Alice I Have Been

First, I have to confess, I never loved Alice in Wonderland the way some people do. I just never got into it. And this novel by Melanie Benjamin did not make me want to read Alice in Wonderland. But it's a great novel about the woman who supposedly was the inspiration for Alice.

Benjamin does a nice job taking the bones of history and fact, and creating a story and characters that are compelling and multidimensional. And there's the mystery: what REALLY happened between young Alice and Charles Dodgson that ended his relationship with the family? And why did a 30-year-old man enjoy spending time with a 10-year-old girl? And what was it with those photographs he took?

Despite the mystery -- and it does inform most of the story -- I really liked Alice the person. In Benjamin's hands she comes across as funny, smart, and irreverent, and someone I would enjoy having a cup of tea with. Definitely a worthwhile read.

Alice I Have Been: A Novel