The Real Beatirx Potter

This was an extremely interesting look into the life of Beatrix Potter. I’ve always loved the books and have recently bought the entire collection- just as a reminder of childhood. The film sparked my fascination with the life of the author and I found this book delved deep into her life. As with many children at the same time – she led a very sheltered life. But Beatrix was a very curious child who wanted to know more about the world she lived in and felt oppressed by a woman’s place in this world.
She was very ahead of her time and longed to lead a more independent life- but as an unmarried girl was very much controlled by her parents well into adulthood. She kept an assortment of wild animals in her room that she studied carefully and were the inspiration for her early work. She wrote stories for friends childrens and eventually tried to get them published.
You read about the difficulties of a woman trying to break into the publishing world against her parents wishes.
She really was a woman ahead of her time. She had plenty of heartache- but also found great happiness in a more simple life when she broke away from her parents.
She was part of the great success that is the National Trust and showed a great understanding of the need to preserve places of great beauty- even though she initially bought her home in the Lake District as a holiday home.
I learnt a lot about her life and respect for her drive and the way that she forged a life for herself by working very hard.
I must buy a paper copy of this book for my collection.