A review by fiatal
Constance Fenimore Woolson: Portrait of a Lady Novelist by Anne Boyd Rioux

4.0

This is a perfectly readable and lively biography of a under-known female novelist from the late 19th century. She's mainly known now as a friend of Henry James' and for her suicide over her supposed unrequited love for him. Anne Boyd Rioux opens her biography by recounting these theories and then asks what truths emerge when we recenter on Woolson. That is, to let her be the center of her own life. What a novel (see what I did there?) concept. I'm giving it four stars because, while I really enjoyed it and am now looking forward to reading some of Woolson's work, I felt like Rioux sometimes gave us Woolson's feelings, motivations, and thoughts without giving us evidence. I wasn't sure if that was Rioux not directly quoting a source or if she was extrapolating, and it felt out of place in a biography with otherwise very extensive notes and sources. Still, I would recommend this to anybody who is interested.