Over the Hills and Far Away

January 16, 2017
In his modest retelling of the life of famed children’s book author Beatrix Potter, Dennison (Behind the Mask) begins with her friendless childhood, in which her menagerie of pets became her companions (and in some cases, the basis for her characters); her fraught relationship with her parents; and her talent for drawing and keen interest in flora and fauna of all sorts. Dennison continues on with the famous letter that first told of the naughty bunny caught in Mr. McGregor’s garden; Potter’s bid for independence from her parents as she became a noted author, including a tragic courtship with her publisher, Norman Warne, who died before they could be married; and her turn to farming in her later years. Dennison makes strong connections between Potter’s life and themes in classic titles such as The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck, The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse, and The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies. (For example: parents are not of the highest caliber in her tales.) As an introduction to the life of Beatrix Potter, Dennison’s telling is more than adequate, but fans familiar with this territory may wish to seek out a more in-depth study. 20 color and b&w illus.

February 1, 2017
The life of the prolific children's author was circumscribed, even by Victorian standards.With 40 million copies sold since its publication in 1902, The Tale of Peter Rabbit has made Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) world-famous. Dennison (Behind the Mask: The Life of Vita Sackville-West, 2015, etc.) draws largely on Potter's children's stories, journals, and letters to document her personal and artistic development, resulting in a narrowly focused biography that offers little perspective beyond the subject's own. Born into a well-to-do British family, Potter's world "was one of conformities and prohibitions." Raised in isolation from other children by domineering parents, her youthful companions were her brother and their many beloved pets. By the time she was a teenager, she experienced recurring illnesses and began to think of herself as an invalid. "Whether her parents were responsible for this attitude, or simply sought to manipulate it, is unclear," Dennison writes. Intent on becoming a botanical illustrator, Potter obsessively honed her skills as an artist and naturalist, interests covered thoroughly in Linda Lear's recent biography. Her career as a children's author began accidentally, when she was 27, with letters to the bedridden son of one of her former governesses. She illustrated tales about Peter and three other anthropomorphic rabbits with pen-and-ink drawings that eventually made their way into her books. Her parents tried to manage her life even as she gained professional success. They disapproved of her engagement to the shy son of her publisher, who unfortunately died before they could marry; and they again disapproved when, at the age of 41, Potter accepted another man's proposal. She defied them and seemed to live happily ever after. Throughout the book, Dennison, jarringly, compares Potter to her cutely named characters: like "Miss Matilda Pussycat," Potter was "prone to neuralgia"; like "Hunca Munca," her disappointment sometimes led to anger; like "Jemima Puddle-duck," she was determined to follow her dreams. Potter described her stories as giving "pleasure without ugliness." The same can be said of this respectful biography.

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March 15, 2017

In exploring the life of Beatrix Potter (1866-1943), Dennison (Behind the Mask) combines literary criticism with biography, focusing on Potter's interest in writing and painting as an outlet for an isolated childhood. The oldest child and only daughter of apathetic parents, Potter developed a love for animals, notably mice and rabbits, maintaining a makeshift menagerie with her brother Bertram. Utilizing Potter's copious correspondence and diaries, Dennison describes how a lack of autonomy led the reserved Potter to treat "art as an occupation and a preoccupation" while suffering bouts of illness throughout her life. The author examines recurring themes in Potter's works such as incomplete families, flawed parenting (The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Tom Kitten), and self-containment. After privately publishing Peter Rabbit in 1901, Potter found success and a commercial publisher in 1902. The narrative continues with her ill-fated engagement to Norman Warne and later marriage to William Heelis, despite the disapproval of their families. Final chapters cover Potter's dedication to farming and conservation in her later years. VERDICT Dennison writes a concise summary of Potter's inspirations and legacy; fans already familiar with her life and works may want a more comprehensive retelling.--Stephanie Sendaula, Library Journal

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