Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

Her Lost Words: A Novel of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley by Stephanie Marie Thornton

2 reviews

imogensinklings's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Blood, Miscarriage, Animal cruelty, and Child death

carireadsbooksandtarot's review

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

 

Thornton brings to life two extraordinary women authors whose work changed the world, paving the way for countless women after them. Mary Wollstonecraft was just thirty-eight years old when she died shortly after giving birth to her daughter. She lives on in her sentinel work, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, and her daughter, Mary who grows up to pen the masterpiece, Frankenstein. In alternating chapters, readers are invited into each of the women’s lives as they both forsake society to write, live, and love with a degree of freedom unheard of for most women of the period. 

 

I knew next to nothing about the lives of either Wollstonecraft or Shelley and thoroughly enjoyed this well-researched and beautifully written novel. Both mother and daughter were pioneers in the arena of women’s rights in the late 18th and early 19th century. Joining them on their travels was fascinating and being invited to imagine what their relationships might have been like felt like a rare privilege. Once I got into a rhythm, it was hard to put this book down. 

 

I have a particular fondness for fictional narratives about real women from history considering how many women’s stories are completely lost to time. Thornton has done a service to Wollstonecraft and Shelley by bringing them to life with skill and respect. Thornton is especially good at putting words to emotions, from the highs of enduring love to the lows of unimaginable loss. I will be checking out her backlist. 

 

Thank you to The Book Drop and its Books for Tea subscription which reliably sends me brilliant works of historical fiction that I wouldn’t have found on my own. I can’t recommend this subscription highly enough! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death and Miscarriage

Minor: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse