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THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER 2022
Both an utterly original portrait of the unsung work of women everywhere and a breathtakingly intimate view of one of the most important literary marriages of the 20th century.‘Furious and fascinating’ The Times
‘I just loved it all, and have a permanently marked-up, dog-eared copy on my shelf for the next generation’ Tom Hanks*****
Looking for wonder and some reprieve from the everyday, Anna Funder slips into the pages of her hero George Orwell. As she watches him create his writing self, she tries to remember her own . . .
When she uncovers his forgotten wife, it’s a revelation. Eileen O’Shaughnessy’s literary brilliance shaped Orwell’s work and her practical nous saved his life. But why – and how – was she written out of the story? Using newly discovered letters from Eileen to her best friend, Funder recreates the Orwells’ marriage, through the Spanish Civil War and WWII in London. As she rolls up the screen concealing Orwell’s private life, she is led to question what it takes to be a writer – and what it is to be a wife.*****‘Anna Funder not only re-makes the art of biography, she resurrects a woman in full’ Geraldine Brooks‘A spellbinding achievement’ FT‘Truly wonderful . . . another brilliant human portrait’ Claire TomalinReview Quotes:
Electrifying . . . Daring in both form and content, Funder’s book is a nuanced, sophisticated literary achievement ? KirkusAn extraordinary blend of forensic historical detective work and evocative fiction, as well as snatches of memoir . . . To read about O’Shaughnessy is to fall in love with her ? Radio Times
A strikingly original study that casts Orwell in new light. Deeply perceptive, it is testament to forgotten wives of famous men everywhere ? Julia Boyd
Wonderful, unexpected and exciting from beginning to end ? Antonia Fraser
A profoundly essential, significant and groundbreaking work . . . a work of love for both Eric and Eileen ? Bernadette Brennan
