The Poets of Room 174

My niece, Melanie Hinton Cox asked me to be a beta reader for a novel she wrote.  I felt so honored she would ask me.  It was a wonderful book.  I was blown away at how good of a writer she is (she has her doctorate in English literature, so I shouldn’t have been.)  I thoroughly enjoyed her creative novel.  A brief synopsis:  The five famous English poets are caught in a state of limbo after their deaths and attend college English literature classes where they and their works are being discussed.  But no can see or hear them. They go from college to college and have  for centuries.  This story is set while they are at U of U and they, for the first time, actually get to meet and talk with a girl, the protagonist, who is grieving the death of her parents. 

That seems too shortened as there are a lot of other characters and happenings, but that’s the crux. She brings those ancient poets to life and gives them personalities.  But I loved the story of Nellee and her life the most.   

These were my closing comments to her on the form I filled out for her after completing the book:

   "How can I express my love for your writing?   You have a gift.  Over and over again, I was mesmerized by your ability to make me feel and experience with your words.  Your dialogues sparkled with reality, your characters were alive (well, some of them half alive!) and real, the plot original and interesting, and the descriptions gave me chills.  I loved how you brought alive (quite literally) the old and made it so very pertinent today.  Thank you for allowing me the privilege of reading this great novel.  Please keep me informed on what happens.  I will be first in line to buy it when it is published." 

My favorite scene in the book is when Nellee thinks she is alone in her study carrel  and is crying and grieving the loss of her parents.  Suddenly a voice (she finds out later it is Wordsworth) speaks to her and comforts her.  He encourages her to talk about it with these words:

“Things cease from their horror when they are spoken.  Keep to yourself the sweet if you must; speak the unsweet.  The man’s counsel brought a warm coat of softness.  She had always imagined God’s words would feel that way.”

“ And she kept crying. This wall, it was her wailing wall; the voice on the other side, his silence, offered her a pocket to cry into and she filled it.”

Isn’t that beautiful writing? 

I sincerely hope Melanie’s book is published and sees great acclaim and success.