“The woman who emerges from these pages is as riveting as her books” (The Wall Street Journal) in this Edgar Award–nominated celebration of the famously private V.C. Andrews—featuring family photos, personal letters, a partial manuscript for an unpublished novel, and more.

Best known for her internationally, multi-million-copy bestselling novel Flowers in the Attic, Cleo Virginia Andrews lived a fascinating life. Born to modest means, she came of age in the American South during the Great Depression and faced a series of increasingly challenging health issues. Yet, once she rose to international literary fame, she prided herself on her intense privacy.

Now, The Woman Beyond the Attic aims to connect her personal life with the public novels for which she was famous. Based on Virginia’s own letters, and interviews with her dearest family members, her long-term ghostwriter Andrew Neiderman tells Virginia’s full story for the first time.

Perfect for anyone hoping to learn more about the enigmatic woman behind one of the most important novels of the 20th century, The Woman Beyond the Attic will have you “transfixed” (Publishers Weekly) from the first page.

About The Author

courtesy of the author

Andrew Neiderman

Andrew Neiderman is the author of numerous novels of suspense and terror, including Deficiency, The Baby Squad, Under Abduction, Dead Time, Curse, In Double Jeopardy, The Dark, Surrogate Child, and The Devil’s Advocate—which was made into a major motion picture starring Al Pacino, Keanu Reeves, and Charlize Theron. He lives in Palm Springs, California, with his wife, Diane. Visit his website at Neiderman.com.

Product Details

Publisher: Gallery Books (February 1, 2022)
Length: 288 pages
ISBN13: 9781982182656

Raves and Reviews

“Andrews’ fans will appreciate this insightful glimpse into her mysterious life.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Neiderman…uses letters and family interviews to set the record straight… Using flowery, dramatic language that is the hallmark of Andrews' novels, Neiderman presents a woman who never let her disability get her down… [T]he text of an unfinished novel…will be a thrill for Andrews' fans.”
—Booklist

“Combining a novelist’s eye for detail with personal knowledge gleaned from his years as V.C. Andrews’s ghostwriter, Neiderman (The Devil’s Advocate) unpacks the famed gothic writer’s notoriously private life…he scrupulously unravels…mysteries still swirling around the novelist’s life today… Fans will be transfixed.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Mr. Neiderman seems well-placed to assess Andrews’s motivations, having ghost-written scores of books in her name for over three decades… This material plugs many large holes in our understanding of this fiercely private writer…the woman who emerges from these pages is as riveting as her books.”
—The Wall Street Journal