Invisible Woman: The Story of Nelly Ternan and Charles Dickens The

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Winner of the NCR Book Award, the Hawthornden Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize

'This is the story of someone who - almost - wasn't there; who vanished into thin air. Her names, dates, family and experiences very nearly disappeared from the record for good . . . '

Claire Tomalin's multi-award-winning story of the life of Nelly Ternan and Charles Dickens is a remarkable work of biography and historical revisionism that returns the neglected actress to her rightful place in history as well as providing a compelling and truthful portrait of the great Victorian novelist.

'Will come to be seen as one of the crucial women's biographies because of its vivid dramatization of the process by which women have been written out of history and have been forced to deny their own experiences.' Sean French, New Statesman

'The most original biography I read this year. Starting out with scarcely the bare bones of a story, Tomalin convinces by the end that she has got as near to the truth as anyone will.' Anthony Howard, Sunday Times

'Tomalin tells with great alacrity and with much sympathy and understanding the story that Dickens would never have cared, or indeed dared, to write.' John Mortimer, Spectator

'A biography of high scholarship and compelling detective work.' Melvyn Bragg, Independent