Wifedom

Anna Funder uncovers the life of Eileen O’Shaughnessy, George Orwell’s first wife, and exposes how her contributions were systematically erased. She blends biography, archival reconstruction, and feminist critique to challenge how literary history is written. Funder writes with sharp intelligence and emotional urgency, giving Eileen the voice and agency she was denied. The book also interrogates the complicity built into patriarchal narratives, making it as much about the present as the past. It is bold, meticulously researched, and morally compelling. Funder transforms biography into a form of justice.