Coveney enticingly lists and quotes from her most remarkable roles, and forbears to intrude on Smith's determinedly private life. Hers is a fascinating story, a true swan hatched from the unlikely nest of a dour Methodist accountant mother and a lab technician father who moved to Oxford during the war.
Christina Hardyment
THE TIMES
Steeped in theatre ... Read morehistory, and with full cooperation from Smith; her husband, actor Beverley Cross; family and colleagues, including her close friend Judi Dench, Coveney seamlessly melds Smith's personal and professional lives into an engrossing narrative ... An authoritative and perceptive portrait.
KIRKUS REVIEWS
Michael Coveney isn't afraid to elucidate on her reputation for being difficult, but there's much more here, from a revelatory Hedda Gabler to The Lady In The Van. Coveney is the only writer who could get under Smith's skin, capturing her steeliness and vulnerability.
Christopher Fowler
INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY, Cinema Books of the Year
Wonderful insight into the life of a wonderful actress - READERS' CHOICE FOR BEST MEMOIR OF THE YEAR
WOMAN & HOME
[A] revealing biography of the sublime life and loves of Maggie Smith
Gerald Isaaman
CAMDEN NEW JOURNAL
BOOK OF THE WEEK
DAILY MAIL
Inspiring stuff - BOOK OF THE WEEK
NEW magazine
Coveney has written a magnificent book that beautifully illuminates the talent and the irreducible personality of a great artist
Peter Craven
THE AUSTRALIAN
The conundrum of what Smith does haunts Coveney's Maggie Smith: A Biography, on a brilliant journey from Shakespeare's Viola to J.K. Rowling's Professor McGonagall. Coveney's admiration is never in doubt, being of a rare critical type that cares for the actor's craft with infectious enthusiasm
Michael Joseph Chance
TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT
Michael Coveney's affectionate [biography] provides the best account we are likely to get of this reserved grand dame, who surely stands alone in having her 'witty' elbows and wrists so often singled out for praise
EVENING STANDARD, Books of the Year
[A] solid and admiring portrait of a beloved actor's craft and career
Patricia Nicol
INDEPENDENT
A satisfying read ... [P]leasantly gossipy and a very valuable addition to the history of British theatre
Mary McEvoy
IRISH INDEPENDENT
Dame Maggie Smith - now 81 - is a national treasure, her unforgettable asperity a delight in every role ... [Coveney's] knowledgeable, elegant biography examines the qualities of the woman in the spotlight ... But he also gently probes Smith's closely guarded privacy, with revealing anecdotes from friends, fellow thespians and Smith's sons, the actors Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens
Jane Shilling
DAILY MAIL
From early days in the theatre to Miss Jean Brodie and Downton's formidable Dowager, Maggie Smith has endeared herself to millions. This engaging and fascinating biography reveals the life and career of one of our finest actresses
WOMAN & HOME
Show Less