The six Brontë children – Maria, Elizabeth, Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, Anne – all died young, leaving their father alone in his final years; their mother had died of tuberculosis in 1821. It is Emily’s voice we hear in Fifteen Wild Decembers, a voice released through creative expression. Known for her silence, her rich inner life is only exposed in her imaginary worlds and her writings.
The novel begins in February of 1824 at Cowan Bridge – a place, Emily recalls, of hunger, cold, and disease. The Cowan Bridge School educates clergymen’s daughters for the only careers outside of marriage available to them – schoolteacher or governess. Maria and Elizabeth (ages 11 and 10) die of tuberculosis contracted at school, and Charlotte and Emily (ages 9 and 7) return home. Through the years, the girls go on to attend other schools. Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne make the moors around Haworth their playground, their play fueled by their remarkable imaginations. When Branwell receives a gift of 12 wooden soldiers, the children name them and build worlds around them. Charlotte makes booklets from discarded wallpaper where adventures of their “Young Men” were documented daily. Emily and Anne create more stories, adding characters, drawings, maps, and poetry. These elaborate, imaginary worlds are the most delightful and charming narratives of the novel.
Evocative writing of the brooding, dark weather on the moors contrasting with the days of sunshine, and blooming flowers and heather frame this novel in atmosphere. Emily is one with the moors, and she fails to thrive when away. We follow the sisters through their trials with Branwell, difficulties making a living, publishing their works, and lives in general. Powell’s ability to bring Emily to life and give us Emily’s voice, so authentic and visceral, makes this novel extraordinary. Emily’s voice still echoes in this reader’s mind.
