Thomas Hardy

Whitbread Award winner Claire Tomalin's seminal biography of the enigmatic novelist and poet Thomas Hardy.

The Washington Post - Jonathan Yardley

Though there are objective ways to measure literary accomplishment, they fall far short of the scientific and ultimately are subjective. What matters most about Tomalin's biography is the care with which she traces all of Hardy's writing to its roots in his own life. Her study reminds us that though a knowledge of a writer's life is unnecessary to an appreciation of his or her work, that knowledge can help us understand that work and its sources.

Mary Shelley (1797-1851), best known as the author of "Frankenstein," was the daughter of Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft and wife of Percy Bysse Shelley.
Claire Tomalin is the author of a number of prizewinning biographies, most recently of "Jane Austen: A Life,"

Josephine Bailey was born in England and trained in performing arts at the Corona Academy in London. As a child, Josephine appeared in many feature films before going on to become a professional dancer. Returning to her love of acting has led to her recent performances for Hanna Barbera, Walt Disney and Nickleodeon.