Biography of Gothic Author V.C. Andrews Published Ahead of New Lifetime Series

The paperback edition arrives in time for the "Flowers in the Attic" writer's 100th birthday

The name V.C. Andrews is cemented in the minds of readers across generations. The author’s iconic novel, Flowers in the Attic, follows four siblings forcibly locked away in their grandparents’ mansion, and still proves to be divisive. The book has sold nearly 40 million copies worldwide since its 1979 release — and it’s faced complaints and outright banning for its depiction of incest, sexual assault and child abuse. Bookworms still remember that eerie cover, and the story’s secretive place in their own coming-of-age, to this day.

But for years, the novel’s author remained mysterious. It turns out she has a fascinating story of her own. The Woman Beyond the Attic, the biography of V.C. Andrews out June 13 in paperback, gives an insightful look into the life of an often misunderstood individual, just in time for her 100th birthday.

Biography author Andrew Neiderman has an encyclopedic knowledge of Andrews, and for good reason — he has been her ghostwriter for nearly four decades, ever since just before her 1986 death. Neiderman was a high school creative writing teacher-turned-thriller writer when his agent, who he shared with Andrews, approached him, asking if he could help complete the author’s final, unfinished novel. 

“I remember going into libraries and studying like a graduate student,” Neiderman tells PEOPLE of his research process. “Once I was able to achieve the V.C. Andrews voice, it didn't become easy, but it became doable.”

V.C. Andrews, originally named Cleo Virginia Andrews, was born in Portsmouth, Virginia in 1923. Her parents and siblings were abundantly caring, in stark contrast to the families she wrote about. After her father’s death in 1957, Andrews worked as an illustrator and commercial artist to help with the household income. Her love of moody fiction, like Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, as well as her childhood dream of becoming an author, later inspired her to write her debut novel, Flowers in the Attic, which she completed well into adulthood.

“I don't know too many writers, I can't even think of one, who have the perseverance to start trying to be a writer in youth and keep going to the point where [they get] published at 56,” Neiderman says. 

Andrews also persisted in her career while living with a disability. Following an accident as a teenager, Andrews suffered a debilitating back injury, which led to her using a wheelchair and crutches for most of her life. She was adamant about not letting this hinder her work.

“She got very angry when journalists portrayed her [as] more or less deformed,” Neiderman says. “She would deliberately mislead them. People didn't know what was true and what wasn't.”

It fell to Neiderman to excavate the truth, not only about Andrews’ health, but about who she was beyond her books. The ghostwriter grew close with the author’s family while working on the biography. Through them, readers are able to see Andrews as she was to those who loved her most: a gracious sister, an attentive aunt and a dedicated daughter.

Andrews’ relationship with her mother, Lillian, has specifically been a longtime source of speculation, especially since Andrews stated that aspects of Flowers were inspired by real life (Andrews drew inspiration from a story told to her by a doctor). Though Lillian never read the novel, she remained a strong supporter of her daughter, according to Neiderman.

Andrews only wrote seven books before her death, but Neiderman is actively continuing her legacy. Currently in the works are new novels within The Sutherland Series, as well as more books in the Flowers canon. V.C. Andrews' Dawn, based on the Dawn Cutler book series, is headed to Lifetime on July 8— the cast list includes Brec Bassinger, Joey McIntyre and Fran Drescher. The four-episode limited series is another addition to a long list of V.C. Andrews novels adapted for the screen, including the 2014 Lifetime movie version of Flowers in the Attic, which our critic called “crazy good.”

Related: Joey McIntyre, Donna Mills and Fran Drescher to Star in Lifetime's Latest V.C. Andrews Tale: 'Dawn'

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As for the author herself, Neiderman hopes that readers will not only gain a better understanding of who V.C. Andrews was, but also who Virginia, the girl who dared to publish her own dark tales, was too.

“There is a great deal for them to learn,” Neiderman says. “It is a fascinating story.”

The Woman Beyond the Attic is now available from Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

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