I first heard about this book from a clue on Jeopardy!.
Immediately, I knew it had to be my next book and I couldn’t wait to get
started. It’s The Woman Beyond the Attic: The V.C. Andrews Story by
Andrew Neiderman.
If you don’t know who V.C. Andrews is, she is the author
of many standalone books and novel series. While it’s difficult to categorize
her work into a single genre, it could be described as a combination of gothic
horror, romance and family sagas. I read many of her books in my younger years.
My lasting impression of them is that the storylines are unique, but they are
extremely well written. If you read them, you’ll know what I mean. As I compose
this blog post, I realize that these books probably influenced the type of literature
I like reading today.
Before reading the biography, I didn’t know much about
Andrews. I have heard that her life was like one of her novels, and indeed, there
are some striking similarities between her life and the plots of her books. For
instance, having a controlling mother, restrictions and confinement, struggle
for independence, and unfavorable views of organized religion are all themes
that are in her books as well as parts of her own personal journey. However,
her stories largely came from her imagination.
Additionally, V.C. Andrews was a woman who lived with
multiple disabilities and chronic medical issues in the mid-1900s. Because of
this, she experienced a stoppage in education, and social isolation as an
adolescent and young adult. It was a much different time for someone with a
disability than it is today. Although the world has become more accessible and
overall accepting for those of us with disabilities than when Andrews was
living, we still have a long way to go.
In closing, this is a fascinating biography about a
noteworthy individual. Its reader gains knowledge and great insight into Andrews'
personal and professional lives as well as her writing techniques and
inspirations.
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