BRAVA! BRAVA! Known as “The best read person in America” this is the story of Margaret Fuller, American journalist, editor, teacher, translator and woman’s rights advocate associated with the American transcendentalism movement. A woman far ahead of her time as she lived from 1819-1850. And I’m embarrassed to say, before reading this book I did not know anything about her. With her contemporaries including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Bronson Alcott (father of Louisa May) we learn they created The Dial, the first journal allowing women to use their voice in editorials. Margaret Fuller was a first in several other ways…..the first female war correspondent, the first female book reviewer and the first woman allowed to use the Harvard library. I applaud Allison Pitaki for her impeccable research (be sure to read the author’s notes) in bringing this story to light and for giving these historical figures the breath of life through her words.

Thank you NetGalley, Ballantine Books and Allison Pitaki for giving me the honor of reading this ARC in exchange for my honest review. To be succinct, I LOVED IT!

Moving story of one of America’s first Feminist. Also part of the Transendentalist movement in America, her story as depicted by Patacki is inspiring and ultimately tragic. I highly recommend this to lovers of sold historical fiction Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

*Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post, so I was excited to read this author's latest historical fiction. I liked that this book focused on a woman who contributed a lot to history, but who has been completely overlooked. I had never heard of Margaret Fuller and it was fun to read her story (and Google her afterwards, to avoid spoilers). This book also has an incredibly strong sense of place--it made me want to visit New England and Italy immediately! The plot did drag a bit at times, but it was still a great read for people who enjoy historical fiction.

I expected to like this book. With characters like Thoreau, Emerson and the Alcott family, I expected an enjoyable read.

I was wrong. I read the first chapter and then put it down.

I went back to it a few days later and read the second chapter. It was slow!

Then, I read another book. When I came back to this one, I read four pages and stopped. Why was I torturing myself?

I did not like this book. I did not finish it. Something about the style of writing irritated me.

Finding Margaret Fuller tells the story of the most well-read person of the 1840s. Margaret Fuller, a woman educated greater than most Ivy League men, is determined to make her place in the world and earn a fair living. The first half of the book deals with her relationships with Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Bronson Alcott. Fuller, a muse to the men of the Transcendental movement, constantly tries to show how educating women is essential. Her interactions with them can be, at times, annoyingly frustrating, demonstrating fighting for your worth and being taken seriously reminds women that not much has changed since the 1840s. The second half feels like Margaret is finally getting what she wants out of life: travel, love, and family. The second half is a sweeping epic of love through Europe, and then her settling in Italy and becoming a war correspondent. I went into this book not knowing anything about Margret Fuller, and when I was finished, I felt ashamed. She was considered the mother of the women's right to vote movement, a war correspondent, and the first woman editor of a newspaper. Why have we never been taught about her in my history and literature classes? I want to thank Allison Pataki for giving Margaret Fuller justice and visibility by writing this book, and she should be heralded for her passion, education, and zest for life.

Historical fiction is my favorite genre, and Finding Margaret Fuller doesn't disappoint. Opening the book and on the introductory chapters reading the names of the characters; Emerson, Thoreau, Poe, Hawthorne, and Louisa May Alcott were thrilling. Learning about Margaret Fuller was new to me and an exhilarating experience. It was enjoyable to learn so much about the transcendentalists and Margaret Fuller's forward thinking and impact on equality. It does make one wonder why we didn't learn about her in school.
I've read other books by Allison Pataki and find them deeply researched, creative, and intelligently written. I especially like reading about real women in history that I knew nothing about, yet they had a significant impact in history. Thank you to Net Galley and Random House for providing me with an arc copy. I'm happy to provide my opinion.
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The best book about the most amazing woman I never heard of (until now)! Margaret Fuller was a contemporary of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorn, Bronson Alcott (and a young Louisa May Alcott) and a prolific writer in her own right, in a time when women just didn't....do anything outside the home. Forced to support her family after the death of her father, Margaret teaches but longs to write. She meets Ralph Waldo Emerson (called Waldo) who invites her to his home for a visit, and to meet his friends. It's there she meets Thoreau among others, but it's a strange situation; Waldo's wife Lidian is pregnant and rarely seen and Waldo seems to be interested in more than Margaret's brain. This is a time of the American Transcendentalists, and Waldo seems to be a leader in the movement. He encourages Margaret to write, and eventually she does. She does other things that are shocking for a woman in her time: she writes a magazine, she becomes the first female report working for Horace Greeley in New York, and then as the first female international reporter, writing from Italy during its struggle t through off the yoke of the Austrians, the French and others to become a single unified Italy. A beautiful woman, in addition to being brilliant, she inspired the works of Nathanial Hawthorne (Hester Prynne in the Scarlet Letter), and Louisa May Alcott (the oldest sister is Margaret, called Meg) among others. She was a close friend of Elizabeth Barrett Browning while in Italy. And yet, today most of us have never heard of her.
Reading historical fiction is a great way to learn more about inspiring people like Margaret Fuller. Allison Pataki, already one of my favorite writers, has done an amazing amount of research and Finding Margaret Fuller reads like a biography that reads like novel. It's easy to read and hard to put down. This is Pataki's best book yet (and that's saying something!); it is so full of facts and nuance I'll have to read it again to be sure I haven't missed anything!

Finding Margaret Fuller by Allison Pataki is a masterful novel that keeps the reader both entertained and captivated by the events.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and I found the writing to be absolutely stunning.
Full of history and culture, Pataki's Finding Margaret Fuller will appeal to historical fiction readers who enjoy novels steeped in details.
This phenomenal author delivers a vividly descriptive, interesting, and well-written read here with characters and a setting that totally captivated and intrigued me. I was totally taken and fascinated.
I loved how the characters are brought to life. She creates her characters so beautifully and gives them a voice like I’ve never seen before.

“With a star-studded cast and sweeping, epic historical events, this is a story of an inspiring trailblazer, a woman who loved big and lived even bigger—a fierce adventurer who transcended the rigid roles ascribed to women and changed history, all on her own terms.”

For all lovers of historical fiction, this book is going to be a great delight!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House & Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

I don’t know where to begin. So many literary, historical or just plain intriguing names to play within the confines of one woman’s life. No sooner than she meets one of your heroes, she turns a corner and is introduced to another. The insights to genius as it begins to flourish. The humanity mixed with the energy that come from creating a path new and different marks Margaret from the beginning. Margret seems to attract artists, writers, social thinkers . She sets her own course, here and abroad. She exists in a time of philosophical upheaval. She revels in living a life away from conventional thought. Her orbit attracts people we will long venerate and study. Like all brilliance once the apex is reached can you ever feel that heat again? Sadly her future was determined by the tides. We can only speculate where her path would settle.

Margaret Fuller has always been brilliant, but women in her generation are sent to finishing school to learn to keep a house and entertain, not attend Harvard to study the written word. When the “sage of Concord” himself, Ralph Waldo Emerson, extends an invitation to Margaret to visit, her world changes forever.

In the the Massachusetts countryside, Margaret finally has the chance to be her true self surrounded by like-minded individuals. Here, she finds a true match in wit and intelligence in Waldo, as his friends call him. Their explorations in nature, specifically at Walden Pond, help inspire some of the greatest American literature. Margaret gets to debate with fellow Transcendentalists like Henry David Thoreau and Nathaniel Hawthorne and encourage a young Louisa May Alcott. As mentally fulfilling as her time in Concord is, Margaret’s life still feels unfinished.

In Boston, she attempts teaching the next generation, but that too isn’t the right fit. When she begins her own literary salons to match her dear friend Waldo’s, she is surprised by their success. In these gatherings she is able to bring about deep conversations with women who previously kept quiet because of social protocols. She motivates young women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton in her passion for in her passion for women’s rights. Despite her busy schedule she still manages to translate Goethe into English from German, and edit The Dial, a literary magazine published by the Transcendentalists.

When Margaret is given an introduction to the notable newspaper man Horace Greeley, her life really moves forward, as she is given the opportunity to be the first women to serve as a foreign correspondent in Rome, where a revolution is taking place. It is in Rome where Margaret finds love, and a future she didn’t quite realize she needed.

Margaret Fuller should be just as well known as the other notable historical figures in this novel, yet somehow her story has been lost to time. Allison Pataki does an admirable job bringing her story to the page. Margaret was a feminist far ahead of her time. What she managed to accomplish is astounding.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and the author Allison Pataki for the advanced copy of the book. Finding Margaret Fuller is out next March 19th. All opinions are my own.

Enjoyable historical fiction about a Transcendentalist who is little discussed although she was, at the time, as famous as Emerson, Alcott and Thoreau. Seemingly well researched, I wish the author had noted more of her sources and how she reconstructed this story - the Author's Notes explain some liberties that were taken, but not how truths were established. All in all, a bit too long but a worthwhile read.

Finding Margaret Fuller is a well researched historical fiction. This latest Allison Pataki novel will keep your attention from the very start until the very end, I highly recommend this book!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Finding Margaret Fuller by Allison Pataki will be released on March 19, 2024, and I highly recommend this historical fiction! Set during the Transcendentalist period in America, this novel is beautifully written and imagines the life of a great but unknown female writer, Margaret Fuller. The story begins in Massachusetts where Margaret’s life crosses paths with Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathanial Hawthorne, Henry Thoreau, and the Alcott family. Writing is important and satisfying to Fuller, but her livelihood as a teacher leaves her unfulfilled. Fuller begins to hold conversations, where women thinkers can express themselves. Living at a time when it was very difficult for women to progress and move forward with careers, Horace Greeley believes in Margaret and hires her as the first female editor of the New York Tribune. Eventually, he will send her to Europe as the first female correspondent, where Fuller will write about the Roman Revolution. Pataki did not disappoint me and did a wonderful job bringing Margaret Fuller’s story to life. An advocate for women’s rights, this is a story of a strong woman lost to history.

Described as "the Most Well-Read Person in America", Margaret Fuller is the transcendentalist from the mid-1800s Concord that is seemingly unknown as to compared to the others she associated with. While her life began in Cambridge, where she was eventually the first woman to be allowed to study in Harvard's library, Finding Margaret Fuller traces her life from there to Rome, where she was America's first full-time foreign news correspondent. Her friends and acquaintances read like a who's who of American and British Literature - Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Edgar Allen Poe, Herman Melleville, William Wordsworth, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, George Sand. This historical novel traces the journey of Elizabeth from 1836 to 1850. During this time, she spends transformational time in Concord, MA, before undertaking a countrywide journey, working in newspaper in New York and eventually traveling to Europe. Her story is an inspiration to women navigating life as a single woman. I cannot say enough good things about this book. I enjoyed the writing, the subject and the history. The author's notes at the end are valuable and a must read. I look forward to the next seemingly "lost to history" woman that Allison Pataki re-discovers and writes about! And I'll also likely be searching my library for the works of Margaret Fuller.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley (Ballantine Books, an imprint of Random House)

How is it that the names of Emerson, Thoreau, Alcott and Hawthorne are familiar to most readers - but the name of Margaret Fuller is not? Margaret Fuller was not only a contemporary and friend of these literary giants, but they were admirers of her writing! In “Finding Margaret Fuller” Allison Pataki brings us the story of Margaret Fuller’s amazing, and ultimately tragic, life. A gifted writer, an early supporter of equal rights, a reporter for Horace Greeley’s New York Tribune, and the very first foreign correspondent, Margaret Fuller is brought to life in Pataki’s sweeping novel. It is a mark of a great historical fiction novel when I want to read further about the character/s in the novel and that is certainly true of Allison Pataki’s wonderful “Finding Margaret Fuller”! Highly recommend! Many thanks to NetGalley for my ARC!
#FindingMargaretFuller #NetGalley

I had not heard of Margaret Fuller but love the writings of Allison Pataki. I was excited to read about Fuller. I had no idea the impact she made in just 40 short years on the women’s rights movement. I also learned a lot about the Transcendentalists and the connection there.
Wow what a great read that every history lover should read!!! Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for my ARC.

I love it when I read a book that teaches me something as well as entertaining me. This is one of those books. Margaret Fuller was an inspirational woman in the 19th Century. The author of the women’s movement one could easily say.

Beginning in 1863 when Margaret receives an invitation to Ralph Waldo Emerson’s to meet his transcendentalist friends at his home. And so begins her influential and exciting life mingling with what we now know are famous authors of the era.

She became an author, a publisher, a leader in women’s rights and is one of the most fascinating women I have been fortunate to read about.

There is so much in this Historical Fiction work, always with some truth and the beautiful writing of the author.

Thanks to Netgalley and RHPG/Ballentine for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

Coming March 19, 2024

Great historical fiction about a person I didn't know, but should. It was wonderful to learn about such a strong woman in times where it was very hard to be a strong woman. She helped to pave the way for all of us. I also really enjoyed the author's note at the end about her process. Very enlightening.

Written beautifully and showcasing a fascinating life of a woman who possessed a superior intellect in a time when knowledge for women wasn't deemed to be of any importance, a writer, one of the leaders of the women's rights movement, a Transcendentalist, and so much more, I was immediately pulled into this story and eager to learn more about this woman whom I knew nothing about besides her name, I kept on reading and… wow.

Excellent historical fiction and a definite recommendation.




Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the DRC

Finding Margaret Fuller is a well researched historical fiction. I honestly never heard of her until this book. I knew of Alcott, Emerson, Poe, but not Fuller. As an history major I appreciate the amount of research that was done by the author. I personally did my own research while reading, as I just wanted to double check that the info was indeed correct.
It is a smooth read, descriptive enough to picture the scenes, without being over the top.
I would raccomand this book to anyone that is interested in history.