Inspired by the fascinating yet troubling friendship between Lewis Carroll and his muse Alice Liddell. A diary discovered by a Victorian wife forces her to remember and confront the impact of an unusual friendship she had with an Oxford Don. This is a cleverly written novel, told through the voices and experiences of the four main characters, increasing the tension page by page.
When the writer, Oxford scholar and photographer John Jameson visits the home of his vicar friend, he is entranced by Daisy, his youngest daughter. Jameson charms her with his wit and child-like imagination, teasing her with riddles and inventing humorous stories as they enjoy afternoons alone by the river and in his rooms.The shocking impact of this unusual friendship is only brought to light when, years later, Daisy, unsettled in her marriage, rediscovers her childhood diaries hidden in an old toy chest. Inspired by the tender and troubling friendship between Lewis Carroll and Alice Liddell, After Such Kindness demonstrates Gaynor Arnold's extraordinary 'capacity to imagine the truth behind the facts'. With the same assured feel for the Victorian period displayed in her prize-listed debut, Arnold brings to scintillating life an idiosyncratic genius and his timeless muse.
Gaynor Arnold was born and brought up in Cardiff and studied English at St Hilda’s College, Oxford before becoming a social worker. She worked in Child Care for many years, most recently for Birmingham’s Adoption and Fostering Service. Her first published novel, Girl in a Blue Dress (a fictionalised account of the marriage of Charles Dickens), was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize 2008 and the Orange Prize 2009. Her second book, Lying Together, a collection of short stories, was published in 2011. She is married, with two grown up children.
