This is the first biography of L. P. Hartley, author of The Go-Between, The Shrimp and the Anemone, Eustace and Hilda, The Hireling, and many other well-known novels. Adrian Wright had exclusive access to Hartley's private papers, many of which were subsequently destroyed. Much that was thought undiscoverable has been revealed: Hartley's childhood; his relationship with his mother; his experiences in the Great War; his various lives in Venice, Bath, and London; and his struggle to come to terms with his homosexuality.