Virginia Woolf by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara

This gentle and sensitive summary of the turbulent life of Modernist writer Virginia Woolf is part of the Little People, BIG DREAMS series. As a child, young Virginia – “a girl who loved words” – was surrounded by books, enjoyed the company of visiting artists and poets, had happy summer holidays in Cornwall, and wrote stories about her family every week. But then “upsetting things” happened and her lifelong mental health challenges began.

Virginia was so sad that sometimes she couldn’t even do the things she used to enjoy.

After a move to Bloomsbury, Woolf’s mood improved, and she enjoyed the stimulating company of other creatives. Marriage followed, although her mental health deteriorated and she had “scary thoughts” and “dark times”. With support and encouragement from her partner, she resumed writing. Her stories offered a unique perspective and covered interesting topics.

Inspired by the love she had for her friend Vita, Virginia wrote Orlando, the beautiful story of a boy who grew up to become a woman.

Woolf was an early feminist who encouraged young women “to chase their wildest dreams”. However, when war broke out, she again grew very sad and stopped writing, her own dreams crushed. Woolf’s story ends here, as the book does not mention her subsequent death by suicide. The author concludes by emphasising the value of sharing thoughts, feelings and worries with others, as Woolf did through her writing.

At the end of the book is a brief summary of Woolf’s life, with several photos. The summary mentions some of her most well-known and influential books.

Woolf did not have an easy life. The book explains this well, using age-appropriate terms to describe the decline in her mental health and well-being. Simple yet attractive illustrations capture the highs and lows of Woolf’s life. The seaside images (complete with lighthouse) are bright and cheerful, while the images depicting more sombre topics (such as the death of family members, and times when Woolf was dealing with mental health issues) are darker in colour and tone.

The illustrations are worth a second look for the subtle details they include. For example, children of various races are shown listening to a young Woolf – two wear glasses and one wears a hearing aid, one strokes a pet rabbit. Woolf’s sister, the artist Vanessa Bell, appears in several images seated at an easel. There are light-hearted touches too, such as the visitor stretched out on the floor, socks on display and boots off, paying close attention to Woolf’s performance.

The book is a good introduction to Woolf for younger readers, as well as emphasising the importance of books and the value of writing (and art) as forms of self-expression. It also provides an opportunity to talk about mental health, and encourages young people to share what’s going on for them.

…when we open up about what’s on our minds, we realize we’re not alone.

Reviewer: Anne Kerslake Hendricks

Allen & Unwin