Why Eileen Matters (I)

Three Orwell Relatives Speak Out About the Importance of Eileen

The First is Catherine Moncure

First and foremost I think that Eileen mattered just because she was the wife of a prolific writer who became the most highly regarded author of the 20th century.

She enabled him to become that writer because she understood him, how he worked, and what he needed in order to achieve that greatness.

She enhanced his writings by reviewing his manuscripts and encouraging (or influencing) him to add a more human touch to the characters.

I want to say she brought “a softness” to his works.

Catherine Moncure is the daughter Eileen’s sister-in-law, Gwen O’Shaughnessy, adopted in 1943.

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Eileen: The Making of Orwell, by Sylvia Topp, is a work to be published by crowd-funding. It is close to its total (in mid-April). You can become a sponsor here.