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Love and Fury: A Novel of Mary Wollstonecraft
From the acclaimed author of Mr. Dickens and His Carol, a richly-imagined reckoning with the life of another cherished literary legend: Mary Wollstonecraft – arguably the world’s first feminist
August, 1797. Midwife Parthenia Blenkinsop has delivered countless babies, but nothing prepares her for the experience that unfolds when she arrives at Mary Wollstonecraft’s door. Over the eleven harrowing days that follow, as Mrs. Blenkinsop fights for the survival of both mother and newborn, Mary Wollstonecraft recounts the life she dared to live amidst the impossible constraints and prejudices of the late 18th century, rejecting the tyranny of men and marriage, risking everything to demand equality for herself and all women. She weaves her riveting tale to give her fragile daughter a reason to live, even as her own strength wanes. Wollstonecraft’s urgent story of loss and triumph forms the heartbreakingly brief intersection between the lives of a mother and daughter who will change the arc of history and thought.
In radiant prose, Samantha Silva delivers an ode to the dazzling life of Mary Wollstonecraft, one of the world's most influential thinkers and mother of the famous novelist Mary Shelley. But at its heart, Love and Fury is a story about the power of a woman reclaiming her own narrative to pass on to her daughter, and all daughters, for generations to come.
August, 1797. Midwife Parthenia Blenkinsop has delivered countless babies, but nothing prepares her for the experience that unfolds when she arrives at Mary Wollstonecraft’s door. Over the eleven harrowing days that follow, as Mrs. Blenkinsop fights for the survival of both mother and newborn, Mary Wollstonecraft recounts the life she dared to live amidst the impossible constraints and prejudices of the late 18th century, rejecting the tyranny of men and marriage, risking everything to demand equality for herself and all women. She weaves her riveting tale to give her fragile daughter a reason to live, even as her own strength wanes. Wollstonecraft’s urgent story of loss and triumph forms the heartbreakingly brief intersection between the lives of a mother and daughter who will change the arc of history and thought.
In radiant prose, Samantha Silva delivers an ode to the dazzling life of Mary Wollstonecraft, one of the world's most influential thinkers and mother of the famous novelist Mary Shelley. But at its heart, Love and Fury is a story about the power of a woman reclaiming her own narrative to pass on to her daughter, and all daughters, for generations to come.
317 pages, Hardcover
First published May 25, 2021
181 people are currently reading
8250 people want to read
About the author
Samantha Silva
9 books395 followersSamantha Silva is an author and screenwriter based in Idaho. Her debut novel, Mr. Dickens and His Carol, was published in 2017 by Flatiron Books/Macmillan. Love and Fury: A Novel of Mary Wollstonecraft will be published in May 2021. Over her career, Silva's sold film projects to Paramount, Universal, and New Line Cinema. She directed a film adaptation of her short story, The Big Burn, which won the 1 Potato Short Screenplay Competition at the 2017 Sun Valley Film Festival. Her short story, Leo in Venice, appeared in the September 2019 issue of ONE STORY. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, she's lived in London, Bologna, and Rome, is an avid Italophile and a forever Dickens devotee.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 420 reviews
May 17, 2021
Love and Fury is a well done historical fiction that tracks the life of Mary Wollstonecraft, arguably the first feminist. The book starts with Mary about to give birth to her daughter, Mary Shelley. The story alternates between Mary’s chapters which are told as the story of her life to her daughter and those of Mrs. B, the midwife, who stays on after the birth as a nurse.
Mary didn’t have an easy life. The daughter of an abusive alcoholic, the family was constantly forced to move as her father attempted to reinvent himself. Her parents were randomly cruel. A scene involving violence against an animal had me wishing for one’s death. Denied the education she so desperately wanted, she was fortunate to meet two men that believed in the education of girls. She pays it forward when she starts a school for young girls. But for all her strength and determination, she remained vulnerable in matters of the heart.
While I was familiar with her writing, I had no idea about her life and how fascinating it was. I was especially enthralled by the section when she is in France during the French Revolution.
The book doesn’t pull any punches. It highlights the hardships of women’s lives in the 18th century - the lack of any kind of rights, the worries of childbirth, the horrors of the medical practices of the day, the lack of opportunities for women.
The book grabbed me both emotionally and intellectually. I appreciated that Mrs. B was much more than just a secondary character to move Mary’s story forward.
Ell Potter narrates the book and did a good job of conveying the emotions of the book.
I highly recommend this book for those that want to learn something when they read historical fiction. My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this audiobook.
Mary didn’t have an easy life. The daughter of an abusive alcoholic, the family was constantly forced to move as her father attempted to reinvent himself. Her parents were randomly cruel. A scene involving violence against an animal had me wishing for one’s death. Denied the education she so desperately wanted, she was fortunate to meet two men that believed in the education of girls. She pays it forward when she starts a school for young girls. But for all her strength and determination, she remained vulnerable in matters of the heart.
While I was familiar with her writing, I had no idea about her life and how fascinating it was. I was especially enthralled by the section when she is in France during the French Revolution.
The book doesn’t pull any punches. It highlights the hardships of women’s lives in the 18th century - the lack of any kind of rights, the worries of childbirth, the horrors of the medical practices of the day, the lack of opportunities for women.
The book grabbed me both emotionally and intellectually. I appreciated that Mrs. B was much more than just a secondary character to move Mary’s story forward.
Ell Potter narrates the book and did a good job of conveying the emotions of the book.
I highly recommend this book for those that want to learn something when they read historical fiction. My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this audiobook.
February 22, 2021
Well-crafted novel of Mary Wollstonecraft – arguably the world’s first feminist, one of the world’s most influential thinkers and mother of the famous novelist Mary Shelley.
London, 1797. A midwife named Mrs. B arrives at Mary’s house as Mary is about to give birth to her second child. Mrs. B, after attending the birth, now is assisting the weak and feverish mother. She relates the events of those few days with warmness and attentiveness, happening in present time.
The story alternates between these two women. As Mary’s story goes back in time, it gives a better understanding of what made Mary who she is. And it is written in a form of Mary relating the events to her just born daughter, Mary Shelley.
When Mary’s family moves from the city to the country, she meets a young girl whose father is a scientist. His lectures which she attends make her heart swell with determination to overcome certain obstacles she faces. She is a smart girl and wants to attend advanced classes at school, but those classes are meant for boys. She is told to focus more on embroidery. As they move yet to another village with no school for Mary and no more of John Arden’s lectures. What she sees is a village of lunatics. Or is it so? The local Reverend asks her about her view of John Locke. She has no knowledge of him. And that can be fixed per Reverend. “Creatures of the same species, (…) had a natural equality, and no husband should have more power over his wife’s life than she had over his.” And that becomes Mary’s motto.
I enjoyed both characters very much. However, as this is Mary’s story she takes the center stage. She puts herself on a path to a life of her own choosing, her own direction, and her dreams. She also goes through losses in her life that steal her fire, but she is reminded to grow from it, and to remember her purpose. And that’s when she puts pen to paper. This later leads her to taking part in literary and philosophical discussions among men, gaining their respect.
As the story alternates between these two women who give out pieces of their stories, they capture your attention from the very beginning and hold it to the very end. They know how to pull you into this story and keep you hooked thoroughly and throughout.
The combination of two interesting characters, and their stories being presented in such human way and with mesmerizing prose – making this story a very memorable, profound and spellbinding read.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
London, 1797. A midwife named Mrs. B arrives at Mary’s house as Mary is about to give birth to her second child. Mrs. B, after attending the birth, now is assisting the weak and feverish mother. She relates the events of those few days with warmness and attentiveness, happening in present time.
The story alternates between these two women. As Mary’s story goes back in time, it gives a better understanding of what made Mary who she is. And it is written in a form of Mary relating the events to her just born daughter, Mary Shelley.
When Mary’s family moves from the city to the country, she meets a young girl whose father is a scientist. His lectures which she attends make her heart swell with determination to overcome certain obstacles she faces. She is a smart girl and wants to attend advanced classes at school, but those classes are meant for boys. She is told to focus more on embroidery. As they move yet to another village with no school for Mary and no more of John Arden’s lectures. What she sees is a village of lunatics. Or is it so? The local Reverend asks her about her view of John Locke. She has no knowledge of him. And that can be fixed per Reverend. “Creatures of the same species, (…) had a natural equality, and no husband should have more power over his wife’s life than she had over his.” And that becomes Mary’s motto.
I enjoyed both characters very much. However, as this is Mary’s story she takes the center stage. She puts herself on a path to a life of her own choosing, her own direction, and her dreams. She also goes through losses in her life that steal her fire, but she is reminded to grow from it, and to remember her purpose. And that’s when she puts pen to paper. This later leads her to taking part in literary and philosophical discussions among men, gaining their respect.
As the story alternates between these two women who give out pieces of their stories, they capture your attention from the very beginning and hold it to the very end. They know how to pull you into this story and keep you hooked thoroughly and throughout.
The combination of two interesting characters, and their stories being presented in such human way and with mesmerizing prose – making this story a very memorable, profound and spellbinding read.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 20, 2021
In the past month I've been luckier in my audio book choices than in my print endeavours. This was a fascinating if sad story about the mother, a feminist in her own right, of the author of Frankenstein. Mary Wollstonecraft is about to give birth to her daughter Mary, and her midwife, Mrs. B., in an effort to take her mind off her travails, tells her to narrate her story to her about to be born child. In alternating chapters we hear from the midwife and we learn of Mary's story.
Knew little of her life, such a sad one, full not pain and anguish, cruelty, but despite this she found ways, and a few good men to advise and educate. She died singling, but despite such a short life, she accomplished much. Women had so few choices then, depended on the providence of their husbands, stuck so often in miserable lives, unable to support themselves and their children, if they should leave. Mary learned from her mother's life and vowed to never marry. Although near the end of her life, she does marry, this book explains why she made this choice. A story that needed to be told.
Wonderfully written and narrated by Ell Potter.
Knew little of her life, such a sad one, full not pain and anguish, cruelty, but despite this she found ways, and a few good men to advise and educate. She died singling, but despite such a short life, she accomplished much. Women had so few choices then, depended on the providence of their husbands, stuck so often in miserable lives, unable to support themselves and their children, if they should leave. Mary learned from her mother's life and vowed to never marry. Although near the end of her life, she does marry, this book explains why she made this choice. A story that needed to be told.
Wonderfully written and narrated by Ell Potter.
April 1, 2021
This was a 5 star read for me, I found it impossible to put down , totally immersed in the life of Mary Wollstonecraft, the author of Vindication Of The Rights Of Women and mother of Mary Shelley.
The book opens with a midwife, Mrs Blenkinsop, arriving at the house of Mary and William Godwin. Mary is not worried as she already has one daughter, Fanny, but of course we know that she .
The book alternates between two points of view, Mrs B and Mary W. The Mary chapters are in the form of a story to her newborn, the story of her life.
The birth story particularly when the doctors are called is horrifying. I could barely look.
It’s incredibly moving how the book has been written. This amazing woman in a world where women were barely educated, expected to marry and not respected. Reading about her life in this way was so well done. I loved the character of Mrs B, a representative of female knowledge and experience in a way, compared to the male doctors.
The ending isn’t perfect, Silva doesn’t go into how Godwin and Mary’s relationship developed but it’s still a superb read.
The book opens with a midwife, Mrs Blenkinsop, arriving at the house of Mary and William Godwin. Mary is not worried as she already has one daughter, Fanny, but of course we know that she .
The book alternates between two points of view, Mrs B and Mary W. The Mary chapters are in the form of a story to her newborn, the story of her life.
The birth story particularly when the doctors are called is horrifying. I could barely look.
It’s incredibly moving how the book has been written. This amazing woman in a world where women were barely educated, expected to marry and not respected. Reading about her life in this way was so well done. I loved the character of Mrs B, a representative of female knowledge and experience in a way, compared to the male doctors.
The ending isn’t perfect, Silva doesn’t go into how Godwin and Mary’s relationship developed but it’s still a superb read.
May 6, 2021
Audiobook narrated by Ell Potter which I can only say did a beautiful job telling me this story.
I’ve started writing this review a dozen times only to try again because I can’t possibly do it justice. I knew absolutely nothing about Mary Wollstonecraft. Her bravery, talent and love. Her cruel childhood, her writings. She’s one of the first women to fight for equal rights.
She saw injustice at a very young age. She knew many marriages were slavery for women. And that women had no rights, money or power during her life.
It was breathtaking to read this, a prose that flowed seamlessly, wonderfully detailed observations. I couldn’t put it down.
I’m not going to say anymore except that I highly recommend it. It’s a must read.
Thanks Macmillan Audio, Allison & Busby via Netgalley.
I’ve started writing this review a dozen times only to try again because I can’t possibly do it justice. I knew absolutely nothing about Mary Wollstonecraft. Her bravery, talent and love. Her cruel childhood, her writings. She’s one of the first women to fight for equal rights.
She saw injustice at a very young age. She knew many marriages were slavery for women. And that women had no rights, money or power during her life.
It was breathtaking to read this, a prose that flowed seamlessly, wonderfully detailed observations. I couldn’t put it down.
I’m not going to say anymore except that I highly recommend it. It’s a must read.
Thanks Macmillan Audio, Allison & Busby via Netgalley.
May 24, 2023
"I will tell you the moments that begin and end me, because we are made of them all, strung like pearls in time, searching, always, for where the new circle begins its turn, the place of our next becoming where the line becomes an arc and curves."
I have conflicting feelings about this historical fiction novel highlighting the life and death of Mary Wollstonecraft, philosopher and mother of the famous novelist Mary Shelley.
On the one hand, I adored the beginning of this story. Meeting Mary, learning about her family and childhood, seeing her come into her own and try to find her way as a female thinker in a profoundly misogynistic time was fascinating, and the prose was superb.
I was also drawn in by her discovery of first love, somewhat obscured for a time due to its sapphic nature, and her relationships with her siblings, friends, and mentors.
But as the narrative progressed, the plot slowed down significantly, hitting the same thematic notes repeatedly with minimal progression. Mary herself stagnates then regresses, transforming from a confident and independent woman into an insecure shell of her former self, pining for first a male colleague and then her husband - listless and without direction. By this point in the novel, Mary seems like a completely different person as she loses her passion and fire - dependant, pleading, desperate - becoming the very archetype of the woman she'd (rather harshly, in my view) railed against for a lifetime. I wouldn't have minded this change if it had been part of the larger narrative or an impetus for character development, but though Mary came to understand what it was to exist as the type of woman she once judged so gleefully, she never came to the realization that women are valuable as thinkers and human beings regardless of their personality, wardrobe, or mannerisms. For an apparently brilliant and thoughtful woman, she doesn't learn despite her experiences, and it's incredibly frustrating to read. She's "not like other girls," even when she becomes one of them in every way.
And so, despite the beautiful writing and interesting subject matter, I struggled to like Mary as a protagonist. She's dealing with a lot of internalized misogyny and is the kind of feminist that pushes the narrative that women must become more like men to be worthy of respect rather than equal as they are in all their variety - even those who want to get married and wear pretty dresses.
I'm glad to have learned about Mary Wollstonecraft (I would like to read her biography in the future), but ultimately found this book disappointing.
The audiobook narration was well done, and I thank Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.
Trigger/Content Warnings: domestic abuse, child abuse (physical and emotional), alcoholism, marital rape, animal cruelty and death, suicide attempts, depression, vomit, death due to infection during childbirth
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I have conflicting feelings about this historical fiction novel highlighting the life and death of Mary Wollstonecraft, philosopher and mother of the famous novelist Mary Shelley.
On the one hand, I adored the beginning of this story. Meeting Mary, learning about her family and childhood, seeing her come into her own and try to find her way as a female thinker in a profoundly misogynistic time was fascinating, and the prose was superb.
I was also drawn in by her discovery of first love, somewhat obscured for a time due to its sapphic nature, and her relationships with her siblings, friends, and mentors.
But as the narrative progressed, the plot slowed down significantly, hitting the same thematic notes repeatedly with minimal progression. Mary herself stagnates then regresses, transforming from a confident and independent woman into an insecure shell of her former self, pining for first a male colleague and then her husband - listless and without direction. By this point in the novel, Mary seems like a completely different person as she loses her passion and fire - dependant, pleading, desperate - becoming the very archetype of the woman she'd (rather harshly, in my view) railed against for a lifetime. I wouldn't have minded this change if it had been part of the larger narrative or an impetus for character development, but though Mary came to understand what it was to exist as the type of woman she once judged so gleefully, she never came to the realization that women are valuable as thinkers and human beings regardless of their personality, wardrobe, or mannerisms. For an apparently brilliant and thoughtful woman, she doesn't learn despite her experiences, and it's incredibly frustrating to read. She's "not like other girls," even when she becomes one of them in every way.
And so, despite the beautiful writing and interesting subject matter, I struggled to like Mary as a protagonist. She's dealing with a lot of internalized misogyny and is the kind of feminist that pushes the narrative that women must become more like men to be worthy of respect rather than equal as they are in all their variety - even those who want to get married and wear pretty dresses.
I'm glad to have learned about Mary Wollstonecraft (I would like to read her biography in the future), but ultimately found this book disappointing.
The audiobook narration was well done, and I thank Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.
Trigger/Content Warnings: domestic abuse, child abuse (physical and emotional), alcoholism, marital rape, animal cruelty and death, suicide attempts, depression, vomit, death due to infection during childbirth
You can find me on...
Youtube | Instagram | TikTok
You can join our book club over on Patreon...
PBB Book Club
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November 10, 2024What a long time it takes to know ourselves, little bird, and yet all of us know more than we’re willing to own, even to ourselves.
Mary Wollstonecraft é levianamente apelidada de proto-feminista, num misto de soberba e alguma ignorância que fazem dela, ao mesmo tempo, um símbolo e uma caricatura, mas muito pouco uma mulher de carne e osso. Depois disso, Wollstonecraft é conhecida por ser mãe de outra pioneira, Mary Shelley. Ora, uma novela que toma para si o papel de recrear a vida destas heroínas tem, inevitavelmente, de roçar duas questões: a (des)igualdade de género e o feminismo. E Love and Fury roça-os, de facto. Ainda assim, Samantha Silva consegue virar este foco narrativo das suas limitações político-sociais e expandir a narrativa para lá dos moldes mais populares. Para tal, escolhe narrar os 11 dias que separam o nascimento da filha da morte da sua mãe em dois níveis diegéticos: num primeiro nível oferecendo o relato externo desses primeiros e últimos momentos de vida de duas grandes mulheres; num segundo nível recorrendo à memorialística - e oferecendo uma narração pungente, de mãe para filha, que cobre os restantes anos de vida da heroína.
(...)though we cannot choose which day we are born, into what time or place, a day chooses us. Never forget, little bird, that the day that chose you comes at the end of a month when a comet blazed across London’s skies, heralding your arrival.
(...)
And so I will tell you the story to fill you up and bind you to this wondrous vale, if you stay with us, little bird. Please stay. I will tell you the moments that begin and end me—because we are made of them all, strung like pearls in time, searching always for where the new circle begins its turn, the place of our next becoming. Where the line becomes an arc, and curves.
Como se trata maioritariamente de uma história sobre maternidade e a relação mãe/filha, Love and Fury não se classifica exatamente como uma obra biográfica; como não se presta a nenhuma novidade factual também não se classifica como uma obra de investigação; mas no campo da ficção pura e dura, não deixa de ser fiel aos factos - e esta flexibilidade é, certamente, parte do seu atrativo.
I can see in your father’s eyes that you aren’t what he expected, or what our gentle confederacy of perfections rarely admits: A child at birth is a shocking thing. Your skin is coated, as if with wax the color of jaundice, so thin it bares the atlas of dark veins beneath. Instead of feathers you have fine white down, barely visible, all over your body; instead of wings, arms like spindles, held tight to your heaving rib cage, not much bigger than your father’s palm, which he holds against your quick-beating heart.
The love, instantaneous!
Imbuída de um espírito nostálgico - para o qual contribuem as próprias circunstâncias de vida da autora que se deita a escrever esta novela após a morte da mãe e no momento em que uma das suas filhas se prepara para abandonar a casa materna -, este pequenino livro emana uma doçura maternal muito própria, levantando um pouco do véu doméstico e familiar de uma figura incontestavelmente rebelde e popular, cuja dimensão humana é por vezes diminuída pela sua faceta de ativista tão mais em voga nos nossos dias
Sorrow, my sweet girl, will bring you to your knees, time and again, but so will beauty, so too love, enough to rise again, to try again, to live as all beings wish to live: free.
Onze dias são pouco, muito pouco tempo para partilhar com o ser que nos é mais próximo, mas, se são tudo o que resta, serão sempre melhor do que nada.
What happens next, little bird, is not the end of my story but the start of yours.
Mary Wollstonecraft é levianamente apelidada de proto-feminista, num misto de soberba e alguma ignorância que fazem dela, ao mesmo tempo, um símbolo e uma caricatura, mas muito pouco uma mulher de carne e osso. Depois disso, Wollstonecraft é conhecida por ser mãe de outra pioneira, Mary Shelley. Ora, uma novela que toma para si o papel de recrear a vida destas heroínas tem, inevitavelmente, de roçar duas questões: a (des)igualdade de género e o feminismo. E Love and Fury roça-os, de facto. Ainda assim, Samantha Silva consegue virar este foco narrativo das suas limitações político-sociais e expandir a narrativa para lá dos moldes mais populares. Para tal, escolhe narrar os 11 dias que separam o nascimento da filha da morte da sua mãe em dois níveis diegéticos: num primeiro nível oferecendo o relato externo desses primeiros e últimos momentos de vida de duas grandes mulheres; num segundo nível recorrendo à memorialística - e oferecendo uma narração pungente, de mãe para filha, que cobre os restantes anos de vida da heroína.
(...)though we cannot choose which day we are born, into what time or place, a day chooses us. Never forget, little bird, that the day that chose you comes at the end of a month when a comet blazed across London’s skies, heralding your arrival.
(...)
And so I will tell you the story to fill you up and bind you to this wondrous vale, if you stay with us, little bird. Please stay. I will tell you the moments that begin and end me—because we are made of them all, strung like pearls in time, searching always for where the new circle begins its turn, the place of our next becoming. Where the line becomes an arc, and curves.
Como se trata maioritariamente de uma história sobre maternidade e a relação mãe/filha, Love and Fury não se classifica exatamente como uma obra biográfica; como não se presta a nenhuma novidade factual também não se classifica como uma obra de investigação; mas no campo da ficção pura e dura, não deixa de ser fiel aos factos - e esta flexibilidade é, certamente, parte do seu atrativo.
I can see in your father’s eyes that you aren’t what he expected, or what our gentle confederacy of perfections rarely admits: A child at birth is a shocking thing. Your skin is coated, as if with wax the color of jaundice, so thin it bares the atlas of dark veins beneath. Instead of feathers you have fine white down, barely visible, all over your body; instead of wings, arms like spindles, held tight to your heaving rib cage, not much bigger than your father’s palm, which he holds against your quick-beating heart.
The love, instantaneous!
Imbuída de um espírito nostálgico - para o qual contribuem as próprias circunstâncias de vida da autora que se deita a escrever esta novela após a morte da mãe e no momento em que uma das suas filhas se prepara para abandonar a casa materna -, este pequenino livro emana uma doçura maternal muito própria, levantando um pouco do véu doméstico e familiar de uma figura incontestavelmente rebelde e popular, cuja dimensão humana é por vezes diminuída pela sua faceta de ativista tão mais em voga nos nossos dias
Sorrow, my sweet girl, will bring you to your knees, time and again, but so will beauty, so too love, enough to rise again, to try again, to live as all beings wish to live: free.
Onze dias são pouco, muito pouco tempo para partilhar com o ser que nos é mais próximo, mas, se são tudo o que resta, serão sempre melhor do que nada.
What happens next, little bird, is not the end of my story but the start of yours.
May 25, 2021
Samantha Silva’s new historical fiction novel tells the story of Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin. Godwin, the mother Frankenstein author Mary Shelley, was a writer in her own right as well as an early feminist. This captivating and inspiring account is written in alternating chapters narrated by Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin and Mrs. Blenkinsop, the midwife who has just delivered Godwin’s second child. Facing death after a difficult labor Mary, acting on the advice of Mrs. Blenkinsop, relates the story of her life to her newborn daughter. Starting with her childhood, Mary’s life is one of struggle and loss. Her father is an alcoholic, who forces himself upon her mother during his drunken nights and Mary feels the need to protect her mother by sleeping on the floor outside her door. Later, when her brother is to be institutionalized, Mary takes it upon herself to find him an apprenticeship, saving him from the horrors of the insane asylums of the day. Finally on her own, she befriends Frances Blood, a botanist, who suffers from tuberculous and is the sole support of her family. Devastated by Blood’s death she takes on the responsibilities of supporting her friend’s family, as well as her own two sisters, one of whom she saved from a fate similar to their mother’s.
Mary’s own career leads her to friendships with some of Europe’s leading thinkers, artists, and writers. After a few failed relationships of her own, one of which resulted in the birth of an illegitimate daughter, Mary finally finds happiness, albeit short-lived, with William Godwin.
This is a fascinating novel of an 18th century woman whose struggles to obtain the life she desires have echoes in our own time. Balancing the pursuit of a career with the role of wife and mother, is still a struggle for today’s women. This is a heartbreaking, yet inspirational story, told with beautifully crafted prose and a memorable story line.
Thank you to Flatiron Books and Netgalley for the e-ARC.
Mary’s own career leads her to friendships with some of Europe’s leading thinkers, artists, and writers. After a few failed relationships of her own, one of which resulted in the birth of an illegitimate daughter, Mary finally finds happiness, albeit short-lived, with William Godwin.
This is a fascinating novel of an 18th century woman whose struggles to obtain the life she desires have echoes in our own time. Balancing the pursuit of a career with the role of wife and mother, is still a struggle for today’s women. This is a heartbreaking, yet inspirational story, told with beautifully crafted prose and a memorable story line.
Thank you to Flatiron Books and Netgalley for the e-ARC.
January 28, 2021
I was thrilled to see a novel about Wollstonecraft, and told primarily from her point of view (under the narrative framework of telling her story to her newborn daughter, the future Mary Shelley, in the 11 days that passed between the birth and Wollstonecraft's death) no less. I wish it hadn't ended where it did – I would have liked to see the evolution of her relationship with Godwin, and the sudden mindset shift following her second attempted suicide felt too abrupt – but overall, the execution didn't disappoint: this is a moving and compassionate feminist portrait of an extraordinary, complex woman ahead of her time, whose ideas helped reshape the world.
March 25, 2021
Mary Wollstonecraft was, perhaps, the first feminist and this fictional account of her life emphasizes this in great detail. I just became weary of reading it which I will attribute to not feeling well.
August 5, 2022
Update Aug 4, 2022: I wrote a full review on my blog here on my blog I will keep my review that I wrote originally here but I did add a few more in depth things in my blog review, so, if you would like to read it, it is up now!
I got this book in December 2021 when Barnes and Noble had the big hardcover sale, and months later, I wondered, "why on Earth did I get this book?" I knew it was about a midwife, Mrs. Blenkinsop helping Mary Wollstonecraft during the birth of her daughter. Little did I know, I would thoroughly enjoy this book. I had no idea that this was about Mary Shelley's mother and her life as a women's rights advocate in the 1700s. This book was emotional and gripping and I learned so much about her life. Yes, this is historical fiction, some parts may be falsified, but, I also had no idea who Mary Wollstonecraft was and had no idea that she was Mary Shelley's mother. So I did learn a lot.
We have two timelines, 1: Mrs. Blenkinsop's point of view in present day time helping Mary Wollstonecraft give birth to her daughter Mary Shelley, and 2: Mary Wollstonecraft's point of view who is the narrator, telling her life story to Mary Shelley, addressing Mary Shelly as Little Bird. We are thrown into the heart wrenching, informative, accomplished, and tough life of Mary Wollstonecraft.
This book was an absolutely amazing read. I truly learned a lot and would also highly recommend listening to the audiobook. The narrator does a fantastic job with this story and I can say I enjoyed this book so much more with the audiobook.
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I got this book in December 2021 when Barnes and Noble had the big hardcover sale, and months later, I wondered, "why on Earth did I get this book?" I knew it was about a midwife, Mrs. Blenkinsop helping Mary Wollstonecraft during the birth of her daughter. Little did I know, I would thoroughly enjoy this book. I had no idea that this was about Mary Shelley's mother and her life as a women's rights advocate in the 1700s. This book was emotional and gripping and I learned so much about her life. Yes, this is historical fiction, some parts may be falsified, but, I also had no idea who Mary Wollstonecraft was and had no idea that she was Mary Shelley's mother. So I did learn a lot.
We have two timelines, 1: Mrs. Blenkinsop's point of view in present day time helping Mary Wollstonecraft give birth to her daughter Mary Shelley, and 2: Mary Wollstonecraft's point of view who is the narrator, telling her life story to Mary Shelley, addressing Mary Shelly as Little Bird. We are thrown into the heart wrenching, informative, accomplished, and tough life of Mary Wollstonecraft.
This book was an absolutely amazing read. I truly learned a lot and would also highly recommend listening to the audiobook. The narrator does a fantastic job with this story and I can say I enjoyed this book so much more with the audiobook.
Find me on:
My Blog | My BookTube | My Book Club | Instagram | Twitter
May 15, 2021
Historical fiction based on the personal life of Mary Wollstonecraft.
Debilitated by childbed fever, Mary Wollstonecraft recounts her life story to newborn daughter, Mary Shelley.
Love and Fury is a faithful account of Wollstonecraft’s life, a life which thrummed with all the drama of the best historical fiction.
Silva’s awe of her subject is evident. However, dialogue drawing attention to the character’s fame jars like a knowing wink to the reader:
Again:
And again:
Similarly, guests at Joseph Johnson’s soirée are presented as a rollcall of notables, ‘Here, William Cowper… Over there, the naturalist Erasmus Darwin…’, to be instantly recognised by Mary as though she has access to eighteenth-century social media.
The novel’s strength lies in bringing feminist, essayist and novelist Mary Wollstonecraft to a potentially new audience – for which Love and Fury can only be applauded.
My thanks to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for the ARC.
Debilitated by childbed fever, Mary Wollstonecraft recounts her life story to newborn daughter, Mary Shelley.
Love and Fury is a faithful account of Wollstonecraft’s life, a life which thrummed with all the drama of the best historical fiction.
Silva’s awe of her subject is evident. However, dialogue drawing attention to the character’s fame jars like a knowing wink to the reader:
‘That’s right, sir. Mary Wollstonecraft is stronger than us all.’
Again:
‘Mary Wollstonecraft will be remembered better than all of us.’
And again:
‘Have you darn my socks, the Mary Wollstonecraft?’ (Silva’s emphasis)
Similarly, guests at Joseph Johnson’s soirée are presented as a rollcall of notables, ‘Here, William Cowper… Over there, the naturalist Erasmus Darwin…’, to be instantly recognised by Mary as though she has access to eighteenth-century social media.
The novel’s strength lies in bringing feminist, essayist and novelist Mary Wollstonecraft to a potentially new audience – for which Love and Fury can only be applauded.
My thanks to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for the ARC.
January 11, 2021
LOVE AND FURY by Samantha Silva is an astonishing and groundbreaking fictional exploration of the many facets of womanhood through the life of Mary Wollstonecraft, the early and radical feminist reformer. With lushly detailed prose, Silva captures both the maternal and less traditional experiences of a heroine who journeys from downtrodden rural England and the high society of Dublin, to revolutionary France and the forests of Norway, constantly in search of a new type of home. "What a long time it takes to know ourselves," muses Silva's Wollstonecraft, one of the most complex, kind and endearing characters in recent historical fiction. Silva surrounds this delightful creature, who is simultaneously strong and heartbreakingly vulnerable, with an array of equally colorful secondary characters: the kindly midwife, the devoted childhood friend and first love, the equally devoted network of male visionaries and philosophers who can't fail to appreciate the genius in their midst. A provocative, inspiring and timely novel, LOVE AND FURY chronicles not only a great historical figure but, just as movingly, a woman, wife and mother who learns to find love and home within herself.
May 18, 2021
Mary Wollstonecraft was an English writer, philosopher and arguably the first champion of women's rights, who lived from 1759-1797. Her life was full of trials and tribulation but she also experienced great love in her short life and found much joy in nature. One of the great struggles of her life was whether she must 'sacrifice her heart to her principles, or principles to her heart.' Can a woman have it all?
I thought the writing of this work of historical fiction was superb--lovely and touching. Mary is in labor with her second child as we meet her, being aided by the midwife, Parthenia Blenkinsop. The story is told in part by Mrs B as she observes what is happening in the Godwin household, before and after the birth of the baby who will come to be known as Mary Shelley. The other part is Mary Wollstonecraft's life story as she tells it to her newborn daughter. Fascinating! This will be a must-read for many bookclubs because there are so many issues to discuss.
I received an arc of this new novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity!
I thought the writing of this work of historical fiction was superb--lovely and touching. Mary is in labor with her second child as we meet her, being aided by the midwife, Parthenia Blenkinsop. The story is told in part by Mrs B as she observes what is happening in the Godwin household, before and after the birth of the baby who will come to be known as Mary Shelley. The other part is Mary Wollstonecraft's life story as she tells it to her newborn daughter. Fascinating! This will be a must-read for many bookclubs because there are so many issues to discuss.
I received an arc of this new novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity!
August 16, 2021
In my junior year of college, for my gender studies minor, I took a course on the history of feminism in "the European Tradition." I remember loving the class and I remember discussing Mary Wollstonecraft and Vindication of the Rights of Women, but I don't think we ever got into the details of her life that led to her groundbreaking feminist views. What a shame, because goodness, her story is absolutely wild.
Samantha Silva has constructed a fictional biography that touches on the broad points of Wollstonecraft's life and fills in the details so beautifully that, even though I knew how it would ultimately end, I couldn't stop turning the pages. From Mary's troubled childhood to her first attempt to open a school for girls to her eventual foray into motherhood, it was all fascinating. I think my only complaint is that her decision to marry felt a bit glossed over, given her long history of vehement opposition to the idea.
Samantha Silva has constructed a fictional biography that touches on the broad points of Wollstonecraft's life and fills in the details so beautifully that, even though I knew how it would ultimately end, I couldn't stop turning the pages. From Mary's troubled childhood to her first attempt to open a school for girls to her eventual foray into motherhood, it was all fascinating. I think my only complaint is that her decision to marry felt a bit glossed over, given her long history of vehement opposition to the idea.
June 18, 2021
*Big thank you to Allison&Busby for sending me a copy for review!*
I’m gonna go ahead and start this by saying of course I know who Mary Wollstonecraft is but like ... I don’t know her story in detail. So everything in this review is based on the book alone and obviously I can’t attest to how accurate or well she’s been portrayed here because I have no idea. I love how this is based on real history but just brings it to life though, an amazing concept.
This was so beautifully written and exactly my cup of tea. It was so strange, it literally felt like I was reading a genuine classic novel but it was literally written this year?! Historical fictional done so masterfully I was so impressed with the execution of the storytelling. I like the dual narrative and felt the pacing was pretty perfect, just all round well done. The characters were really well thought out and felt three dimensional, especially Mary herself.
Mary was such a loveable character - so fiery and headstrong yet there was an immense tenderness to her that I loved seeing. Her relationships with everyone in this book just felt so genuine and she’s one of those characters I just wanted to hug. I loved the way she spoke and never backed down throughout, despite being made out to have ridiculous ideas constantly. There was a great discussion of feminist issues affecting the women of the time and how even the most simple things seemed unlikely to ever change. It’s kind of crazy reading this seeing how far we’ve come, but knowing how far we have to go still.
It was really interesting and just brought Mary and her story to life in such an engaging and well done way. I enjoyed it a lot. Also that ending? So bittersweet and beautiful.
I’m gonna go ahead and start this by saying of course I know who Mary Wollstonecraft is but like ... I don’t know her story in detail. So everything in this review is based on the book alone and obviously I can’t attest to how accurate or well she’s been portrayed here because I have no idea. I love how this is based on real history but just brings it to life though, an amazing concept.
This was so beautifully written and exactly my cup of tea. It was so strange, it literally felt like I was reading a genuine classic novel but it was literally written this year?! Historical fictional done so masterfully I was so impressed with the execution of the storytelling. I like the dual narrative and felt the pacing was pretty perfect, just all round well done. The characters were really well thought out and felt three dimensional, especially Mary herself.
Mary was such a loveable character - so fiery and headstrong yet there was an immense tenderness to her that I loved seeing. Her relationships with everyone in this book just felt so genuine and she’s one of those characters I just wanted to hug. I loved the way she spoke and never backed down throughout, despite being made out to have ridiculous ideas constantly. There was a great discussion of feminist issues affecting the women of the time and how even the most simple things seemed unlikely to ever change. It’s kind of crazy reading this seeing how far we’ve come, but knowing how far we have to go still.
It was really interesting and just brought Mary and her story to life in such an engaging and well done way. I enjoyed it a lot. Also that ending? So bittersweet and beautiful.
July 13, 2023
Emotional, and Brilliant.
November 12, 2021
I had only vague bits of knowledge about Mary Wollstonecraft going into this novel, so I learned a ton about this fascinating woman. I wish it had one of those author notes at the end that lets you know what's speculation and what's known fact, but I guess I will just have to do my own research one of these days. I experienced this one as an audiobook and I wonder if that affected my enjoyment of this one. Goodreads says this one is only 288 pages, though the audiobook was ten and a half hours... I feel like I've definitely listened to longer novels in less time. And the narrator had this sort of... I dunno, portentuous...? way of speaking when she wasn't doing dialogue that I found distracting. This sort of projected, sepulchral tone that proclaimed the tale to Little Bird, Little Bird, Little Bird... (I find that a repetition of phrase tends to work better for me in print than it does in audio) I did, of course, remember enough about Wollstonecraft to realize this was going to be a very depressing ending.
June 11, 2021
*ad-pr copy gifted to me by publisher
I’m IN LOVE with this book
I’m IN LOVE with this book
June 17, 2021
"No matter what setbacks, I did push forward, went somewhere else, tried again."
I thoroughly enjoyed Samantha Silva’s previous book Mr Dickens and His Carol and she puts another literary figure, Mary Wollstonecraft, at the heart of her latest book. The author sets the novel in the perilous days following the birth of Mary’s second daughter, whom she refers to as “little bird”. Encouraged by her midwife, Mrs Blenkinsop, Mary Wollstonecraft relates the story of her life to her sickly child. It’s a story of her fight for the education of women, for personal independence and for equality.
The author provides a parallel narrative from the point of view of Mrs Blenkinsop. Not only does this allow the reader to witness the days during which both mother and daughter struggle for life, but it reveals the discrimination Mrs Blenkinsop herself has experienced at the hands of men. In this case, it’s from doctors who believe themselves more knowledgeable in medical matters than she is despite her vast practical experience.
I confess that, although I had heard of Mary Wollstonecraft, I knew little about her life. It turns out to be a life full of struggle from the beginning, growing up in a family with a violent father who sees no value in educating his daughters. Fortunately, the young Mary encounters a few men with more enlightened attitudes. The first is John Arden, father of her childhood friend Jane, who lends her books and provides a little of the learning she denied to her by her father. As Mary puts it, he sees her “nothingness as something worth filling”.
Inspired to transform her beliefs in to practical action, Mary opens a school alongside her two sisters and her dear friend Fanny Blood, with the aim to educate girls to ‘think for themselves’. Anticipating by some centuries the campagins for female education in poorer countries around the world, she argues, “Reform the girl, reform the world”.
Later, London publisher Joseph Johnson recognises Mary’s talent for writing and publishes her first book. He also finds her lodgings and around his dinner table she is introduced to influential figures of the day such as naturalist Erasmus Darwin (grandfather of Charles), poet William Cowper and artist Henry Fuseli. Johnson also employs Mary to write reviews of novels and I had to chuckle as I read her scathing comments on what she perceives to be the favourite female ingredients for a novel, which include ‘ridiculous characters’ and ‘improbable incidents’.
Attracted by the idealism of the slogan Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité, Mary travels to revolutionary Paris but soon becomes disillusioned by the reality of what she sees. However, it is in Paris that she meets the men – businessman, Gilbert Imlay and journalist, William Godwin – who will become fathers to her two daughters. The first turns out to be a poor example of the male sex but Godwin proves himself to be a devoted father, as touching scenes in the book illustrate. Indeed, I would have welcomed witnessing more of the relationship between Mary and William which, even if not formalized in law, seems to have been a marriage of minds.
Throughout the book, Mary’s appreciation for the natural world shines through. For example, there are lyrical descriptions of landscape as Mary travels through Sweden and Norway on a ‘midsummer journey in the great, wild north’. Indeed, what she describes as ‘the healing embrace of the natural world’ enables her to forget for a time recent disappointments in her personal life and take up her pen once again.
Love and Fury is a fascinating insight into the life of a remarkable woman whose philosophy can probably best be summed up in the words given to her in the book. “Never be weak… Never submit, never cower… Struggle to the death with any obstacles rather than fall into a state of dependence.”
I thoroughly enjoyed Samantha Silva’s previous book Mr Dickens and His Carol and she puts another literary figure, Mary Wollstonecraft, at the heart of her latest book. The author sets the novel in the perilous days following the birth of Mary’s second daughter, whom she refers to as “little bird”. Encouraged by her midwife, Mrs Blenkinsop, Mary Wollstonecraft relates the story of her life to her sickly child. It’s a story of her fight for the education of women, for personal independence and for equality.
The author provides a parallel narrative from the point of view of Mrs Blenkinsop. Not only does this allow the reader to witness the days during which both mother and daughter struggle for life, but it reveals the discrimination Mrs Blenkinsop herself has experienced at the hands of men. In this case, it’s from doctors who believe themselves more knowledgeable in medical matters than she is despite her vast practical experience.
I confess that, although I had heard of Mary Wollstonecraft, I knew little about her life. It turns out to be a life full of struggle from the beginning, growing up in a family with a violent father who sees no value in educating his daughters. Fortunately, the young Mary encounters a few men with more enlightened attitudes. The first is John Arden, father of her childhood friend Jane, who lends her books and provides a little of the learning she denied to her by her father. As Mary puts it, he sees her “nothingness as something worth filling”.
Inspired to transform her beliefs in to practical action, Mary opens a school alongside her two sisters and her dear friend Fanny Blood, with the aim to educate girls to ‘think for themselves’. Anticipating by some centuries the campagins for female education in poorer countries around the world, she argues, “Reform the girl, reform the world”.
Later, London publisher Joseph Johnson recognises Mary’s talent for writing and publishes her first book. He also finds her lodgings and around his dinner table she is introduced to influential figures of the day such as naturalist Erasmus Darwin (grandfather of Charles), poet William Cowper and artist Henry Fuseli. Johnson also employs Mary to write reviews of novels and I had to chuckle as I read her scathing comments on what she perceives to be the favourite female ingredients for a novel, which include ‘ridiculous characters’ and ‘improbable incidents’.
Attracted by the idealism of the slogan Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité, Mary travels to revolutionary Paris but soon becomes disillusioned by the reality of what she sees. However, it is in Paris that she meets the men – businessman, Gilbert Imlay and journalist, William Godwin – who will become fathers to her two daughters. The first turns out to be a poor example of the male sex but Godwin proves himself to be a devoted father, as touching scenes in the book illustrate. Indeed, I would have welcomed witnessing more of the relationship between Mary and William which, even if not formalized in law, seems to have been a marriage of minds.
Throughout the book, Mary’s appreciation for the natural world shines through. For example, there are lyrical descriptions of landscape as Mary travels through Sweden and Norway on a ‘midsummer journey in the great, wild north’. Indeed, what she describes as ‘the healing embrace of the natural world’ enables her to forget for a time recent disappointments in her personal life and take up her pen once again.
Love and Fury is a fascinating insight into the life of a remarkable woman whose philosophy can probably best be summed up in the words given to her in the book. “Never be weak… Never submit, never cower… Struggle to the death with any obstacles rather than fall into a state of dependence.”
June 10, 2021
2.5 rounded up
The year is 1797 and Love and Fury: A Novel of Mary Wollstonecraft opens with Mary Wollstonecraft giving birth to Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, with both struggling to cling on to life. The novel describes Wollstonecraft as 'the first feminist', and paints a nuanced but bleak portrait of being an early feminist and struggling for women's rights in the 18th century. The story is told through alternating chapters - between Mary Wollstonecraft and her nursemaid, Mrs. B, who tells the birth story from her perspective.
I found this to be an enjoyable but not exceptional piece of historical fiction, and one which would be good as an introduction to Wollstonecraft's life and views.
Thank you Netgalley and Allison & Busby for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.
The year is 1797 and Love and Fury: A Novel of Mary Wollstonecraft opens with Mary Wollstonecraft giving birth to Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, with both struggling to cling on to life. The novel describes Wollstonecraft as 'the first feminist', and paints a nuanced but bleak portrait of being an early feminist and struggling for women's rights in the 18th century. The story is told through alternating chapters - between Mary Wollstonecraft and her nursemaid, Mrs. B, who tells the birth story from her perspective.
I found this to be an enjoyable but not exceptional piece of historical fiction, and one which would be good as an introduction to Wollstonecraft's life and views.
Thank you Netgalley and Allison & Busby for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.
September 10, 2024
Mary Wollstonecraft escreveu a "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman" em 1792, criando uma das primeiras obras em defesa dos direitos das mulheres, tornando-se pioneira do feminismo e num dos grandes nomes da filosofia britânica. Em 1797, dava à luz Mary Shelley, morrendo 11 dias depois. 20 anos depois, Shelley dava-nos "Frankenstein" (1818), o primeiro grande livro de ficção-científica, e uma das obras mais emblemáticas da literatura inglesa. Ao contrário do expectável, Wollstonecraft não nasceu num berço de ouro, nem foi estimulada a estudar, antes pelo contrário. “Love and Fury” (2021) de Samantha Silva usa os 11 dias após o parto para ficcionar um monólogo de Wollstonecraft dirigido à sua filha, “little bird”, dando conta da sua biografia. Não sendo uma obra notável na revelação de factos, nem na interpretação da vida da filósofa, é uma viagem adorável pelo interior da mente, especulada, de Wollstonecraft, que nos permite descobrir a força e acuidade do caráter desta intrépida mulher.
4.5/5
Publicado, com excertos, no Nx: https://narrativax.blogspot.com/2024/...
4.5/5
Publicado, com excertos, no Nx: https://narrativax.blogspot.com/2024/...
November 6, 2022
I didn’t love this but maybe I was asking too much of the book? Romantic Outlaws set the bar high and this historical fiction felt shallow, with this Mary feeling more Disney-fied and one-dimensional (and the author’s depiction pretty uncritical and one-liner-y). It felt shallow and the structure, though ambitious, didn’t leave enough room for any of the characters to breathe or feel. What’s more, the author felt afraid to call things what they were a lot of the time, with her suicide attempts coming across as murky and a little bit out of nowhere. Because the characterizations were a bit too-idealized, too perfect, too fictional, the nods to Mary’s low points felt like something to get through and make lessons out of rather than anything to contemplate or take seriously.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2021
This stunning novel serves as a love letter to the genius of pioneering feminist and writer, Mary Wollstonecraft, while also painting a picture of the very real, sensitive woman behind the legend.
Sticking true to historical events and paying suitable homage to the strength and lyricism of Wollstonecraft’s own work, Silva’s stunning prose evokes the time period to great effect, with much of the action taking place against the brutal backdrop of the French Revolution. Wollstonecraft’s life is a fascinating one full of bittersweet contradictions; an abundance of passion, joy, defiance, success, ridicule, and heartbreak packed into her much-too-short life.
Silva does an excellent job of celebrating her subject’s sharp intellect and early push for equality, exploring issues of gender, class, and sexuality with nuance and grace, as Wollstonecraft strives to resist a system structured to keep women down. That said, the book never feels like an academic text or a dot-to-dot biography. Wollstonecraft was a leader in many respects but she was also a human being, susceptible to the same flaws and tragedies as the rest of us. I think Silva handled the balance of reverence and honesty in portraying her heroine with aplomb.
Structured as a dual narrative, the story jumps between Wollstonecraft’s own retelling of her life, and her midwife Mrs B’s perspective of the days immediately following the birth of Wollstonecraft’s second child. This baby, of course, is none other than Mary Shelley, who would go on to secure her own legacy as a boundary breaking writer, but whose life would be marked by equal sorrow and strife. With most readers likely aware that their lives overlapped by just 10 days or so, the structure adds a further dose of poignancy, as the timelines edge closer together and inevitable tragedy looms.
Still, Wollstonecraft’s story is not without hope. We see moments of genuine happiness won through her determination to live freely. With the birth of her daughter, destined to become a legend in her own right, and the powerful impression she makes on Mrs B in her final days, Wollstonecraft’s place in history is secured; her role in women’s emancipation undeniable.
Whether familiar with Wollstonecraft yet or not, this is a gorgeous, evocative read; a character study that is equal turns inspiring, captivating, and moving.
Sticking true to historical events and paying suitable homage to the strength and lyricism of Wollstonecraft’s own work, Silva’s stunning prose evokes the time period to great effect, with much of the action taking place against the brutal backdrop of the French Revolution. Wollstonecraft’s life is a fascinating one full of bittersweet contradictions; an abundance of passion, joy, defiance, success, ridicule, and heartbreak packed into her much-too-short life.
Silva does an excellent job of celebrating her subject’s sharp intellect and early push for equality, exploring issues of gender, class, and sexuality with nuance and grace, as Wollstonecraft strives to resist a system structured to keep women down. That said, the book never feels like an academic text or a dot-to-dot biography. Wollstonecraft was a leader in many respects but she was also a human being, susceptible to the same flaws and tragedies as the rest of us. I think Silva handled the balance of reverence and honesty in portraying her heroine with aplomb.
Structured as a dual narrative, the story jumps between Wollstonecraft’s own retelling of her life, and her midwife Mrs B’s perspective of the days immediately following the birth of Wollstonecraft’s second child. This baby, of course, is none other than Mary Shelley, who would go on to secure her own legacy as a boundary breaking writer, but whose life would be marked by equal sorrow and strife. With most readers likely aware that their lives overlapped by just 10 days or so, the structure adds a further dose of poignancy, as the timelines edge closer together and inevitable tragedy looms.
Still, Wollstonecraft’s story is not without hope. We see moments of genuine happiness won through her determination to live freely. With the birth of her daughter, destined to become a legend in her own right, and the powerful impression she makes on Mrs B in her final days, Wollstonecraft’s place in history is secured; her role in women’s emancipation undeniable.
Whether familiar with Wollstonecraft yet or not, this is a gorgeous, evocative read; a character study that is equal turns inspiring, captivating, and moving.
January 19, 2024
A beautifully written, intense historical fiction imagining the early years and final days of Mary Wollstonecraft's life. Silva does not shy away from the fury in this short book. I was glued and moved to tears near the end. Maybe a couple moments of modern 'sensibilities' applied to an 18th century character, but not too distracting. I wish I was more curious about Dickens (to read her other novel), Ms Silva please publish more!
Thank you Libro.fm for the advance copy
Thank you Libro.fm for the advance copy
August 13, 2025
Really well written, a few lines were so beautiful that they got me teary-eyed! Also I really enjoyed the present day narrative with Mrs. Blenkinsop's POV detailing the ten days between Mary Shelley's birth and Mary Wollstonecraft's death (one of the greatest losses in English history in my view). Mrs. B felt like a real and relatable character and we got to see Mary through her eyes. The period detail in these chapters was really interesting, including the sort of tension between Mrs. B as a more traditional/natural-based midwife versus the doctors who were more scientific but less concerned about compassionate care/cleanliness. I think we actually need more stories about Wollstonecraft (it's really wild we don't have a biopic yet), so I love that Silva took this on and loved her framing narrative of Mary telling the story of her life to her newborn daughter as she knows death is approaching.
A few complaints which prevent this from being a 5 star read for me:
-some of the chapters felt like Silva was rushing through the events in Wollstonecraft's life almost like detailing them in a Wikipedia article, rather than trying to get us to feel and experience her life
-she ended the book/Mary's story of her life with her attempted suicide at Putney Bridge, which I understand that she framed as a rebirth, but I was disappointed that we didn't get to read about her getting together with Godwin
-I would have liked for Mary's ideas and philosophies to have been included more in the book, sometimes it focused more on events than her feelings and development as a writer and philosopher
Overall, would recommend for people looking to learn more about Mary Wollstonecraft but still feel there is room for more fictionalizations of the Mother of Feminism.
A few complaints which prevent this from being a 5 star read for me:
-some of the chapters felt like Silva was rushing through the events in Wollstonecraft's life almost like detailing them in a Wikipedia article, rather than trying to get us to feel and experience her life
-she ended the book/Mary's story of her life with her attempted suicide at Putney Bridge, which I understand that she framed as a rebirth, but I was disappointed that we didn't get to read about her getting together with Godwin
-I would have liked for Mary's ideas and philosophies to have been included more in the book, sometimes it focused more on events than her feelings and development as a writer and philosopher
Overall, would recommend for people looking to learn more about Mary Wollstonecraft but still feel there is room for more fictionalizations of the Mother of Feminism.
September 29, 2022
5/5 stars - how can there exist a novel THIS BEAUTIFUL.
“Sorrow, my sweet girl, will bring you to your knees, time and again, but so will beauty, so too love, enough to rise again, to try again to live as all beings wish to live: free.”
Silva exquisitely and delicately portrayed the struggles and triumphs of women primarily through the lens of Mary Wollstonecraft, mother of Mary Shelley(!!), advocate, writer, philosopher, and no doubt a great force to be reckoned with during her time. also the writing was IMMACULATE.
I'm actually offended that Buzzfeed's review of the book was 'a thought-provoking, beautifully written story of mothers and daughters'. this book was SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT!! it wasn't just about mothers and daughters but a timeless tale on what it means to be a WOMAN, whether it's on women within the context of a male-dominated world or simply women as human beings. women with the freedom think, to want, to reflect, to feel their emotions fully, to cultivate their sense of self and challenge what has been prescribed to them. to ponder on happiness and sadness, life and death, identity shaped from within and in tandem with movements in the external world.
I enjoyed the alternating chapters between Mary and Mrs. B!! Mrs. B's short chapters lent the story an even greater sense of sentimentalism, with the two meeting under a more delicate and vulnerable setting. especially since Mary's own chapters were recollections of her more youthful experiences, Mrs. B's perspective helped readers to really see who Mary Wollstonecraft eventually grew to be.
“What a long time it takes to know ourselves, little bird, and yet all of us know more than we are willing to own, even to ourselves. But I rejoice at having turned, in that strange solitude, a new page in the history of my own heart.” thank you Silva for this treasure of a book!! reading it has been such an honour!!!
“Sorrow, my sweet girl, will bring you to your knees, time and again, but so will beauty, so too love, enough to rise again, to try again to live as all beings wish to live: free.”
Silva exquisitely and delicately portrayed the struggles and triumphs of women primarily through the lens of Mary Wollstonecraft, mother of Mary Shelley(!!), advocate, writer, philosopher, and no doubt a great force to be reckoned with during her time. also the writing was IMMACULATE.
I'm actually offended that Buzzfeed's review of the book was 'a thought-provoking, beautifully written story of mothers and daughters'. this book was SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT!! it wasn't just about mothers and daughters but a timeless tale on what it means to be a WOMAN, whether it's on women within the context of a male-dominated world or simply women as human beings. women with the freedom think, to want, to reflect, to feel their emotions fully, to cultivate their sense of self and challenge what has been prescribed to them. to ponder on happiness and sadness, life and death, identity shaped from within and in tandem with movements in the external world.
I enjoyed the alternating chapters between Mary and Mrs. B!! Mrs. B's short chapters lent the story an even greater sense of sentimentalism, with the two meeting under a more delicate and vulnerable setting. especially since Mary's own chapters were recollections of her more youthful experiences, Mrs. B's perspective helped readers to really see who Mary Wollstonecraft eventually grew to be.
“What a long time it takes to know ourselves, little bird, and yet all of us know more than we are willing to own, even to ourselves. But I rejoice at having turned, in that strange solitude, a new page in the history of my own heart.” thank you Silva for this treasure of a book!! reading it has been such an honour!!!
August 16, 2022
Omajagu on loetud raamatuid, mis räägivad tugevatest naistest, neist kes enne meid julgesid meestele öelda, et naised on ka inimesed ja me tohime samuti mõelda, õppida, otsustada jne. Selles suhtes sarnanes see teos teiste taolistega. Ühelt poolt on tegu nurka raamatuga, kus ema hääbub andes elu lapsele, keda ta väga ootas ja, et Mary Shelly ei saanudki emaarmastust tunda.
Teisalt M.W mälestused on põnevad, sest kuigi ma tean Shellyst ühte koma teist, polnud ma tema emast midagi lugenud varasemalt. Otseselt mingit üllatust raamat ei pakkunud. Hoolimata ideaalidest oleme kõik ikkagi inimesed ja meid juhib kirg ning kui vapper keegi ka poleks, siis mingi hetk isegi kõige andunum feminist armub ja unustab enda kehtestatud reeglid. Seega raamat räägib inimlikkusest, julgusest unistada, murda välja raamidest, naiseks olemisest jne. Sobib kõigile, kes naudivad ajaloolisi romaane.
Teisalt M.W mälestused on põnevad, sest kuigi ma tean Shellyst ühte koma teist, polnud ma tema emast midagi lugenud varasemalt. Otseselt mingit üllatust raamat ei pakkunud. Hoolimata ideaalidest oleme kõik ikkagi inimesed ja meid juhib kirg ning kui vapper keegi ka poleks, siis mingi hetk isegi kõige andunum feminist armub ja unustab enda kehtestatud reeglid. Seega raamat räägib inimlikkusest, julgusest unistada, murda välja raamidest, naiseks olemisest jne. Sobib kõigile, kes naudivad ajaloolisi romaane.
May 2, 2023
Finding this book was like finding a treasure.
The truth is that I had no idea who the mother of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was and it was a pleasure to meet her through this book.
Stupendous prose and a sensitivity to flesh out the story that undoubtedly does justice to the value of the protagonist of the story whose life has undoubtedly laid the foundations for today's feminism. How complicated it must have been for this woman, living in her time.
I highly recommend it and the truth is that I don't understand how it is that this book does not have more diffusion and how it did not come into my hands before.
Simply magnificent.
The truth is that I had no idea who the mother of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was and it was a pleasure to meet her through this book.
Stupendous prose and a sensitivity to flesh out the story that undoubtedly does justice to the value of the protagonist of the story whose life has undoubtedly laid the foundations for today's feminism. How complicated it must have been for this woman, living in her time.
I highly recommend it and the truth is that I don't understand how it is that this book does not have more diffusion and how it did not come into my hands before.
Simply magnificent.
May 24, 2025
Te amo, Mary Wollstonecraft.
Un libro hermoso, con una pluma preciosa. Por un lado, seguimos los últimos días de la vida de Mary Wollstonecraft después de haber dado a luz a su segunda hija, Mary Shelley, narrado por la partera Mrs. Blenkinsop. Por el otro, tenemos a Mary contándole su vida a su hija, con sus altos y sus bajos.
No sé qué más decir. Me encantó. Si aman a Mary Shelley y no conocen a Mary Wollstonecraft, denle una oportunidad a este libro porque la van a amar.
Un libro hermoso, con una pluma preciosa. Por un lado, seguimos los últimos días de la vida de Mary Wollstonecraft después de haber dado a luz a su segunda hija, Mary Shelley, narrado por la partera Mrs. Blenkinsop. Por el otro, tenemos a Mary contándole su vida a su hija, con sus altos y sus bajos.
No sé qué más decir. Me encantó. Si aman a Mary Shelley y no conocen a Mary Wollstonecraft, denle una oportunidad a este libro porque la van a amar.
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