Review Detail

Lowell says it best when she writes that Jane Eyre is the “collective imagination of a million teenage girls.”

I fell in love with the Brontës and Austen in high school. I hate to admit that I went through the phase where I read everything cover to cover and then attacked and ferociously read anything connected to them like Wide Sargasso Sea and the Madwoman in the Attic. True to form, The Madwoman Upstairs is a book I just want to hug! It was an incredibly fun read- I didn’t want to say goodbye.
It is easy to connect to Samantha Whipple. She is sarcastic, funny, and incredibly intelligent. She has her faults and owns them. She knows she is different, having been homeschooled by her eclectic father. So when her Oxford professor starts to question her analytical skills, her responses are often witty.

The Brontë treasure that Samantha goes out is not only a search for her family treasures. On the way she discovers herself and some dark family secrets. Lowell flawlessly weaves a literary treasure hunt with a journey to self- discovery and acceptance. It is hard not to gush on about this book without giving too much away. The best part is the ride!

Pull up a comfy chair, a cup of hot tea, and a blanket. Pick up The Madwoman Upstairs and enter a world of mystery, the English Moors, stone hallways and college towers. Step into twists and turns, secrets and surprises. The Madwoman Upstairs is a great book for anyone interested in a bookish mystery- especially those who love the Brontes!