My H Author

The Tale of Mrs.William Heelis: Beatrix Potter by John E. Heelis

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


"Much has been written about Beatrix Potter but one area of her life which has been neglected is her relationship with Willie Heelis, to whom she was happily married for thirty years. Here, their great-nephew casts a welcome look at this relationship, and tackles controversial issues, such as whether Beatrix ever did like children. Included are first hand reminicences of family and friends, and extracts from previously unpublished letters. Line drawings and photographs enhance the picture of Beatrix Potter's life which this engaging book provides."
~~back cover

I was so disappointed with this book! I was all set to dive right into her life, vicariously living in Cumbria and soaking up the country atmosphere. But that was not to be!

The book is a hodge podge, and confusing with it. Letters and comments attributed to people who were related to her or him, or else neighbors or villagers. The author apparently thought we all had the family tree, complete with branches, in our heads as there were seldom, if ever, any placing references given. Her aunt? His sister? I should have drawn it all out before I plunged in, but who would have thought?

Family pictures in the middle of the book generally followed the same philosophy: "Judith Heelis with her prize-winning Herdwick at the Great Yorkshire Show, 1993." (Wikipedia: "The Herdwick is a breed of domestic sheep native to the Lake District of Cumbria in North West England. The name "Herdwick" is derived from the Old Norse herdvyck, meaning sheep pasture. And Beatrix herself was a prize-winning Herdwick breeder.") Lovely photo, nice looking young lady. But as Ms. Potter died in 1943, the rationale for including this photo in the book escapes me, as does the photo of "Two of the author's grandchildren, Sarah and Rebecca." (I am assuming they are the grandchildren of the great-nephew, as Beatrix herself was childless.)

I came away from the book quite confused, and feeling more distant from Beatrix than when I began. If you're a fan of her and her work, I'd stick to the 2006 movie "Miss Potter, a biopic of Potter’s life focusing on her early career and romance with her editor Norman Warne." It's delightful, and there's absolutely no necessity whatsoever to know anything about any of her family, or the Heelis family. What a relief!