior; so much is unknown about this poet's life, and I become bewildered by many of the speculative theories and dramatizations. Those are not necessarily bad, but I wonder about this woman's life beyond and before the self-imposed seclusion of her adult years. There can be tremendous storytelling in those, so this simple, direct book provides an overview that provides context that can lead to more interpretations and stories.

[Ember Air · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was wonderful introductory biography of Emily Dickinson. I honestly never knew much about her before this, having passed by her quickly in Lit class. I learned so much and gained an appreciation for her works that I never had before. I personally wish the story part of the book held a solid timeline, rather than jumping around like it does, just because I think that would help keep all of the different people and events in place. Overall, I loved this, would love to see more of this style from the author, and highly recommend this book.

[Boyschool · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book aloud to my two girls as part of a unit study. We all enjoyed. They are 8 and 10. There were some things I wasn’t excited to expose them to at their current age, such as Austin's public affair with Mabel, while both of them were married to other people. But all of the information about Emily was so interesting and the old pictures of her and her family and friends really added to the book. What an interesting person Emily was, I have learned a lot and respect her immense love of family and close friends.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Becoming Emily is a chapter book biography of Emily Dickinson, a highly read and beloved poet. The book takes us on a tour through Emily's life and her quest to become a poet. Throughout the reading, the author emphasizes Emily's love of nature, which shines through in her poems. Overall, this was a fascinating read. The book includes illustrations, photographs, and her writings. Although the terminology in the book may be advanced for younger readers, this is an excellent biography for youngsters to read to understand about Emily Dickinson.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book can be appreciated by younger people and adult.
It's a well written, well researched and interesting book.
It's well written, engaging and it's perfect if you know who Emily Dickinson is but you want to know about her life.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Chicago Review Press and Edelweiss for this ARC

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great starter biography for children to read about Emily Dickinson. As an adult, I felt that the author made a lot of suppositions about what Emily felt or meant to imply in letters. There are also several gaps in the information that left me wanting more from the biography that I just didn’t get, hence the reason it’s a great starter biography.

[Michelle Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer Challenge: Back to School--read a book about a subject you don't know much about

I really thought I knew about Emily Dickinson and then I read this book! It was informative and well-written and I really learned a great deal about her life and writing.

[Ashley Coberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was a well written YA biography with lots of interesting things to learn about her life. I was pre reading it for Charlotte and decided to have her wait a while but a good book for a bit older kids

[Ranette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea that Miss Emily had such a normal life as a child and teen. I wonder if she had some form of schizophrenia that strikes adults in their 20's. Her poems are undeniably beautiful, but her adult life was small. She hardly left her home to visit her family who lived near by.

[Emily Hale · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe a 2.5. Just couldn’t get into it. Interesting topic but dry.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned more about Emily Dickinson in this book than in all the literature classes.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Shannon Silver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Emily Dickinson is one of my favorite poets and I learned a lot about her in this quick read. A more thorough biography of her life is now a must read.

[Lisa Muller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-researched, well-written bigraphy of Emily Dickinson. Loved it!

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite being a fan of Emily Dickinson’s poems for some time, I have never taken the time to learn much about her life. So I enjoyed this little biography about her. It was great to learn more about what is known about her from her letters.

I’m a little baffled that this is classified for middle-grade readers. It did take the time to define words that adults will likely already know, so it makes sense that way. But, in my opinion, it is too dry to really engage this age group.