Undersong

When young James Dixon, a local jack-of-all-trades recently returned from the Battle of Waterloo, meets Dorothy Wordsworth, he's never met another woman like her. In her early thirties, Dorothy has lived an unconventional life. As her famous brother William's confidante and creative collaborator-considered by some in their circle to be the secret to his success as a poet-she has carved a seemingly idyllic life for herself, alongside William and his wife, in England's Lake District.

Dixon is approached by William to do some handiwork around the estate, but he quickly understands that his real responsibility is to keep an eye on Dorothy, who is growing frail and melancholic. The pair form a strong bond, and soon Dixon is witness to the everyday life of this extraordinary family and their unusual circle (which includes Samuel Coleridge, Thomas de Quincy, William Blake, and Charles and Mary Lamb).

Through the fictional voice of James Dixon and the transcendent imagination of Kathleen Winter, we step inside the Wordsworth family, witnessing its scintillating emotional and artistic struggles, hidden traumas, private betrayals and triumphs. But, Winter also weaves a darker, complex "undersong" through the novel, gradually bringing into the light Dorothy's rich and hidden life, and revealing the surprising meaning and effect of her tragically unacknowledged brilliance.