Surprisingly epic in scope, Finding Margaret Fuller by Allison Pataki is based on Margaret Fuller Ossoli, an American writer and women’s rights advocate who was part of the transcendentalist movement in the 19th century. I went into this book not knowing anything about her, so I enjoyed learning a bit about this early American writer.

The book starts in 1836, with Margaret meeting Ralph Waldo Emerson and, eventually, many of the other major authors of the age. Her story twists and turns as relationships (and business ventures) grow and fail. Margaret is well-read and educated, but is also poor and unmarried, so her perspective on transcendentalism and her relationship to the male authors of the age snags on the edges of reality. Multiple times, she tries to take part in literary or educational ventures with Emerson, Amos Bronson Alcott (father of Louisa May Alcott), and others, only to be expected to work without pay essentially for the love of the work. Margaret’s practicality must prevail here, and her story turns towards Europe as a newspaper correspondent.

The last third of the book feels like it doesn’t match the first two thirds, but I guess that’s just because Margaret’s life looked so different at that point. I think I would have liked it more if it focused on her formative years and didn’t follow her to Italy, necessarily. I guess I wanted to know more about her earlier writing. Maybe I’ll look into a non-fiction book on her sometime.

Allison Pataki is a wonderful author who often pens novels about people who are not as well-known to the public. Good authors do that by introducing the reader to new worlds and/or people.
I knew nothing about this spunky woman who crammed A LOT of living into her lifetime.
Overall, it's a good read!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Margaret Fuller’s spunk. In a time of male domination, she was unafraid to stand up for herself and voice her opinion.

I think there's a better story here than what the author wrote. For me, it felt very slow and I had a very hard time connecting to the characters as characters and not historical figures.

Historical fiction about Margaret Fuller. Ralph Emerson Waldo's muse. Mentor to Louisa May Alcott. A woman ahead of her times. I love historical retellings by Allison Pataki and I have enjoyed many of her books. However this one just did not do it for me. I found myself disinterested from the start. This is a long story and probably could have been more interesting if edited substantially. I hadn't heard about Margaret Fuller before and I learnt a lot about her life and times. Also the challenges faced by single women trying to hold their own. It is overall an interesting easy read. I will go with 3.5 stars for this well researched, easy to read, too long novel.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC.

Not many people are familiar with Margaret Fuller and her accomplishments prior to her tragic passing in a boating accident near Fire Island. Allison Pataki does a great job of presenting Margaret and her relationship with Emerson, Thoreau and Hawthorne and her life in Italy. She was a strong, brilliant woman who, had she lived longer, could have accomplished so much more. This book was tough to put down once started.

I adore Allison Pataki. Her books are little treasures meant to be savored — each chapter slowly devoured like a favorite dessert. I truly relish her writing.

With all that said - Finding Margaret Fuller was a delight. It transported me to Margaret’s life. When she was at Bush, I could smell the trees and felt my blood pressure lower. Being in the canoe at Walden Pond, I felt the gentle spray of the water.

I don’t want to give any morsel of this book away, but I will say this: Thank you Allison Pataki for doing what all historical fiction should and that is enthrall me in a part of history I thought I knew about and leave better than I was when I began reading.

Pataki once again found a unique and somewhat forgotten person to explore. This book did a remarkable job of introducing Margaret Fuller to modern readers. While Fuller was indeed a woman ahead of her times, this book to often fell flat in its delivery. Pataki would have been hard pressed to deliver a book that paid due diligence to Fuller's solo trips across America and all of her published writings. I found the first quarter of the book or so to be very blah. It did pick up once Fuller embraced a life away from Concord. If the reader adores the Transcendentalists then this book is 100% for you.

I found this one a bit slow to get moving, but I really enjoyed learning about Margaret Fuller - I had no idea who she was prior to coming across this book. Her story was equal parts inspiring and tragic, but perhaps the biggest tragedy is that we don't know about her in the same way we just "know" about her contemporaries. Understanding that this was obviously historical fiction, I was inspired by this book to learn more about Fuller's incredible life.

Honestly, I lost interest in the book during the whole Emerson and Thoreau encounter. I'm sorry to write those words - maybe it was just the wrong time for me to read this book. It felt long and wordy. I'm glad to see it's doing well. Maybe on this topic I'd have been more interested in a non-fiction version of her story.

To the extent that I adored the author’s book about Marjorie Post (5⭐️), I disliked this one. Hard to hold my interest and disliked the hyper focus on Fuller’s interest in married men.

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Overall, another fantastic novel by Allison Pataki! I was not familiar with the titular historical figure prior to reading the book, but walked away with a deep appreciation for her contributions and trailblazing. My main critique, and the reason for the 4 versus 5 stars, is the slow start. Once I really got into the book, I enjoyed it - but it took some time to get there. If you pick up this book and find yourself in the same situation, stick with it. I promise it will pay dividends!

Well researched and a tribute to a woman that was truly remarkable. I had not previously heard of Margaret Fuller before reading this book and I learned a lot.
3.5 stars

✨ FINDING MARGARET FULLER ✨
Rating: 3 ⭐️ - It was ok

Alison Pataki is by far one of my all-time favorite historical fiction authors! Her SISI duology is a forever favorite and her novel on MARJORIE POST was a 5 ⭐️ read from last year! However, her latest novel about Margaret Fuller missed the mark for me.

❤️ for my LOVERS of historical fiction on AUDIO, stories of lesser known historical figures, WOMEN’S RIGHTS

❤️ I loved learning about Margaret’s life & the championing moments she had for women - being the first woman to study at Harvard, being a published author in a time women predominately weren’t, hosting women-only learning seminars, etc.

❤️ I also enjoyed learning briefly her interactions with prominent figures of the time - Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Elizabeth Cady Stanton

💔 this one just moved SLOW - I think the story could have been condensed down a bit!

❤️ given this is a thick read & on the slower side - I recommend picking it up on AUDIO!

Engrossing, intriguing, vivid, and detailed, "Finding Margaret Fuller" is a historical fiction novel delving into the life of Margaret Fuller.

Allison Pataki's writing is incredible visceral and descriptive, and I can only begin to imagine the amount of research she must have done for this novel, as I was fully immersed in the world of this book from the first page to the last. She brilliantly brings historical figures to life, seamlessly interweaves history and fiction, and I simply did not want to put this book down.

Margaret Fuller was truly a woman ahead of her time in so many ways. She stood up for women's rights and fought for what she believed in, knew and inspired many others, was unafraid to speak her mind, and did not allow others nor society to silence her. I am so glad this book was written to bring her to the forefront. I was not familiar with Margaret Fuller prior to reading this novel, but, I truly learned to much about her and the life and times in which she lived. I can't wait to do more research on my own time as well!

Many other historical figures also feature throughout this incredible novel!

I highly recommend this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC of this novel, it is incredible! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for providing me this Digital Advanced Readers Copy of the book!

What an outstanding woman Margaret Fuller was!! She was unknown to me but I immediately connected with her as she spent time with Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne & Alcott championing women’s value and rights. A remarkable feminist in her time, whether stateside, at war, or in an Italian community, she led with compassion and fought against injustice. This was an inspiring read that illuminated the trials & tribulations of women in a world where men sought to silence them. Thanks to Net Galley and Ballantine Books for the ARC. This is my honest review.

An interesting tale, methodically told, that introduced us to a woman the world has forgotten. I found the character unusual and yet compelling, and was rooting for her through to the end. I love learning about a time in history that I don't know about, and this book delivered. A little cumbersome at times, but not enough to slow down the overall plot or desire for the character to rise up. A thoughtful and poignant novel.

Many thanks for the complimentary ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and the author/publisher.

Not connecting with this story, and I’m guessing it’s timing for me.

I loved this! It was a great homage to Margaret Fuller, someone who I had no clue about. The story was long, but I had a great time and learned a lot.