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Shop nowOver the Hills and Far Away
This audiobook uses AI narration.
We’re taking steps to make sure AI narration is transparent.
Learn moreBeatrix Potter (1866–1943) is one of the world’s bestselling, most cherished authors of children’s literature whose books have enchanted generations for over a hundred years. Yet how she achieved this legendary status is just one of several stories of her remarkable and surprising life.
Inspired by her twenty-three “tales,” Matthew Dennison takes a selection of quotations from Potter’s stories and uses them to explore her multifaceted life and character: repressed Victorian daughter; thwarted lover; artistic genius; formidable countrywoman. They chart her transformation from a young girl with a love of animals and fairy tales into a bestselling author and canny businesswoman, so deeply unusual for the Victorian era in which she grew up.
This biography will delight anyone who has been touched by Beatrix Potter’s work and especially for fans of her children’s literature who want to know the real-life animals behind Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, Jemima Puddle-Duck, and of course, Peter Rabbit.
Matthew Dennison is the author of several critically acclaimed works of nonfiction, including Over the Hills and Far Away: The Life of Beatrix Potter. He is a contributor to Country Life magazine and lives in the United Kingdom.
Gabrielle de Cuir, an Audie and Earphones Award–winning narrator, has narrated over three hundred titles and specializes in fantasy, humor, and titles requiring extensive foreign language and accent skills.
Reviews
“Ms. Potter’s extraordinary life makes for an absorbing tale…Readers feel her passion for England’s beautiful Lake District, which became her home…Dennison skillfully weaves Beatrix’s stories into every part of her narrative.”
“In a concise but revealing biography, Dennison brings [Potter’s] years to life with empathy and understanding. With perception of thought, elegance of prose, and love of subject, Dennison studies the woman and her work, and in so doing gives devotees of both ample reason to delight in her―and his―work.”
“[An] excellent short biography. The book is concise, brisk, and consistently interesting, offering just enough detail for most readers.”
“Potter described her stories as giving ‘pleasure without ugliness.’ The same can be said of this respectful biography.”
“Dennison makes strong connections between Potter’s life and themes in classic [Potter] titles.”
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