of Emily Bront dying perhaps because she burned her writing. I know that my father burned all his journals when my mother broke off their engagement, so that when he set out to try to write again he had nothing behind him. I'm sure that a writer's many early accumulated pages provide that high place to which the devil can take them and offer them the world. Harry, when she burns her book, seems to be having a moment of great good taste and judgement. But Hero immolates the story she's just told us. The formerly silent child from a "word" family chooses to speak, but not write. Perhaps she's going to become a barrister and keep people out of prison. That would be a good use of what she's learned. But as a reader I was sad that Hero's world lost the book I'd just read -- which was, by the way, probably the best and most sensitive telling of poor Miss Credence's story. Annie has read the book and, because she's Annie, her praise is threatening and off-putting to her daughter: "You're a writer, you really are." She says the word "writer as if she were announcing a great victory for Hero." Hero is deeply suspicious of any claims to a world stage. She thinks, "Perhaps there's only just enough light and warmth to go around, and people like Annie, whether they mean to or not, are using up someone else's share." So into the wood burner her