The Alphabet of Heart's Desire by Brian Keaney

Thomas de Quincey was an English Essayist, best known for his Confessions of an English Opium-Eater. He dreamed of becoming a poet, but he never did. Instead he befriended William Wordsworth – a major English Romantic poet.

Set at the very beginning of the 19th century, this book briefly touches upon his childhood and mostly concentrates on his time living rough, penniless, and his encounter with Anne in Oxford Street and her subsequent disappearance. I wished this book brought more details of his life, but as the author mentions he was an opium edict and by no means a reliable source of information.

The story is revealed through three characters in subsequent voices: Thomas, Anne (his first love), and Tuah (fictional character). 

After the death of his sister by which he is deeply affected, young Thomas feels very lost. He no longer has a sister who can interpret what their mother tells them. He feels very disconnected with their harsh mother, revealing his delicate nature. As a young man he gets employed by his mother’s friend, Lady Carberry, as a library organizer, which is of great interest to Thomas. The arrangement extends to teaching her Ancient Greek as well. This makes him very happy, but then an event occurs and penniless Thomas drifts into the streets of London.

After the death of her father, Anne and her mother struggle to survive. Not only poor conditions, but also her mother’s new partner’s abusiveness leads Anne on a path to search for something hopeful. At the age of 12, she has a lot to learn. Her new path doesn’t exactly take her to a more hopeful future.

Tuah is a black man captured by Dutch men. He becomes captain’s cabin boy. When on land, he lives with captain and his brother Archie, who teaches him English and Bible. Under Archie’s wing Tuah feels safe. 

As the story progresses, it connects all characters together.

Overall, it is an engrossing story. However, it takes a while to get to like Tuah. His story of his capture isn’t touching by any means. Where it should evoke human emotion, it doesn’t. And exactly, due to this part, I rated this book 4 stars. Otherwise, it would have been a 5 star book. On the other hand, Anne’s story is deeply moving. Her voice is so pure and honest. I connected with this character right away. Thomas’ story starts with his fascination of Aladdin, for which I didn’t care. I started connecting with his story in the subsequent chapters, when his delicate nature is being revealed.

To be released: 6/21/18

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