Bussey holds a master's degree in interdisciplinary studies and a bachelor's degree in English literature. She is an independent writer specializing in literature. In the following essay, Bussey examines Dinesen's depiction of the unique ways in which women take care of each other in "Babette's Feast," and she relates them to the author's life.

Isak Dinesen's "Babette's Feast" features three main characters, all women, who find themselves as unlikely housemates. Martine and Philippa are sisters who remain unmarried so they can take up the responsibilities of overseeing the congregation of their deceased father's Lutheran sect. The other woman in the story is a French woman named Babette, who fled Paris in great danger and is taken in by the two sisters. Babette and her generous hostesses have little in common, but among the strongest qualities they all share is the impulse to take care of each other...