Outlier here.

There are many readers out there who will love this book. (And seeing all the four/five star views confirms this.) Unfortunately, as much as I wish otherwise, the book wasn't a four/five star read for me.

That is not to say that Her Lost Words isn't very well written, because it is. Thornton nails the period speech and mannerisms. Her research is amazing as well. However, I had difficulty connecting with either character. Why? I can't really say. That's why this is a difficult review. I can't pinpoint anything truly wrong with the book.

I did start to become more invested toward the end, especially in Italy when Shelly was taken ill. I also learned a lot. For example, while I knew Lord Bryon was a womanizer, I didn't know the depths of his behavior. The man was a class A jerk.

My bottom line is this: Mary Wollstonecraft and her daughter, Mary Shelley were women far ahead of their time. They deserve to have their stories told, and I'm very grateful to Stephanie Marie Thornton for bringing them to life. While the book wasn't the perfect read for me, it will be for many people. Read it and judge for yourselves.

Her Lost Words
Stephanie Marie Thornton
Pub Date MR 28, 2023
Berkely
Historical Fiction
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
This book is incredibly inspiring. It is very easy to follow the lives of these two women, even if your knowledge is limited, like mine was.
I recommend this book with my whole heart,
Brilliantly written.
4 stars

Well done and fascinating. Really interesting and quite different. Kudos to Thorton for coming up with something that hasn't been done before!

Pub date: 3/28/23
Genre: historical fiction (based on real people)
Quick summary: Mary Wollstonecraft and her daughter Mary Shelley are two writers extraordinaire - this the story of their lives and their words.

As a Mary myself, I found myself drawn to this story of two historical Marys. Mary Shelley is the more famous one today due to her novel FRANKENSTEIN, but Wollstonecraft's writing is still widely read and taught. I think Thornton did a good job telling the two stories, drawing parallels between the women and their struggles in love and work.

I enjoyed seeing the French Revolution setting through Wollstonecraft's eyes; the highlight of the Shelley timeline was her interactions (and misadventures) with Percy Shelley and Lord Byron. I was also interested in how Wollstonecraft's death immediately after giving birth to Shelley shaped Shelley's life. Reader beware: this book is less about the Marys' work and more about their lives, including their various love affairs. While the book is a bit long for my taste (448 pages), the ending was strong, and I enjoyed getting to know these women. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Berkley and @letstalkbookspromo for my e-ARC and @PRHAudio for my complimentary audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Her Lost Words A Novel of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley is a beautifully crafted, spellbinding, heartbreaking tale of a mother and daughter whose paths tragically cross for only a handful of days—but who share the same passion, creativity, and thirst for understanding the depths of the human heart. This novel is intriguing. I won’t forget an ode to motherhood, love, and two brilliant women who changed the world with their words.

I am especially pleased to share an amazing new historical fiction that highlights two fabulous female authors.

I was initially introduced to Mary Wollstonecraft's writing through historical romances with strong female protagonists. In many ways, Mary Wollstonecraft is the forerunner to much of modern feminist thinking. And though I had forgotten, she was also Mary Shelley's mother.

The book was told in first person with alternating chapters from Mary Wallstonecraft and Mary Godwin/Shelley. Though I knew a bit of the history of both women separately, I especially appreciated the choice to pair them in this way. Reading their alternating perspectives made the choices and feelings of each all the richer.

Mary Wallstonecraft is best known for writing A Vindication of the Rights of Women. She advocated for women's education, suffrage, the right to divorce and property. I had not known of her additional writings on the French Revolution or travel. So I learned a great deal reading this.

I especially appreciated the Author's Note in which Stephanie Marie Thornton clarified when and how she changed facts for a simpler story (especially in terms of so many women named Mary). As she describes it herself, this book is a love letter to both Mary Wallstonecraft and Mary Shelley and to the amazing writing both did.

The narration was done by two women: Grace Gray as Mary Shelley and Hannah Curtis as Mary Wallstonecraft. I found it quite helpful that their voices were different in following which story I was listening to at the time.

CW: domestic violence, suicide, loss of a child

4.5 stars rounded up

This book is SO GOOD! Every time I picked up "Her Lost Words", I was whisked back in time, and went on such an emotional journey with this book.

Stephanie Marie Thornton is such a phenomenal writer. Her writing style is vivid, visceral, detailed, descriptive, and INCREDIBLY well-researched. I can only imagine the amount of research she must have done, as I felt completely immersed in the world of this book from the first page to the last.

This novel tells the story of writers, mother and daughter, Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley. Their writing truly brought together the past and the present, and both were such strong and intelligent women. This book truly has so much in it: heartbreak, hope, love, and is so moving. Both women were ahead of their times in many ways, and fought for what they believed in. I do not want to say too much about the plot due to spoilers, but, I will say, this book is simply so gripping, and truly impossible to put down.

If you enjoy historical fiction novels, I highly recommend this book! I so look forward to reading what Ms. Thornton writes next.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC of this book, and to Berkley Publishing Group for having me as part of the book tour for this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

✍️ 𝗣𝗨𝗕 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 ✍️

Thank you #berkleypartner @berkleypub #BerkleyIG #penguinrandomhousepartner. And happy pub day to this magnificent reimagining of the stories of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley.

𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀
𝗕𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗻
𝟰𝟰𝟴 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
𝗣𝘂𝗯: 𝟯/𝟮𝟴/𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 - 𝗢𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆!

💭𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: I have been raving about this book lately (in my stories, in comments, in DMs, etc). I can't recommend Her Lost Words enough. Because while it's full of unspeakable tragedy and loss, it's also incredibly inspiring and so, so brilliantly written.

Admittedly, I knew next to nothing about Mary Wollstonecraft or Mary Shelley, outside of their most famous works: 𝑨 𝑽𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑾𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 and 𝑭𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒊𝒏, respectively. And I had no idea they were mother and daughter. So I worried that my lack of background knowledge may impact my experience. It did not. The reader need not have any prior knowledge of either woman to become completely enamored by this gorgeous novel. In fact, one thing I especially loved was how the author made this so accessible. It was also very easy to follow, while still staying true to the language of the times.

I found it so fascinating the way these two women's lives often paralleled one another, and how much they had in common despite never really knowing one another. I appreciated the author's creative liberties (listen to the author's note at the end), and that ending was *chef's kiss*! 🤌🏼

Her Lost Words is a captivating tribute to two inspiring, courageous women whose work paved the path for the women who came after, and I recommend it with my whole heart. ❤️
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Thank you so much to @berkleypub for the free book 🫶

📝The chapters of this book alternate back and forth to tell the stories of Mary Wollstonecraft and her daughter Mary (Godwin) Shelley.

📝While it took me a few chapters to really get into the characters and understand all that was happening in each setting, but once I did, I was really hooked.

📝As with all historical fiction, this book had me running to Google over and over to see what was indeed fact and what was conjecture. So much was true to history!!

📝I loved the parts where Mary Shelley was theorizing about writing Frankenstein the most and wished more time was dedicated to that portion since it interested me the most.

📝Overall, I enjoyed learning more about these two women that did so much for women's rights and literature 💞

Her Lost Words by Stephanie Marie Thornton is filled with scandal, despair, and angst.

There is so much tragedy as the story unfolds, with some light here and there. The book is told by two women in alternating chapters and at different times. One is Mary Wollstonecraft and the other is her daughter, Mary Goodwin Shelley.

The tale begins in 1775 with the prologue and ends in 1835 with the epilogue. The story would have had a better flow if Mary Wollstonecraft’s story had been told in its entirety and then that of her daughter.

I found it difficult to initially get into the story since it was choppy, with the story told from two different points of view. Once I got through them, it picked up, and it was easier to keep the people straight.

The story is mainly set in England, then France, during the revolution, Switzerland, Italy, and other countries. There are parallels between the mother and daughter’s lives and Mary’s stepsister, Claire.

Mary’s stepmother was a cold woman, but her father was stern and didn’t show much affection. There is a lot of loss as these extraordinary women, who were before their times, tried to live the lives they wanted—even if society didn’t approve. While they are unknown to me, many other characters are recognizable—Byron, Shelley, Thomas Paine, and Robespierre, among others.

Writing and poetry were critical in the book, and Her Lost Words was a meaningful title that we learn of toward the end of the book. The story has a lot of death, sadness, and pain—readers can feel their melancholy.

I especially appreciated The Author’s Note, Recommended Reading, and Readers Guide, which were thoughtfully provided.

Her Lost Words is historical fiction based on actual events laced with creativity throughout, which makes for a compelling read. However, this book was a heavy lift, as darkness pervaded much of the story.

Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
Her Lost Words by Stephanie Marie Thornton is a dual timeline historical fiction based on the real lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and her daughter Mary Shelley. Both were passionate women of their time and Mary Shelley eventually wrote the groundbreaking novel, Frankenstein.

Story Recap:
Mary Wollstonecraft was a revolutionary woman and did not live a conventional life, especially during the end of the 17th century, when women were not allowed many rights at all. She wrote “A Vindication of the Rights of Women” which made Mary one of the first feminists of the modern era. She supported herself with her revolutionary writing until she had an affair that changed her mind about love, romance, and marriage and gave her a daughter.

Marry Shelley, the daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft, misses her mother’s guidance as she grows up. She learns to read and write by tracing the letters on her mother’s tombstone. She marries the famous poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley and struggles with marriage and motherhood. She learns more about her unconventional mother and turns to write stories and becomes the author of Frankenstein.

My Thoughts:
I didn’t know much at all about Mary Wollstonecraft and her daughter Mary Shelley before reading this book, and I’m so glad to know about them now. They are both passionate women who didn’t bow down to societal expectations.

The book is beautifully written and it pulled me right in. I loved both stories equally and loved both Marys. I love a story about women who fight the system and each of these women did that and succeeded in their own way.

Recommendation:
I highly recommend Her Lost Words to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Mary Wollstonecraft. Mary Shelley. Mother and daughter. Both authors. For Mary Wollstonecraft, her very notable writing was an iconic piece of literature that focused on women’s rights, a ground-breaking piece of literature that pushed the rights of women, especially that we are equal to men. The year was 1792, and sadly Mary W. passed away soon after the birth of her second daughter, Mary Shelley. After her death, her her husband published her memoirs and they were presented in such a way that had a negative impact on the feminist movement in its earliest stages.

Mary S. was forced to grow up without her mother. Always wanting to know more and more about her mother in the legacy that she was certain was connected to her mother, she made several decisions that changed the course of her young life. While at a young age, marriage to a handsome poet, did not set the course for an easy life for Mary S. Nonetheless, she was truly her mothers daughter and before the age of 21, she wrote the volume Frankenstein. Although the name was different, and she was not at first recognized for writing the book, just as her mother wrote something groundbreaking, this was the first science-fiction of its type.

Historical fiction is something that is very important. Although the author took took some literary license with this book, the story of both women was one that was very inspiring and encouraged me to learn even more about both of these powerful women. Both of them had difficult home lives, experiencing trauma that might trigger sensitive people. Although dark at times, the story was one of loss, but also of survival. A book where the work that emanated from these two women can prove to be one that will be uplifting too many readers.

Many thanks to Berkley Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

✨ Review ✨

A big thank you to @berkleypub @netgalley for this #gifted copy of #HerLostWords !! Available 3/28!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Her Lost Words by Stephanie Marie Thornton

A novel about the lives of literary legends, Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley, who also happen to be mother and daughter.

What it has to offer:

👒 Historical
📜 Women’s Rights
🎭 Family Drama
⏳ Dual Timelines

Quick thoughts:

✨ Women’s rights are at the forefront.
✨ Interesting relationships.
✨ Rich in detail.
✨ Somewhat slow pace.

A richly detailed account of a mother and daughters mirroring life stories, both filled with love and sacrifice.

Overall thoughts:

📝 The writing was definitely the kind you have to pay attention too. It felt carefully crafted and painted a detailed picture. The pace did feel a bit slow at times.

👒 Jumping back and forth between the 1700’s and the 1800’s, it didn’t feel like there was a distinct difference between the two eras. They felt very similar which I think was kind of a comment on women’s rights and how little things had changed for women over time.

📜 Women’s rights were really threaded throughout this entire novel. Both Mary’s really lived against the grain and chose unconventional paths in life, yet; still wrestled with what rights for women should really look like in practice not just in theory.

🎭 This was filled with family drama. Not only stemming from the family one is born into but also drama coming the family one creates.

⏳ Dual timelines explore both women’s journeys. Many times their storylines mirrored one another which I really liked especially seeing as how they’re mother and daughter. It was interesting watching actions repeated with similar yet different outcomes.

💔 Although this novel was interesting it was missing something that could really suck me into the story.

💜 My favorite part was watching the characters deal with the implications of their actions. The choices they made were really against the norm for the time period which made them all the more fascinating.

If you’re curious about Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley then give this a read!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Berkley Publishing in exchange for my honest opinion.

Genre: Historical Fiction (with a dose of romance)
Content Warnings: Opens with abuse
Format: Dual POV in two time periods

Sure, I knew who Mary Shelley was, but I didn't know anything about her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, a pioneer of women's rights during the Enlightenment. HER LOST WORDS follows these two women, their transformation, and how their work changed the world. The author, Thornton, makes a good compare and contrast of their lives for us to draw parallels to our day.

I was absolutely fascinated. And ended up loving both timelines.

In addition to feminism and ideal of equality, this story reveals the women's love lives. The tragedies and losses. The hoped for affection. And even the growth of unexpected love. I was quite surprised at how things worked out. Especially with Jane (Mary Shelley's stepmother..)

One of the key elements that makes this book so interesting is that Mary Shelley never knew her mother. Mary Shelley's desire to know her mother better led her decisions in many ways.

Both Marys lived during a time of strict social censure against women expressing their thoughts or being valued outside of motherhood and as a wife. It's curious to see how much has changed and yet, how much we still judge other women for their choices. (And I'm sure I'm as guilty of this as the next person.) But further, society still has expectations for women that are not present for men. The author does a wonderful job of helping the reader to find those parallels as well.

As you read this book, consider monsters. Who are the monsters? What do monsters do? How did Mary's life bring her to write FRANKENSTEIN. This is a book you're going to see in book clubs—I guarantee it.

I felt like the women were friends I could talk to over dinner instead of women from the past. That's something I love about historical fiction.

And author notes are always part of my favorite things about historical fiction. They're a must-read.

Yes! I recommend this book.

Happy reading!

𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬
𝐁𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝟑.𝟐𝟖.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑
𝒪𝓊𝓉 𝒮𝑜𝑜𝓃!


Thank you @berkleypub and @letstalkbookspromo for a gifted ebook.

I was well acquainted with Mary Shelley’s work Frankenstein, but I was unaware that her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft was a radical feminist author. This well-crafted novel unites these two brilliant women, mother and daughter, as unfortunately they never had the chance in life.

In 1797, Mary’s mother died in childbirth. And while she goes on to meet the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and pen the classic 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐧 while only a teenager, she longs to know the truth of why her mother is vilified. She reads her mother’s great work 𝐀 𝐕𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧, as well as her mother’s journal pages.

𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 is a blend of these two women’s lives. Wollstonecraft was a staunch proponent of equal rights for women; she sat at the men’s table and made her voice known. She traveled from London to France's bloody streets during the revolution's height. At the same time, Mary Shelley longed for the great classic love affair only to suffer great loss.

𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭, 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨!


✍️The Author’s Notes are a fascinating read as well.


📚𝙷𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚜' 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔𝚜?

This was an intriguing story full of longing and regret.

As most my followers will tell you, I'm not a fan of dual points of view. I find them tedious and place a break in the story that stops the flow of the writing. Not my cup of tea. However, Stephanie Marie Thornton is a wonderful writer. She has a wonderful way of weaving a story that keeps the reader entertained. This genre can be hard to write as the stories don't have a lot of excitement and substance, but more rely on historical facts and atrocities.

With all this being said, I really enjoyed this read. It was interesting and heartbreaking, but came together in the end to leave me feeling complete.

Thanks to NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review. This review will appear on Goodreads immediately.
I’m always fascinated by the lives of authors, especially once’s who lived through fascinating times. But this is a marvel! Mother and Daughter who never knew each other, and both becoming well respected authors in their own right. How much mother and daughters lives ran parallel.
I recommend if you don’t know much of one or the other of these authors, you read some biographic notes. It will only help you and keep the book moving, for fear of many stops to google some tidbit or fact.
Both Mary’s were ahead of their time and fearless. Mary Wollstonecraft witnessed the French Revolution and the influence of the guillotine, yet standing for the independent mind of women and men. Mary Shelly forged a new path in the sci-fi genre while blazing a path of women’s voice, independence, strength at a time when women were dictated one role,
The authors notes are valuable to understand further the relationships these women had, and the license the author needed to employ to fit the narratives together.
You will learn more here than about a mother and daughter, or two authors of seismic importance. There is much history here to learn and discuss.
Book clubs will love this book.
4 solid stars.

I loved learning more about the main characters and I could not put it down. The writing was well done and I really enjoyed it.

Since I knew very little about Mary Wollstonecraft and her daughter Mary Shelley, this historical novel was so enlightening and beautifully written. Mary Wollstonecraft is widely regarded as one of the first feminists, especially after publishing “A Vindication of the Rights of Women” at a time when a single woman was frowned upon for daring to walk in public without a male escort. She was a prolific writer of political philosophy. Her daughter, Mary Shelley, is best know for her novel “Frankenstein”, written when she was just 19. She was also a prolific writer and acknowledged as the “mother of science fiction”. This is also an exploration of the place of women in society at that time and a homage to enduring love.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley/Penguin Random House for the ARC to read and review.

I received a gifted galley of HER LOST WORDS by Stephanie Marie Thornton for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing and PRH Audio for the opportunity!

HER LOST WORDS follows the lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley, a mother and child whose lives barely crossed. Mary Wollstonecraft was born in the late 1700s. She became an outspoken author who bucked the traditional role of subservient women who lived only to marry and go from belonging to a father to belonging to a husband. In her A VINDICATION OF THE RIGHTS OF WOMAN, she spoke out for the equality of women.

Mary Shelley was born to Mary Wollstonecraft shortly before her death. This Mary grew up in the shadow of her passionate mother even as her father was inclined to keep her mother’s strong views from her daughter. Walking in her mother’s shoes, Mary Shelley also forged her own path outside of society’s normal path for a woman.

This book switches back and forth in time between the two Marys’ timelines. I was initially more inclined to read Mary Shelley’s story, but in time really felt attached to both narratives. Mary Wollstonecraft was working as a writer in the midst of the French revolution. Mary takes it upon herself to report on violence from those in power, women’s rights being eliminated, and people being cruelly stripped to publicly examine genitals to determine gender. All of this was done in an effort to make sure people were aware and that such things wouldn’t repeat in the future. I think the parallels to our current world are clear, though not too heavy handed.

With Mary Shelley’s storyline, I really appreciated the way the author showed how her mother’s legacy influenced her. The comparisons in their lives and loves are very well established too. I knew a bit more about this Mary going into the story, but I enjoyed getting to learn more.

This wound up being a great read and one I’m glad I picked up!