A Life of One’s Own, a new book by Joanna Biggs, which explores nine female writers – from Mary Wollstonecraft to Toni Morrison – who have had to “begin again”.
In the first chapter, Biggs tells us about her heartbreak after she and her husband separated and the way that she looked to writers to guide her in her new life.
She recalls tender childhood moments when her mother would direct her to books: “The Mill on the Floss when I was ill; Ballet Shoes when I demanded dance lessons; A Little Princess when I felt overlooked. ” With her mother now diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and “fading from my life”, Biggs goes on to ask: “How could I find the books I needed now?”I like to find solace in art – and the power of great art is its ability to speak to any of us at any time.
Like Biggs, we have all had to renew ourselves, whether after losing loved ones; recovering from illnesses; moving jobs, cities, countries; or sacrificing or shedding something else in order to start something new.
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