Tennyson's Gift is the author's fourth
novel, although she is most famous for her work on punctuation, Eats, Shoots & Leaves. Her sense of comedy, her wit and her smart, unfussy turn of phrase have made this novel, too extreamly funny.
In the summer of 1864, the Isle of Wight is croweded with 19th century
geniuses from Tennyson and Lewis Carroll to Ellen Terry and G.F. Watts. Geniuses are difficult to
live with - and live down. Tennyson's wife panics at the sight of an unkind parody of In Memorium in Punch: "Emily was so surprised by its appearance that she tore out the page at the breakfast table, panicked what to do next , then stuffed it into her mouth, chewed it, andswallowed it." Alice's wonderlandis obviously close by.