Hermione Lees Penelope Fitzgerald A Life is the biography Penelope Fitzgeralds small

but devoted band of admirers have been waiting for since the novelists death in 2000 at the
age of 83. Penelope Fitzgerald gained little recognition while she lived, was often
overlooked, even regarded condescendingly, in her life and in her writing. In these times of
relentless self-promotion, she had, as Rochefoucauld puts it, a great ability to conceal her
ability both her intelligence as a person and her talent as a writer. The biography
sensitively uncovers the facts of an unusual life that Penelope Fitzgerald was reticent about.
It reveals the voluminous research Fitzgerald did for writing her books, then used
economically in novels which appear simple on the surface but are complex masterpieces.
PFs was a singular talent and her books will be read long into the future, her reputation and
her followers growing with the passing of the years. (153 words)
Penelope Fitzgerald A Life by Hermione Lee, Chatto & Windus, London, 2013
Vidya Borooah
December 2013