How Do I Love Thee?

Title: How Do I Love Thee?
Author: Nancy Moser
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0501-9

From the back cover:

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?

My take:

I'm missing my husband and this book didn't help. If you need help believing in true love, this is your book. Their story is overwhelmingly beautiful. I remember studying her ~ way back in high school ~ and just getting a small idea of how deeply they cared for one another. I didn't do the kind of research the author did, and hearing it told this way... well you might need a stack of tissues for the happy tears.

I enjoyed the way the author brought about such interesting themes as the difference between a controlling and freeing love, what it means to honor father and mother and how good people have twisted the idea, and a few others you can discover for yourself.

I was touched by parts of their story I didn't know before. I think they were both wonderful people who loved each other with their whole hearts ~ and unconditionally. Everyone should be so blessed. I could relate to what they went through in some ways and how they were each other's strength as well.

My one complaint is that such a highly romantic couple didn't seem to have much passion. More attention is paid to the physical sensations Elizabeth has when wondering if she's jealous when he kisses her hand the first time than their first kiss (which happens right after she accepts his marriage proposal). She thinks it happened too easily and he must have kissed a lot of hands . Since he claims to be a "supremely passionate man," that didn't feel right. It was as if something was off because there was such intensity in their correspondence, even in the risk they took to be together ~ and then the physical aspects of their romance were so chaste that it almost appeared as if the romance was reserved to their writing.

At one point in the story Elizabeth says she "lived for the post." Do you still write and receive letters and cards or are you an all electronic person? How about books? Do you prefer paper books or e-books? Have you ever had a long distance relationship?