This biography is a page-turner but manages to stick to the facts about Rossetti's work and her relationships. Most importantly, instead of presenting her High Church Anglican faith as something incomprehensible and repellent, it places that faith within its historical context and makes it clear that this faith was the foundation of this great poet's life. This book does not ignore the dark side of Christina Rossett's life and work -- the repression, the self-sacrifice, the illness -- but by placing that darkness within a holistic picture of the poet, both the light and the dark side of this amazing woman emerge more clearly.