Emily Hudson

Jones's (Sick at Heart) new historical novel begins as the book's namesake is expelled from her prestigious boarding school because of her "unsettling effect on the other pupils." From that stunning opener, the narrative follows Emily's attempts to integrate herself into New England high society and her escapes from her dogmatic uncle and later, in London, from her writer cousin to be independent and follow her aspiration to paint professionally. Entertaining though the novel's concept may be, overall it misses the mark. The foundations for Emily's independent spirit are never explained, and it is difficult to comprehend how a sheltered young woman during the Civil War would develop such ideas and concepts; likewise, Emily appears ambivalent about what is professed to be her passion—painting. The constant shifting between letters and characters' points of view and the withholding of key characters until the end make the book feel disconnected and unfocused.