About the Book:
Melanie Benjamin was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. An avid reader all her life—as a child, she was the proud winner, several years running, of the summer reading program at her local library—she still firmly believes that a lifetime of reading is the best education a writer can have.
While attending the Indiana University—Purdue University at Indianapolis, Melanie performed in many community theater productions before meeting her husband, moving to the Chicago area and raising two sons. Writing was always beckoning, however, and soon she began writing for local magazines and newspapers before venturing into her first love, fiction.
By incorporating her passion for history and biography, she has found her niche writing historical fiction, concentrating on the "stories behind the stories." ALICE I HAVE BEEN is her first historical novel; she is currently at work on her second, also to be published by Delacorte Press.
She and her family still live in the Chicago area; when she's not writing, she's gardening, taking long walks, rooting for the Cubs—
And reading, of course.
My Review:
This book certainly caught my attention from the start. I have always wondered about the "back history" to famous stories. I remember reading about Alice and watching the cartoon based on the book. I thought it was a wonderful story, but always wondered if there was a real Alice somewhere.
I found it quite interesting to read about Alice Liddell and her life. I felt the blending of fiction and reality were blurred so well. I had never known that Lewis Carroll's (or Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) life was so controversial. I definitely recommend this book to any fan of Alice!
I gave this book a 4.5/5 stars because it was interesting and thought-provoking but there were a few laggy bits. It doesn't over emphasizes or tries to cast any shadows over Carroll's relationships with young girls. It just simply is what it is, and that is a great novel!
