Episode 5

Elizabeth von Arnim's semi-autobiographical first novel, written as a series of diary entries, was published anonymously in 1898.

The central character, Elizabeth, is a wild spirit whose minor eccentricities bemuse the servants and shock the high-born neighbours of her husband's family estate in northern Germany. Rather than hating its remoteness and dilapidation, Elizabeth sees her sojourn there as an opportunity to create a beautiful garden in which she can spend time thinking about the world, playing with her beloved daughters and tolerating the occasional visitor.

Reader: Caroline Martin
Writer: Elizabeth von Arnim
Abridger: Sara Davies
Producer: Kirsteen Cameron