The Wreckage of Eden - Norman Lock

When Lutheran minister Robert Winter proposes to Emily Dickinson she replies that she fears her muse would balk.  Then the two begin a long correspondence, as he pursues his career as army chaplain, traveling the continent from the Mexican War, to the Mormon Rebellion and the Raid on Harper’s Ferry.  Winter loses his faith, but he encounters various historical figures of the day: Abe Lincoln, a young Sam Clemens, John Wilkes Booth and others.  This beautifully written novel provides a new perspective on the 19^th century and it's charming to imagine the character of Emily Dickinson as Norman Lock has written her.