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This is a short read, but a most refreshing one. It has been re-issued due to the success of Sigrid Nunez's National Book Award winning The Friend. Mitz shares several traits with that wonderful novel - it's another story about a bequeathed pet, and it also gives us an intriguing glimpse into the life of a writer.

The writers in question are Virginia and Leonard Woolf. On a visit to the Rothschilds, they encounter their pet marmoset, recently rescued by Victor from a junk shop. Mitz is is bad shape, her coat worn and patchy, but she immediately takes to Leonard. The Woolfs agree to babysit Mitz while their friends are on holiday and she quickly becomes a member of the family, an arrangement which is eventually made permanent. Mitz thrives under Leonard's care, spending most of the day nestled in his waistcoat. She can be fiercely jealous of Virginia, leaping onto Leonard's shoulder whenever he dares to show his wife affection. As the years pass, Mitz even mixes in literary circles, meeting the likes of Maynard Keynes and T.S. Eliot, to varying degrees of success. The dark shadow of World War II lies on the horizon, but Mitz never fails to inject a spark into her owners' days, even though Leonard is warned that the lifespan of a captive marmoset is short.

In less than 150 pages, Nunez gives us a valuable insight into the domestic lives of the Woolfs. Sourced from diaries, letters and memoirs, it feels utterly authentic - we learn so much about their marriage, about Virginia's health issues, her insecurities surrounding her writing, and Leonard's occasional flashes of temper. It paints a fascinating portrait of the Bloomsbury Set, describing the encouragement and inspiration they gave one another. Most of all, it tells us what kind of people the Woolfs were, through their devotion to their pets. A charming, delightful read.

Many thanks to Soft Skull Press for sending me a copy in exchange for a review.