The Glowing Hours

by Leila Siddiqui

“Strange how one can find they are an interruption in another person’s story . . .”

A mind-bending, revisionist gothic horror story about the fabled summer Mary Shelley began work on Frankenstein, as told by her Indian housemaid. For fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Isabel Cañas, and Kathe Koja.

Summer, 1816: London is a hostile place for the newly disembarked Mehrunissa Begum, who’s come to deliver her brother’s letter of inheritance before returning to her comfortable life in Lucknow, India. Only, she can’t find her brother anywhere and has no money for the return trip. With nowhere else to go, Mehr finds refuge in a boardinghouse for Indian housemaids. If she can’t find her brother, she reasons, she will get a job and start saving.

Mehr is soon hired at the English estate of Mary and Percy Shelley, young artists of burgeoning fame who are on the run from secrets of their own. Mary is brooding and quiet, but takes a curious liking to her new housemaid, asking her to accompany the Shelleys and her half sister, Claire—as well as the eccentric Lord Byron and his physician, John Polidori—to Lake Geneva for the summer.

Almost immediately, Mehr notices strange, ghostly events at the villa. The walls have their own heartbeat, eerie portraits shift gaze, phantoms appear like houseguests who refuse to leave. The weather is fierce and foreboding, showing no signs of softening its relentless pall. And as Mary Shelley begins work on what will become her earth-shattering literary phenomenon, Mehr finds herself trapped in the villa as the rest of its inhabitants descend into madness.

Genres: Horror, Historical Fiction, Gothic, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical, Historical Fantasy

336 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication February 3, 2026

About the author

Leila Siddiqui is a Chicago-born Texan who calls New York home. She currently works in publishing in the marketing department. She is a horror film devotee and when not writing, spends her time fawning over her very floofy cats. She lives with her partner in Queens.

Reviews

[Becky Spratford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading for review in the January 2026 issue of Library Journal.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Gothic, retelling, menacing

Gothic's are usually atmospheric, but this book is menacing. I needed to ass that word above.

This is a retelling of the summer of 1816 set at the time and place of where 19 yo Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein. History knows that Percy (not legally her husband because he was still married) and their 4 month old baby, her step sister Claire-- pregnant with Lord Byrons baby-- they all set out to Switzerland for a vacation. They end up at Villa Diodati with Lord Byron and his personal doctor-- Polidori. We know that the weather was terrible that summer and they spent a lot of time inside. To stave off boredom, history says they challenged each other to write stories and Frankenstein was born from here.

Do you need to know all of this to read and enjoy this book here? No. And that is a positive. Siddiqui does a great job writing Mehr's story. This is a novel in written like a Gothic for the early 1800s but instead of being lead by white people, we have Mehr's unique experience to drive the narrative. More about her.

Siddiqui's novel takes one character from Frankenstein-- the Arabian maid-- Safie-- and gives her a voice. That voice is an Islamic Indian woman from the upper classes Mehrunissa Begum (Mehr) who has come to England to deliver the news of their mother's passing to her brother James. They have been separated by their English father for years. But when she gets there, even though she is wealthy, it is 1816 and she is brown and clearly foreign.

Circumstances lead her to get employment with the Shelly family as a housemaid. And so she is wrapped up in the circumstances that led to the creation of Frankenstein.

First, I loved that Mehr was from the upper classes so she has NO IDEA how to serve others. We hear from her about having to learn to clean and how awful chaining chamber pots is. And all of that detail-- which was good on its own to set the stage-- comes into play in the story. IT is while doing her chores, Mehr notices things that others do not and cannot.

Her eyes-- seeing this interesting conglomeration of people was enjoyable.

The lore around the creation of Frankenstein posits that something terrible must have happened at that villa for Shelley to write Frankenstein. (I think that is BS saying a teenage girl couldn't write this, but I digress). Siddiqui takes that lore though and gives us the story of what happened and makes Mehr the hero that saves them all from themselves and the monster here.

Frankenstein with the racism nd classism laid bare. A great sense of place both London and the estate in Switzerland. Because Mehr is an outsider, we get all of the details and I loved that.

I liked this book and it made me even more excited to see what Siddiqui does with her own story idea in the future. Fun to read this and see the creation of Frankenstein fictionalized in a new way, but I would love the Gothic in India during this time. Mehr gave me just a glimpse of the stories she could tell and I hope I get to read those.

I have seen some reviews here that were like-- but I didn't learn more about Mary Shelley and that made this not good. And to those I said, you missed the point. This was never supposed to be Mary's story. This is Mehr's story. And what Siddiqui wrote-- completely fictionalized of course-- adds so much to the conversation about Frankenstein, its teenaged writer, and the world in which it was written. We see the world from an outsider's eyes. And since these people were all so self obsessed and upper class and since we are outsiders looking in on this world from 200 years later, I think it is even more telling and interesting because of this.

This reminded me a lot of other Gothic retellings of Fiction books written from the point of view of a forgotten character like The Butcher’s Daughter: The Hitherto Untold story of Mrs. Lovett by David Demchuk and Corinne Leigh Clark.

But also a traditional Gothic (in style and prose) from a marginalized perspective so perfect for fans of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia, Midnight Rooms by Danyae Coles or The Hacienda by Isabel Canas.

And don't forget feminist Frankenstein retellings like Eynhallow by Tim McGregor. In fact, for me this was the best readalike, but I understand the others listed will work better for most readers.

[aishah]

⋆⭒˚｡⋆ ୭ | dnf
ended up dnfing this because i was reading it during exams,so i wasn't really in the mood. ill might pick it up when it releases. idrk


⋆⭒˚｡⋆ ୭ | pre-read

just got the e-arc from netgalley, saw that it had gothic elements and immediately requested

[Chelsea]

Thank you to SoHo Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

DNF @ 35%. This is billed as a Gothic horror, and one thing that is universal to Gothic horror novels is they are all about the atmosphere. Over a third into the book, there is no Gothic horror atmosphere to be found. Too bad, because I thought this was a decent premise, but without any atmosphere and any tension so far, it's not worth it to me to read another 200 pages. I am up for a slow burn story...but the burn still has to exist in the first place.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Glowing Hours” by Leila Siddiqui was filled with a gothic atmosphere, and sets itself apart from other gothic novels with an Indian protagonist. Mehr, is an Indian noblewoman who travels to England to deliver a letter of inheritance to her brother. When she is unable to find him and lacks money for a passage home she is forced to find work as a house maid. The employer the agency connects her with just so happens to be Mary Shelley, the young woman who will write “Frankenstein”. In fact Mehr is brought along on the trip to the Villa Diodati where the novel is first conceived. When they arrive the villa seems to be alive with some dark force, and soon phantoms begin to haunt the inhabitants. I found the relationship between Mehr, the Shelleys, and the writers she meets at the villa, Lord Byron and Doctor Polidori interesting, there is a mixture of contempt and begrudging admiration that Mehr has for all of them. She also has little interest in making friends with the other servants, and finds them annoying and dull. Because of her upbringing, and the unfortunate position she’s in, I can understand why she would find it hard to feel compassion for them, but after a while her constant derision for everyone around her does become grating. If you come to this book hoping for a romanticized look at these famous writers you will be disappointed, only Mary and Polidori are looked on with any passing fondness. I’d say as long as you’re okay with following along with a protagonist that’s a little prickly, then I think you could have a good time with this novel. The hauntings were interesting, I enjoyed a lot of the descriptions, and it’s an interesting premise. Some plot contrivances had me scratching my head, but I had a good time reading overall.

*Thank you NetGalley and Soho Press for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!*

[Ann Schwader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although loosely based upon the infamous Year Without a Summer of 1816, when Mary Shelley began her groundbreaking Frankenstein, Leila Siddiqui's dark tale is less historical fiction about Gothic writers than a full-on Gothic novel all its own. Taking its title from Byron's "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage," it quickly disabuses the reader of any romantic notions about those Glowing Hours. Instead, thanks to the outsider viewpoint of the Shelleys' Indian housemaid -- a gently born Muslim heiress cast adrift in England -- the whole Shelley/Byron/Polidori dysfunction is on full display.

After a framing Prologue (chronologically an Epilogue set in 1858), Mehrunissa Begum (Mehr) begins her journey from protected resident of her uncle's household to struggling domestic servant. Soon enough, she finds herself hired by Mary Shelley and her (possible) husband Percy. Together with their infant son and Mary's half sister Claire Clairmont, they are soon off to Europe to meet with the famous poet Lord Byron.

Anyone familiar with the Romantic poets already knows this is not going to end well. Invited to stay in Byron's rented villa after their own modest cottage begins leaking from the incessant rains, the Shelleys and Mehr find themselves trapped -- literally -- by a house not so much haunted as obsessed.

As Mehr struggles to fulfill her duties, befriend Mary, and keep clear of Byron, events take on a nightmarish cast. Mehr find an unexpected ally in Polidori, Byron's young physician, but neither of them can forestall the full Gothic menu of terrors. Denied inheritances, revenants, scandalous loves, family secrets, and murders -- they're all here, woven through a plotline which sometimes struggles a little to wind up believably. There's a full measure of satisfaction when it does, though.

Readers expecting a strictly historical approach are likely to be disappointed by The Glowing Hours, but those who appreciate mystery, dread, and revisionist approaches will likely lose themselves in these pages. My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Willy Williams · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loved the premise: a young indian woman arrives in 1816 London to deliver a letter of inheritance to her brother, who turns out to be missing. Unable to find him and short of funds for her return passage to India, she reluctantly takes a job as a housemaid to Mary Shelley and her husband, Percy Shelley, and their toddler son. She soon accompanies the Shelleys to Lake Geneva, where they become houseguests of the "mad, bad, and dangerous to know" Lord Byron and his physician, John Polidori. This is the legendary summer when Mary Shelley began work on her masterpiece, Frankenstein.. Unfortunately and disappointingly, you see very little of Mary Shelley actually writing in this revisionist tale of Gothic horror. The strange occurrences at the villa (hints of zombies and vampires and monstrous ghosts) that drive the occupants into madness aren't particularly frightening, and the plot twists and contrivances don't make sense. Likewise, the not-always-sympathetic protagonist alienates the reader with her constant putdowns of the villa's flatly drawn literary celebrities. Who was Mary Shelley? You won't have any idea from this novel. Not my cup of tea, sadly.

[Vanessa Waller · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re a fan of gothic-horror, paranormal or historical books wthis may be for you.

Really 3.5 stars

The beginning of the book is a little confusing, with that being said ……

A young Indian women is sent to London to deliver her brother his inheritance but when she arrives he is no where to be found. With no money and no way to return home, Mehrunissa is sent to become a housemaid for the unconventional Shelley’s. Over the summer the Shelley’s travel to meet “Percy” where the whole story takes place.

All the characters are now stuck and can’t leave the house they are staying in and things began happening that defy logic.
Is it all mind games or is it real?
The truth must be uncovered at any cost.
A few surprising twist and a few deaths along the way.
Who is behind it all and why?
And where is Mehrunissa’s brother?

Although it was a little confusing, it was definitely a page turner trying to figure out who was behind everything and what was going to happen!

[lfthndofdrknss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received as a NetGalley arc in exchange for an honest review

Leila Siddiqui approaches identity, dominance, pain, grief, and artistry through a framework of intersectionality. "The Glowing Hours" retells the messy story of Mary Shelley, Percy Shelley, and Claire Clairmont's visit to Lake Geneva with Lord Byron, along with his personal physician. It is witnessed by the Shelley's housemaid, Mehr, who had traveled from India to see her estranged father and give her brother the inheritance willed to him by their mother. During this visit, Mehr's otherness is apparent. She is restricted by the class decided by her employment and often exoticized as a mixed-race woman from Lucknow, India. She is haunted by her mother's death, her change in circumstance when abandoned by her brother and father and forced to find work, and embittered by the entitled behaviour of her employers and Lord Byron. Soon, however, these frustrations are amplified by shifting portraits, familiar phantoms, and a relentless beat that seems to come from the house itself.

[Kanan Jain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leila Siddiqui's "The Glowing Hours" offers a unique take on the infamous summer where Mary Shelley penned "Frankenstein", told through the eyes of Mehrunissa Begum, an Indian housemaid, who accompanies the Shelleys to a haunted Swiss villa. This paranormal historical novel blends Gothic horror with social commentary, as Mehr navigates the peculiar Shelley household and encounters strange events and apparitions.
The novel explores themes of racism, privilege, and the complexities of relationships within the Shelleys' circle. Reviews praise the novel's spooky atmosphere and slow-burn creepiness, with a satisfying resolution. While some criticisms point to plot holes and underdeveloped subplots, the overall consensus highlights the strong writing and the fresh perspective on a well-known literary legend. Fans of Gothic horror and those intrigued by alternative historical narratives are likely to enjoy this evocative journey into the supernatural.

[Satrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Glowing Hours I found to be surprisingly gothic horror. I went in to this read completely blind to the plot and was expecting a wholesome story about an Indian girl finding her way in a Bridgerton era England. Her character started off sheltered and haughty but slowly morphed into a lonely, abandoned individual just trying to protect herself against a society that only would accept her as a maid or a nanny. Things turn towards the paranormal when Mehr (the FMC) starts connecting to a seemingly haunted portrait and trying to piece together what isn’t quite right about the villa she and the family she works for are staying at.

I thoroughly enjoyed the character arc that readers received and loved a neatly wrapped ending that not only fulfilled my spooky little heart but tied all loose ends in a creative way. Bravo.

[Rhys Battles · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would you do if you were hired for a job you didn't really want by people you didn't really like and taken to a house that terrified you? What if they told you that you were going crazy? Would you do anything you could to escape? Or let the fear overwhelm you?

Follow Mehrunissa and find out what she does. Told from the POV of the nursemaid hired by Mary Shelley during the time she was writing her masterpiece. Yes, that one...

This book was wild. I didn't know what to believe. It took me on a rollercoaster of emotion. But my favorite part was the fear. There were a few scenes that made me shiver. I have been highly anticipating this read and I was not disappointed. If horror is your thing or if you're looking to try something in the genre that won't make you hide your face and cry in fear, this is for you.

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love a historical gothic horror novel, so the premise of this intrigued me. Mehr, an Indian maid, becomes caught up in the world of Byron and Mary Shelley during the summer Shelley begins to write Frankenstein. Unfortunately, the story never quite lives up to its potential. The plot meanders, the supernatural elements aren’t particularly frightening, and Mary Shelley’s role feels too slight for such an important literary moment. I kept wishing for more focus on her creation of Frankenstein, which felt like a missed opportunity.

While the writing is vivid and I appreciated a fresh slant on this familiar story, I struggled to care about any of the characters, and the supernatural elements didn’t quite work for me. Overall, it’s an interesting concept, just not as gothic as I’d hoped.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Leslie Hagel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the premise of The Glowing Hours, a gothic horror novel. Fans of Mary Shelley may be aware that in 1816 she wrote Frankenstein as a result of a competition with John Polidori and Lord Byron. The Glowing Hours tells a story from the perspective of Indian maid, Mehr, who is working for the group during the Summer of 1816 when Shelley begins writing Frankenstein.

The fresh angle on this story and the vivid writing drew me right in. The creepy atmosphere and building suspense set the perfect tone for this mysterious Gothic novel. The historical background of the three authors and their complex relationships create a sinister and haunting plot. As the story progresses the haunting writing propels the reader into the mysterious world as the characters descend into madness and paranoia.

An eerie, dark, and sinister novel that’s hard to put down.

[Ana Sandoval g · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must first thank Netgalley for the advance copy of this book.

This book promises gothic horror; it's very ambitious, addressing themes like symbolism, family generations, and ghosts, both emotional and real.

It was fascinating to revisit the birth of Frankenstein, not from Shelley's perspective, but from the perspective of the maid who observed her throughout the journey they took together.

Leila's writing style is interesting; she loves historical fiction, fantasy, and romance, which isn't the main theme, but is present. And like her other book, the missing brother. There were moments with quite a bit of gore, and the journey became a bit crazy throughout the final chapters.

[Horror Nerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love books like these. Take a famous event, and not exactly retell it, but both add to it & tell it from a different point of view. Taking that 1816 summer and weaving a supernatural thread through the drama & creativity, together with a fully realized character roster (you will be both fascinated and repulsed by Byron), makes for a fascinating read. The Villa Diodati is practically a character in of itself, and I LOVED the amount of pure gothic horror in here. Spooky rooms, ghostly apparitions, gloomy weather, mysterious paintings, they are all in here.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ostensibly a retelling of the summer Mary and Percy Shelley lived in Switzerland with Lord Byron, this goes deeper than that. Told from the lens of a their Indian housemaid and why she had to work for these artists. Mehr, a high ranking Indian woman, had to take work as a domestic bc of family circumstances. What was so refreshing was that she didn't really know how to do the household duties and was just as educated, if not more so, then her employers. And, her narration of events and how they came to be, gives that summer a whole new twist as to what inspired Mary Shelley to write Frankenstein.

I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.

[Michele Inoue · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Is not love what compels us all? A force more powerful than either of our gods? That you think Him your creator, when He was the one created by it.”


Gothic horror taking place the summer Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein!? I’m here for it and so thankful my wish came true to receive an early copy.

The settings of the story set the perfect stage for the gothic atmosphere of the story. Weaved within the stories tapestries are threads of the British colonialism of the time and the racial and class structures that came with it. A very enjoyable read and has solidified my love for the haunted house genre of horror.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. I love gothic mysteries and entwining part of the story of Mary and Percy Shelley along with Lord Byron was very interesting to me. I was drawn into the book from the start but felt the middle was a little unfocused and less suspenseful. However, the last half of the book kept my attention and I had a hard time putting it down. I also really felt drawn to the Mehr and her story. I did really enjoy the ending and felt it was all tied together before the very end. I highly recommend.

[Azhar · Rating 3 out of 5]

i love it when authors shine the spotlight on characters or on voices that are relegated to the shadows in the past so i was very excited to read it.

a slow burn gothic novel that at times feels like a hazy, fever dream.

it does have a nice little twist right near the end where everything comes together almost perfectly. personally i would have loved a little more sinew and tendon, a little more of the blood still on the walls, instead of everything wrapped up neat and tidy.


thanking the publishers and netgalley for the ARC!!

[Sasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well I was really excited for this book. It had an interesting premise and was set in 1816 in the summer Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein. I had hoped for more insight on Shelley but none was given really. The supernatural aspects were fun, but it was also kind of confusing. I don’t know, it just wasn’t for me and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Which is too bad because I love supernatural stories and historical fiction.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mehr Begum left her comfortable life in India to travel to London to deliver a letter of inheritance to her brother, but she is unable to find him and does not have money to return home. To survive she is hired by Mary and Percy Shelley and follows them to Lake Geneva for the summer where Mehr soon experiences paranormal visits as Mary brings her literary work to fruition. A creepy and intensifying gothic read from an original perspective.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

[Mary]

The description mentioned Silvia Moreno-Garcia & Isabel Cañas so here I am adding it to my TBR.

[Tina Hites · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first it was boring then it got much better and then it got a little scary and I was like I don't know about this but then it was just good and I didn't want it to end.

[AVB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this was so good