Book Review of Two Way Mirror by Fiona Sampson a Biography of Elizabeth Barrett Browning

This is a stunning biography. One look at the index at the back and the 45 pages of notes and references tells of a stunning well-researched book. The details and colour of Elizabeth's life and political stirrings of the day are stunning. The description of EBB's relationship with Robert Browning, elopement and run to Italy is stunning. Even her continous use of morphine for 20 years is both stunning and troubling. The barbarism of slavery and the family dependance on the slave trade is sickening and stunning. The insights into EBB's life, her insights, her faith, her care for Wilson her maid, her devotion to her dog, the descriptions of Italy, Paris and London, the treatment of women in the day, the love story with Robert and of course her poetry make for a stunning read.