This is the never-before-told story of George Orwell's first wife,
Eileen, a woman who shaped, supported, and even saved the life of one of
the twentieth century's greatest writers. In 1934, Eileen
O'Shaughnessy's futuristic poem, 'End of the Century, 1984', was
published. The next year, she would meet George Orwell, then known as
Eric Blair, at a party.
'Now that is the kind of girl I would
like to marry!' he remarked that night. Years later, Orwell would name
his greatest work, Nineteen Eighty-Four, in homage to the memory of
Eileen, the woman who shaped his life and his art in ways that have
never been acknowledged by history, until now. From the time they
spent in a tiny village tending goats and chickens, through the Spanish
Civil War, to the couple's narrow escape from the destruction of their
London flat during a German bombing raid, and their adoption of a baby
boy, Eileen is the first account of the Blairs' nine-year marriage.
It is also a vivid picture of bohemianism, political engagement, and
sexual freedom in the 1930s and '40s. Through impressive depth of
research, illustrated throughout with photos and images from the time,
this captivating and inspiring biography offers a completely new
perspective on Orwell himself, and most importantly tells the life story
of an exceptional woman who has been unjustly overlooked.
Eileen : The Making of George Orwell - Sylvia Topp
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£9.99