Washington: Indian-origin author Priya Parmar's historical novel "Vanessa and Her Sister," has been included in the New York Times' 100 Notable Books of 2015.
Described as "A novel of Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell, constructed around an invented diary and letters," the publication called it a "multi-layered, subtly shaded novel".
Parmar's portrait brings noted modernist English writer Woolf's sister "Vanessa out of the shadows, into fully realised, shining visibility", the report said.
"The world remembers Virginia better than her enigmatic older sister: Parmar restores the symmetry of their relationship in the familial landscape, showing how essential Vanessa's steadying force was to Virginia's precarious balance," it notes.
"The facts of Vanessa's complicated life have long been available, even if her private thoughts are harder to surmise, since, unlike Virginia, she didn't keep a diary," the media reported.
"After immersing herself in the thousands of letters exchanged by Vanessa's social circle, Parmar proceeded to invent a diary for Vanessa, along with a series of letters, postcards and telegrams that bring dimension and vitality to her headstrong entourage," it said.
Parmar's narrative spans nearly eight years in the early adult lives of the sisters, from 1905 to 1912 beginning with a February 23, 1905, diary entry by Vanessa.
"And Parmar's decision to interleave the invented diary with invented correspondence heightens the authentic feel of the portrait," it said.
Author of one previous novel, "Exit the Actress," Parmar divides her time between Hawaii and London.
(With agenyc inputs)