Adeline: A Novel of Virginia Woolf

Drawing deeply on Hermione Lee's 1996 biography of Virginia Woolf, Vincent's (Thy Neighbor) historical novel provides startling glimpses into the mind of this troubled genius at multiple intervals between 1925 and her suicide in 1941. This profound psychological exploration of the writer features her conversations with her own inner voices as well as the heady, intellectual exchanges she has with members of the Bloomsbury Group and other luminaries, including T.S. Eliot and William Butler Yeats. During her emotional crises, Woolf interacts with Adeline, a version of herself at 13, the age of her first psychotic break following the death of her mother. Woolf was a true lover of language, and Vincent peppers the book with delightful wordplay and linguistic exploration. The portrait of husband Leonard Woolf as Virginia's rock and constant supportive companion and helpmate is particularly touching.