Now famed for her extraordinary volumes of erotica, Anais Nin originally made her reputation with a collection of lyrical novels known as the Cities of the Interior series. Published in the aftermath of the Second World War, they were concieved by Nin as part of a 'roman fleuve', or continuous experience. LADDERS TO FIRE in 1946 was the first. This poetic, sensual novel focuses on the lives of a group of women as they undergo a period of emotional and sexual development. They record their experiences as they struggle to understand both themselves and each other. As with most of Nin's novels, LADDERS TO FIRE draws its inspiration from her confessional diaries begun in 1914 at the age of eleven. It dates from the period when Anais Nin moved to New York, a time also explored in the film Henry and June.
