Young Vincent

Customer Reviews

7 reviews

• Jenifer Kay Hood

  Hood offers a historical novel that explores the early life of a famed 20th-century poet and feminist. The future poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, who calls herself “Vincent,” born in 1892, has a childhood marked by strife and hardship. The eldest of three daughters, her parents’ marriage is already falling apart by the time she’s born. Her father, Henry, ’s drinking and gambling make it difficult for him to hold down a job, and although her mother, Cora, works as a nurse and weaves hairpieces for money, it’s difficult to make ends meet. As a result, the family frequently moves and Vincent is responsible for the well-being of her two younger sisters from a young age. By the time Vincent’s parents formally divorce, Henry has been largely absent for years. Despite the family’s struggles, Cora makes sure that the girls are well-read, and young Vincent’s love for poetry is clear early on. She began writing poetry at the age of 5, and in 1904, she assembled a book of poetry as a gift for her mother. Hood’s novel is studded with Vincent’s poetry, with chapter titles pulled from her famous 1912 poem “Renascence.” The author, who interviewed the poet’s sister for the work, portrays her subject in all her complexities and doesn’t shy away from showing how vicious she could be. One scene in particular showcases Vincent’s duality: When a pipe bursts in 1904 and ice coats the first floor of their home, Vincent lightheartedly encourages her sisters to skate through the house to complete their chores. However, when she must empty the basins the girls have been using as toilets outside, she flies into a sudden rage and thrusts a knife into a tree. The author also intriguingly explores Vincent’s sexuality, discussing her attraction to her minister’s daughter and her later physical and emotional affairs with both women and men. Overall, it’s a compulsively readable work, even though some sections move so quickly that they can be disorienting. An often engaging take on a complex artist.

• Stephen Yankee

  It's a bit long and too wordy, but it's a great story, very topical considering the world we live in. Makes you think. Are we headed toward a world of deadly diseases, miserable poverty and starving children? We'll see, but if you're thinking you're right to be nostalgic for the "Gilded Age" you might want to think again after reading this book.

• H.L.H.

  It doesn't matter if you don't enjoy poetry or have no idea who Edna St. Vincent Millay is, Ms. Hood's new book is very engaging and you will find it hard to put down.

• Anthony Redelsperger

  Hood thoroughly explores the early life of Edna St. Vincent Millay, who became the equivalent of a rock star Taylor Swift in her day. Hood's research brings Millay's childhood struggles to life in a new way. "Vincent," as Millay was called by family and friends, lived under almost unbearable pressure as a child with one often absent parent and two sisters to guide in her mother's absence. Poverty and sexism hovered over Millay's existence, and yet she powered through to become one of the most important artists of the early Twentieth century. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in discovering what prompts an artist to successfully pursue an artistic career with such determination and verve.

• Lynn Millar

  Young Vincent is an excellent story of how a young girl grew up to be a rock star of poetry. While well-researched, the book reads like a coming-of-age tale. I really enjoyed the book.

• Lynn Millar

  Jenifer Hood has written an incredible story. It is awash with stories from the life of the poet Edna St. Vincent Millay that will horrify you, and perhaps even inspire you.

• Lynn Millar

  I loved this book about Edna St Vincent Millay. It's the story of how a young girl becomes a star - in this case, a poetry star of all things. It is well documented, but is also easy to read like a coming-of-age tale.

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