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Description
"Midwife Parthenia Blenkinsop has delivered countless babies over the course of her career, and when she arrives at Mary Wollstonecraft's door, everything appears normal. But after the baby girl is delivered, the women will spend the next harrowing days together, fighting for the survival of both mother and daughter. Over those eleven days, 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 keep her fragile daughter alive and give her a reason to fight, 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 for centuries to come. In radiant, emotionally gripping 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 and passing along that legacy to her daughter"--… (more)
User reviews
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.
The story is told in backflashes as
In Paris she fell in love with an American and had his child. Still her struggles continued.
The setting of the book is interesting as are many of the real historical characters; however, I'm not sure about the method of telling - particularly her reference to "my little bird" so constantly referring to her new born daughter (Mary Shelley). Her philosophy is so "up front" and at times takes over from the story. Ok read, - just not great.