Ethel Wilson has delighted readers with her art, her humour, and her extraordinarily perceptive eye. She turned out six novels and a book of short stories - all highly acclaimed by famous critics and writers and all written after she reached the age of 49.

Mary McAlpine, a close friend of Wilson, has produced a biography that is very personal, humourous, and highly readable. There are many interviews with people who knew her, and excerpts from letters and the author’s own conversations with Wilson. The result is a biography that brings to life a fascinating person and re-creates the intriguing and vanished world of Vancouver high society in the first half of this century.