A lively and well-written biography, on the whole. I felt that Briggs was stronger on the books than on the life, but maybe that’s simply because I've read so many other accounts of Fabian shenanigans and the unconventional household at Well Hall. Certainly, her analysis of E. Nesbit’s writings is well worth a look - both for the familiar children’s books and for the now largely forgotten poetry and adult novels. ( )