Beatrix Potter (1866–1943) is one of the world’s bestselling, most cherished authors of children’s literature whose books have enchanted generations for over a hundred years. Yet how she achieved this legendary status is just one of several stories of her remarkable and surprising life.

Inspired by her twenty-three “tales,” Matthew Dennison takes a selection of quotations from Potter’s stories and uses them to explore her multifaceted life and character: repressed Victorian daughter; thwarted lover; artistic genius; formidable countrywoman. They chart her transformation from a young girl with a love of animals and fairy tales into a bestselling author and canny businesswoman, so deeply unusual for the Victorian era in which she grew up.

This biography will delight anyone who has been touched by Beatrix Potter’s work and especially for fans of her children’s literature who want to know the real-life animals behind Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, Jemima Puddle-Duck, and of course, Peter Rabbit.