Handheld

The antithesis of so-called “misery lit,” this charming recollection captures the origins of a novelist who engaged her disability on her own terms and translated her experiences into captivating narratives that continue to inspire countless young readers to this day.

Giddy with arch intensifiers and felicitous malapropisms, Topsy’s ebullient drollery is ferociously amusing; no self-respecting fan of Wodehouse or Waugh should be allowed to remain benighted, beyond the intoxicating glow of her company.

Both subtle and sudden, this solid collection artfully combines vivid atmosphere, supernatural horror, and psychological terror across a diverting variety of conceits.