An interesting collection of the correspondence between Sackville-West and Woolf. The letters are rarely covered in full - more often than not there are only a paragraph or two which actually makes the book a swift read. Leaska's introduction covers their friendship well, filling in the gaps their discretion made them only allude to. Vita emerges well from the book, a fully-rounded character which she rarely does in the many Woolf biographies. The abrupt ending once again brings home the tragic lose to the world of Virginia's suicide. ( )

A pleasant discovery, having read everything by Virginia Woolf, to get more insight into her relationship with Vits Sackville-West. This volume presents the development of the deepest kind of friendship, while showing us a nicely contrasted portrait of two very different kinds of women in the early twentieth century. Bothof these women seem to engender admiration from so many people, and yet it is clear that their own bond was something special. Vita takes great care in these letters to support Virginia emotionally, not only out of caring for her, but through a recognition that the work she was creating was truly important to literature. ( )