Beatrix Potter is one of the world's bestselling, most cherished authors, whose books have enchanted generations of children for over 100 years. Yet how she achieved this is just one of several stories of Beatrix Potter's remarkable and unexpected life. Inspired by the 23 'tales', Matthew Dennison takes six quotations from Potter's stories and uses them to explore her multi-faceted life and character: repressed Victorian daughter; thwarted lover; artistic genius; formidable countrywoman. They chart her transformation from a young girl with a love of animals and fairy tales into a bestselling author and canny businesswoman, so deeply unusual for the straightened Victorian era in which she lived. Embellished with photographs of Potter's life and her own illustrations, this is a book that will delight anyone who has been touched by Beatrix Potter's work.