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Poor Creatures
The worst monsters are the human kind . . .
Dundee, 1812. Isabel Baxter awaits the arrival of Mary Godwin, a girl of fierce intelligence and grand passions, sent north to recover from a mysterious ailment. The Baxter family home, nestled in woodland by the river Tay, seems the perfect retreat. But The Cottage is a place of secrets, and Mary is no ordinary guest.
As the girls grow closer, their friendship becomes all-consuming, haunted by memory, fuelled by feverish
creativity, and shadowed by something monstrous.
Inspired by true events, this is an immersive reimagining of the young Mary Shelley before she became the
author of Frankenstein. A story of girlhood, obsession, and the birth of a literary legend.
Years before Frankenstein, this is a story of emerging womanhood and literary intrigue, exploring the many monsters in young Mary Shelley's life.
From the bestselling author of Waterstones Scottish Book of the month, the Specimens, Poor Creatures is perfect for fans of Stacey Halls, Sara Sheridan and Ambrose Parry.
Dundee, 1812. Isabel Baxter awaits the arrival of Mary Godwin, a girl of fierce intelligence and grand passions, sent north to recover from a mysterious ailment. The Baxter family home, nestled in woodland by the river Tay, seems the perfect retreat. But The Cottage is a place of secrets, and Mary is no ordinary guest.
As the girls grow closer, their friendship becomes all-consuming, haunted by memory, fuelled by feverish
creativity, and shadowed by something monstrous.
Inspired by true events, this is an immersive reimagining of the young Mary Shelley before she became the
author of Frankenstein. A story of girlhood, obsession, and the birth of a literary legend.
Years before Frankenstein, this is a story of emerging womanhood and literary intrigue, exploring the many monsters in young Mary Shelley's life.
From the bestselling author of Waterstones Scottish Book of the month, the Specimens, Poor Creatures is perfect for fans of Stacey Halls, Sara Sheridan and Ambrose Parry.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published October 23, 2025
2 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Mairi Kidd
22 books33 followersMairi Kidd is Head of Literature, Languages and Publishing at Creative Scotland. She was formerly Managing Director of Barrington Stoke, a prize-winning publisher. A fluent Gaelic speaker, she has an MA in Celtic Studies from Edinburgh University. As CEO of Stòrlann, the National Gaelic Education Resource Agency, she worked with Scottish Government, Bòrd na Gàidhlig and local authorities. She is a contributor to BBC Radio nan Gàidheal's books coverage and writes for broadcast, including Gaelic comedy series FUNC.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 2, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this original and brilliantly crafted story. Bringing to life the early, largely unknown but extremely formative years of such a well known figure as Mary Shelley is such a clever approach, and the scattering of clues about what is to come is delightfully subtle and believable. I enjoyed every page!
November 5, 2025
Fresh, fascinating and poignant. Really brought the era to life. Very refreshing to have such a nuanced, complex version of Mary Shelley from Isabel's point of view - compelling, charismatic, but not unproblematic. Isabel herself won my heart.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews