William Wordsworth''s creative collaboration with his ''beloved Sister'' spanned nearly fifty years, from their first reunion in 1787 until her premature decline in 1835. Rumours of incest have surrounded the siblings since the 19th century, but Lucy Newlyn sees their cohabitation as an expression of deep emotional need, arising from circumstances peculiar to their family history. Born in Cockermouth and parted when Dorothy was six by the death of their mother, thesiblings grew up separately and were only reunited four years after their father had died, leaving them destitute. How did their orphaned consciousness shape their understanding of each other? What part did traumatic memories of separation play in their longing for a home? How fully did theirre-settlement in the Lake District recompense them for the loss of a shared childhood?Newlyn shows how William and Dorothy''s writings - closely intertwined with their regional affiliations - were part of the lifelong work of jointly re-b
