Mrs. Orwell

by Andrea Chalupa, Brahm Revel (Illustrator)

Eileen Blair, wife and partner of George Orwell, is brought out of her husband’s shadow in this riveting graphic novel, which follows the couples’ tireless campaign to expose difficult political truths through art.

The end of the world is at hand. The Roaring Twenties are over, fascist forces are on the rise across Europe, and the dream of a workers’ paradise is all but dead. But in the midst of these turbulent times, a turbulent love story unfolds—one that would forever reshape our perception of totalitarianism.

Mrs. Orwell follows poet Eileen Blair and her husband, George Orwell, as they forge the professional and romantic partnership that would eventually bring us Animal Farm and 1984. From a honeymoon fighting fascists in the Spanish Civil War, to a narrow escape from Stalin’s agents and an even narrower escape from the London blitz, the Blairs’ campaign against fascism would bring them face-to-face with some of the greatest threats of the 1930s. But while Orwell struggles to make his voice heard against the pressures of political censorship, Eileen must fight to preserve her own voice within a marriage that threatened to consume her.

This sweeping account of Eileen Blair’s brief but dazzling life casts new light on a long-overlooked figure, and her persistent defense of that most beloved, most vulnerable the power of the pen.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels Comics Manga, Nonfiction, History

224 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication March 31, 2026

Reviews

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating graphic novelization of the life of George Orwell's wife- an outspoken political activist, writer, editor, and often breadwinner while her husband worked on novels. She was brilliant and a badass, even with a husband who was often unfaithful and painful infertility issues. I always love a peek at unsung women who were a critical part of great art and this definitely offers that. I knew nothing about her and I'm glad that has changed! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

[Haylee Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Animal Farm IS one of my special interests, but I think this graphic novel just started a new George Orwell phase of my life. I want to know as much about Eric & Eileen Blair (the two people behind the pseudonym George Orwell) as Chalupa does.
This graphic novel is described by the author as historical fiction, but it was so informative! I knew nothing about Eileen Blair, and I am now completely stunned by her intelligence, strength, and passion. This is a story about how a strong, independent woman worked her way up and fell in love with a (kind of crappy) man. But together??? Jeez they were unstoppable. I highly recommend this to anyone with any sort of interest in George Orwell’s books, especially Animal Farm! The illustrations are gorgeous and the story is heartwarming & heartbreaking.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mrs. Orwell is a powerful graphic novel that finally shines a light on Eileen O’Shaughnessy, the brilliant, ambitious woman behind George Orwell. Long overshadowed, she played a vital role in shaping Animal Farm and 1984, even as her own talent was sidelined by the limits placed on women in the 1940s.

The book captures Eileen’s determination to make a difference—whether bracing against the rise of fascism or following Orwell to Spain, where she believed in his ability to move people through words, a mission she yearned to claim herself.

The storytelling is sharp and accessible, with art that supports the narrative without ever overwhelming it. I was gripped, especially since I came in knowing little about Eileen’s life. For those who want more, the acclaimed prose biography Wifedom offers a deeper dive.

Thx to NetGalley for the arc! Very enjoyable read.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

Having never even read a single biography about George Orwell or his wife (although I may in the near future), I knew basically nothing about them except the books he has written. Although I really enjoyed this book, it seemed like the reader was expected to have prior information. There were pages and pages with people that hadn't seen before with no words or introduction. I really think this would have been better in a limited series. There was just too much information to try fit in one graphic novel. Either that or have more paragraphs describing what is happening.

With all that said, I did enjoy it. It made want to go look up a biography and read more about her. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous.

Would definitely recommend this.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

The limits that are put on women, making it hard for them to find time to write, is why Virgiinia Wolf wrote “A Room of One’s Own”, in which she speaks about giving space to writing, but it is not just a room that one needs, but time, and space to write as well. If you are constantly working on the farm, or on other people’s writings, you are not writing your own.

This is the case with Eileen Blair, who studied at Oxford under Tolkien, who wanted to go on to do big things, but the time, just before the second world war, and also the time when women were expected to marry, put a damper on her doing her own writing.

When she meets George Orwell, she doesn’t give up her dreams completely, instead helping him with his two greatest novels, Animal Farm and 1984. She comes up with the titles, and contributes to the story's contents. From what we read, it was more a collaboration,than an inspiration, but since Orwell never credited her, for some reason, we can’t be sure how much of each.

For a couple whose idea was a honeymoon in Spain during the Spanish Civil War, I suppose we should expect a different sort of viewpoint. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the “other half” of George Orwell, and wish they had both lasted a little longer, because, what else might they have come up with.

Thanks to Netgalley and First Second Books for making this book available for an honest review. This book will be published on the 31st of March 2026.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mrs Orwell (2026), written by Andrea Chalupa and illustrated by Brahm Revel, is a title that is meant to be on the one hand painfully ironic and yet spot on with respect to Eric Blair--who adopted the pseudonym George Orwell--and Eileen O’Shaunessy, who disappointed friends and both families by agreeing to marry the needy sorta ne’er-do-well and become Eileen Blair. In some ways it is completely unsurprising that one of the first women to graduate from Oxford, who had studied with J.R. Tolkien, should have given up a possible career to make sure an insecure man such as Orwell would become one of the greatest writers and anti-fascist thinkers of the twentieth century.

Unsurprising, too, that very little public credit would go to Eileen, who gave her husband ideas, shaped with him his manuscripts and typed them for him. But she did love him, managed his affairs, and traveled with him to fight the fascists in Spain. And put up with his infidelities (though maybe she also had them, it’s less clear from this manuscript). As Chalupa makes clear, it was Eileen who transformed Eric into George Orwell. Orwell was, she says, like a band name, where Eric was the front man, the lead singer, but Eileen was song writer, drummer, manager, gofer, all of it. Orwell became a kind of patron saint of swashbuckling lefty men; this reminds me of the various social movements I knew about in the late fifties and sixties, The Beats, the Black Panthers, so many bIg Talking Man Splainers. Great men, a lot of them, of course, but depending on women at every step of the way. Truth matters, Orwell would say, the whole truth, so why leave Eileen off thre marquee when she deserved double-billing?

Patriarchy: Present then, present now. Think Hamnett, the story of the death of William Shakespeare’s son, largely told from the perspective of Anne Hathaway, his wife. Books such as Shakespeare’s Sister. A Room of One’s Own. Her choice, definitely. She was known as a strong-willed, brilliant woman! And in this work she did what she did for love, clearly. I haven’t read any Orwell biographies, but I knew of her before and this version seems true enough, and well told. This story draws on the evidence from various biographies and independently researched sources.

Homage to Catalonia she refers here as “our baby.” She--typing his ms. on a farm--is very much a part of the construction and development of Animal Farm, naming the animals Marx and so on. Was the icon of political decency and fairplay fair and decent enough to his wife? Seems like he was a very complicated person, often ill- tempered. His needs came first, and he seemed emotionally controlling.
Eileen died of heart failure during hysterectomy surgery. Animal Farm was published that same year, 1984 four years later, and soon after that Orwell himself died.

I liked reading of her, restoring some balance to their story. I liked the artwork quite a bit and wish it had been a bit more prominently credited. But I recommend it.

Thanks to the author, First Second Books and NetGalley for the early look at a March 2026 release.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Graphic Novel highlights a woman otherwise forgotten in time and eclipsed by her husband: Eileen Blair nee O'Shaughnessy. Despite 'knowing' about George Orwell and reading his books in High School I'd never once thought to see if he was married. That is the greatest of oversights as well as a sad reflection of the patriarchy we are forced to experience. Because of this I was excited to be given the opportunity to learn about her and her struggles. Extra bonus was it being in one of my favorite formats.

The artwork in this book is very good. I thoroughly enjoy this style. I’m not overly familiar with the artist, but there's nothing to complain about except for some character design that could have been expanded to abate confusion. Some of the scenes are so truly dynamic it felt like an entire experience. I was extremely impressed by all the crowd scenes in this book. I felt the press of people in all those illustrations.

Firstly, let’s get my expectations out of the way. Based on my experiences reading Graphic Novels focusing on women. I had some set expectations: a themed study of a woman who was sacrificing, mourning and accepting various unique (and not so unique) experiences in her life during a moment of global upheaval. I expected it to be heavy on emotions, I expected some scenes and moments that challenged my thoughts on Orwell based on her experiences.

This Graphic Novel did not give me any of that. I didn’t get any emotion about her giving up her Masters to help her husband. I didn’t feel any terror at her life in the middle of a civil war. I didn’t feel any real personal sorrow over her health concerns, or other female oriented troubles she would have encountered.

What I did get was a vignette heavy biographic overview of a woman who sacrificed her own ambition to fully throw herself behind her husband's work with absolute faith that his work was important. Despite the ups and downs in their married life and where it led them, the one thing she held on to was that Orwell’s work was worthy of her support and aid. There was no greater cheerleader and supporter in his life than her. And while her political sympathies and rebellious ways seemed to predate him in some way, she was more than willing to let his revolutionary thoughts guide their marriage. She was hardworking and kept them afloat while he worked on his art, even to the detriment of herself. Despite any pain or hurt he caused her, she still stood by him.

And in some ways that makes the book even more bittersweet.

It’s worth a read to discover this amazing and forgotten woman who backed the man that the literary world holds in such high regard.

Thanks to NetGalley and First Second Books for allowing me to read the ARC copy of this. This Graphic Novel releases March 31st, 2026.

[Anne Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

For decades, the name George Orwell has been synonymous with the chilling prophecies of totalitarianism, a legacy so vast it has utterly eclipsed the intellectual forces that shaped it. Andrea Chalupa’s graphic novel, Mrs. Orwell, serves as a necessary, sharp corrective, successfully pulling Eileen O’Shaughnessy—the first wife of Eric Blair—out of the footnotes and into the political and literary spotlight where she always belonged. This isn't a biography of a spouse; it's a vital excavation of an extraordinary mind.

Chalupa meticulously positions Eileen not as a long-suffering helpmate, but as a crucial collaborator and a brilliant force in her own right. We track her from her studies under J.R.R. Tolkien at Oxford to her profound political commitment, which included following her husband into the grim realities of the Spanish Civil War. The narrative makes a compelling case that classics like Animal Farm and 1984 owe their incisive edge and, in some instances, core ideas, as much to Eileen's rigorous editing and intellectual contributions as to George Orwell's pen. The book underscores the quiet tragedy of the era: a woman of Eileen’s caliber, fire, and political acuity was historically constrained, often forced to channel her own immense ambition into nurturing the genius of a man.

Brahm Revel’s artwork is the perfect vehicle to paint the visuals. His style is clear and accessible. Revel’s design choices — a mix of shadowed spaces and delicate portraiture — mirror Eileen’s own navigation between public activism and private longing.

It’s a thoughtful and absorbing read, and as the author astutely points out, I’ll now be looking closely for the women who often stand behind any self-styled alpha male.

[Maykala · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this graphic novel with no knowledge of Eileen Blair. Mrs. Orwell is a fantastic deep dive into who Blair was and the impact she had on her husband, George Orwell and his works. This nonfiction graphic novel starts before Eileen meets George, which allows Chalupa to show how smart and successful Eileen was before she was married. Eileen studied literature under Tolkien and then went into psychology, but over the course of the novel readers see just how many things Eileen had her hands in. From fighting fascists in Spain, to shaping many of the ideas and novels that make up Orwell’s works, I loved reading about this magnificent woman. The wonderful and bright illustrations of this story really bring Eileen and her story to life. Through marriage troubles and health issues that eventually kill Eileen far too young, this graphic novel perfectly encapsulates a woman who should be far more well known than she is.

If you are a fan of Orwell, or if you like reading about important women throughout history, this is a fantastic nonfiction graphic novel to pick up. This is a great introduction to Eileen Blair and will most likely make you want to read everything you can about her after!

*e-ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

[Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and First Second Books for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

If you haven’t noticed, my reading this past year has involved reading about under-recognized figures (usually women) as well as political biographies and graphic nonfiction books. The graphic novel format of Mrs. Orwell matches the storytelling I enjoyed in the upcoming graphic novel of Animal Farm.

Eileen Blair’s voice adds the women-centered perspective I am constantly searching for. She is, quite frankly, a hidden heroine. I really didn’t get a good feel for her in Wifedom, but here, she shines through. Her involvement and influence in the works of her husband, Eric (penname George Orwell,) are now coming to light. Rightfully, the focus has turned to her brilliant mind.

Eileen was a strong woman blessed with passion for the written word and a keen intelligence that had bad taste in men. Eric Blair was a philanderer who didn’t deserve her. She was crucial to his writings, fighting fascism with words.

The illustrations are beautiful and really pull you into the narrative. The writing is sharp, too, making for a gripping tale of a woman behind the man who, of course, was a better person than the heralded man.

[Sarah Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This historical graphic novel is a difficult one to rate and review. What I loved: feminism, anti-fascism, striking art, backstory on Eileen O’Shaughnessy (and Eric Blair, although I was more interested in Eileen), and a look into the writing process of some of the most topical classics. I did not know about much of Eileen’s and Eric’s lives that were cut too short, and their brilliance was matched by their flaws. (Of course, one’s flaws were greater than the other’s…) What I wished was clearer: the whole Spain section. I feel like that part, which is a large section of the book, was confusing if you do not have more background on everything already. By everything, I mean both the historical context AND the personal context of the lives of Eileen, Eric, and everyone else. Overall, I enjoyed this graphic novel and now would have to invite Eileen O’Shaughnessy Blair to sit next to Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald at a dream dinner party so I could get the full truth of their written collaborations with their respective husbands. I will definitely be going down a rabbit hole about the “Orwells” today. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Eileen, 1/2 of the pseudonym known as George Orwell. George Orwell gifted the world with novels such as Animal Farm and 1984. Books that we see repeating history as we live at now. But without his wife Eileen, these books may never have come about or been the classics they are today. Eileen was a writter herself, a free spirited woman who edited, who studied under Tolkien, who worked for War and Information Department. Without her our literature landscape may be different. This graphic novel, while a work fiction, is an idea of Eileen‘s life. Of her love story that has never seen the pages. This was brilliantly written and illustrated. It brought the 20s and 30s to life. A reader could feel the harshness of war and bombs and everything that goes inside. This is not a book with a happy ending, but a real one for a real person. And a great fictionalized look at a real person who really counted.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic novel does a great job of diving into the history of a woman who has ultimately been overshadowed by her husband in history. This novel introduces us to Ms. O'Shaughnessy, a budding literature student turned child psychologist, who helped support her husband's career and acted as an activist herself. The flow and illustrations of the novel make her story easy to follow but allow the reader to feel her emotions and her efforts in her life beside Mr. Blair. Her life was not perfect, and neither was her husband, but she stayed true to her values and the idea that you should do something if you see an injustice in the world, even if what you are able to do may seem small. I was given the chance to read this book through NetGalley and I hope it finds others who enjoy learning about this important yet overlooked part of history.

[Kai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful. An amazing work of historical fiction following the wife fo George Orwell.
Eileen is quite the character. She's a strong willed woman who does what she wants. She's incredibly political and very vocal about it. She studied under Tolkien at university and made her husband's work into the time transcending pieces they are today. She was strong. She was a fighter. She did what she felt was right. She was amazing, and she died in a way that almost feels too simple for how big of a woman she was.
Amazing. I'm so glad I got the chance to read this.
(I received a free copy for review)

[Adri Holt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eileen O’Shaughnessy was a feminist force to be reckoned with, which was unheard of in the early 20th century. She was extremely educated, learned from Tolkien himself, an editor, writer, and political activist. She lived such an amazing life. Truly, she was a woman of today living in the first half of the 20th century. Her life is definitely worth the read.

#ThxNetGalley #AndreaChalupa #MrsOrwell

[Ashleigh the Book Dragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard of Eileen Blair and I wish I had before this. To read this was so inspiring. She was a woman who people would say was an idealist maybe even too involved with politics, but she seemed amazing. Also to see a different perspective of a man, George Orwell, who we all thought was just a guy writing stories alone. The entire time having someone help him. It is such an interesting story to read.

Thanks NetGalley and First Second for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Julie Wakefield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through the eyes of Ellen, his wife, we see how George Orwell aka Eric Blair got his beginnings. Through his visits to Europe during WW2 and his outgoing significant other, he rose to be one of the most prolific writers of our time.

Highly recommend for those interested in his story - as one of his most famous novel 1984, reaches new heights in sales now in 2025.