A portrait of the artist as a troubled young woman this is an autobiographical classic from an Australian literary treasure. Amy Witting is comparable to Jean Rhys but she has more starch or vinegar. The effect is bracing. --The New Yorker A best-selling portrait of the artist as a troubled young woman. Isobel s imaginary friends include the Virgin Mary and Sherlock Holmes Lord Byron W.H. Auden and T.S. Eliot. She s less at ease with the flesh-and-blood people she meets and least of all with herself. But a lucky encounter and a little detective work reveal her true destiny. An autobiographical classic from one of Australia s literary treasures. Amy Witting (1918-2001) wrote novels stories and verse which often appeared in the New Yorker.