Today’s #FridayRead is perfect for fans of The Paris Wife and Loving Frank. VANESSA AND HER SISTER is a captivating novel that offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of Vanessa Bell, her sister Virginia Woolf.
London, 1905: The city is alight with change, and the Stephen siblings take a house in the leafy heart of avant-garde Bloomsbury. There they bring together a glittering circle of bright, outrageous artistic friends who will grow into legend and come to be known as the Bloomsbury Group. And at the center of this charmed circle are the devoted, gifted sisters: Vanessa, the painter, and Virginia, the writer.
But the landscape shifts when Vanessa unexpectedly falls in love. Eerily possessive, charismatic, manipulative, and brilliant, Virginia has always lived in the shelter of Vanessa’s constant attention and encouragement. Without it, she careens toward self-destruction and madness. As tragedy and betrayal threaten to destroy the family, Vanessa must decide if it is finally time to protect her own happiness above all else.
“Stellar . . . Parmar’s narrative is riveting and successfully takes on the task of turning larger-than-life figures into real people.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A devoted, emotionally intense portrait of the Bloomsbury group.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Boldly invites us to that moment in history when famous minds sparked and collided. Prepare to be dazzled.”—Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife