Drawing on the published letters and diaries of Wordsworth and his sister, Dorothy, and of their contempories Coleridge and Southey, this full-length biography of the poet's life and times also draws on the author's own knowledge of the Lake District, which formed so strong a part in Wordsworth's life as to be almost another character. Hunter Davies discusses Wordsworth's much-debated relationship with his sister, Dorothy; tells the story of his affair with Annette Vallon, the French girl who was the mother of his child; and describes in detail William's life with his wife, Mary, concluding, perhaps controversially, that he fill in love with her only after ten years of marriage. The book portrays family life at Grasmere and Rydal, Wordsworth's political activities, the formative meeting with Coleridge in the West Country, and his other travels.