Virginia Nicholson, a Bloomsbury descendent, writes about her forebears and others, delving into the lives of the bohemians of the early 20th century who, with little money but much talent, sought to distance themselves from middle-class respectability. Among her cast of characters are her grandmother Vanessa Bell, her great-aunt Virginia Woolf, and her father Quentin Bell, as well as Cyril Connolly, Dylan and Caitlin Thomas, and Ford Madox Ford, among others. She also resurrects many forgotten figures. NIcholson structures her narrative around a series of questions, among them, Why is poverty so romantic? Should children be kept clean and tidy? and What is the purpose of travel? At the end of the book, she provides list of dramatis personae, with a brief and helpful biography of each, as well as notes on her sources and a complete bibliography. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.