The Story of Lewis Carroll Told for Young People by the Real Alice in Wonderland

Through the eyes of a former pupil, this memoir offers an intimate portrait of the man behind the famous rabbit hole. Isa Bowman recalls afternoons spent in Lewis Carroll’s Oxford rooms, where mathematics lessons slipped into riddles and stories that made numbers feel like games. Her recollections capture his gentle humor, his habit of calling her “his little girl,” and the quiet moments that revealed a kind, if sometimes enigmatic, personality.

Interwoven with the text are period illustrations that show Carroll’s house, childhood performances, and the friends who inspired his tales. The narrative balances factual sketches of his early life—his upbringing in Cheshire, his scholarly work at Christ Church—with the warm, personal anecdotes that only a close confidante could tell. Though written after his death, the book remains a heartfelt tribute, inviting listeners to hear the voice of a beloved teacher and storyteller still echoing in memory.