New York Times – 100 Notable Books of 2023
Wifedom by Anna Funder
‘Even George Orwell, whose dealings with women were often problematic, admitted that he behaved badly toward his first wife, Eileen O’Shaughnessy. This book focuses on O’Shaughnessy, and combines her story with a bravura analysis of female invisibility.’

The Telegraph – The 50 best books of 2023
‘This study of George Orwell’s first wife, Eileen – whom his books never names – is fresh, original and immersive, thanks to the award-winning author of Stasiland.’

The Daily Telegraph – 50 best books of 2023

The Telegraph – The best biographies of 2023
Wifedom: Mrs Orwell’s Invisible​ Life (Viking, £20) is about doublethink rather than double lives. Applying Orwell’s own theory to his treatment of women, Anna Funder reveals his contradictory beliefs about power and equality. . .
Eileen, never mentioned by name in Orwell’s books, typed and edited his manuscripts – often working in near darkness so that he could use their only lamp – humanised his writing, influenced his style, sorted out the septic tank, financially supported him when he was out of work, and put up with his infidelities. He described her when she died, aged 39, as ‘not a bad old stick’. How, asks Funder, could the spokesman for the underdog, a man famous for his kindness, treat Eileen so indifferently? And why are his contradictions never discussed by Orwell’s male biographers, who – according to Funder – similarly erase Eileen’s existence while excusing her husband’s serial sexual harassments?
. . . Funder. . .  fills the barrel of her rifle, takes aim, and shoots the elephant in the room.’

The Economist – The Best Books of 2023
‘In this thought-provoking inquiry into the life of Eileen O’Shaughnessy, George Orwell’s long-suffering wife, the author’s aim is not to “cancel” Orwell, a thinker she deeply admires. Instead, by imaginatively resurrecting Eileen, she explores patriarchy and asks why women still vanish into subordinate roles.’

Financial Times – Best Books of 2023 – Literary non-fiction
‘Funder . . . takes six letters written by Eileen O’Shaughnessy, George Orwell’s first wife, as the imaginative springboard for a deep dive into their relationship and her impact on his writing and legacy. A haunting, tragic and revealing book.’

The Times – 16 Best Literary and poetry books of 2023
‘Funder blends biography with imagination and elements of her own life. While Orwell was doing very little in the Spanish Civil War, Eileen, a remarkably resilient woman, was in Barcelona running an English-language newspaper. She turned a blind eye to his adultery, gave him her food rations and even cleaned the outdoor latrine. Funder also credits her with the idea for Animal Farm, all before her untimely death during a botched hysterectomy. A moving biography with the pacing of a novel.’ 2023