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.

I liked this one and learning about Emerson and his contemporaries of his time . It was a good story well told and a captivating read
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for listening me review the book

Free spirited Margaret Fuller fights against the stereotypes and expectations of women. After spending a summer with Ralph Waldo Emerson, she quickly becomes one of his confidants. Through her connection with Emerson she meets many of the famous writers and Transcendentalists of the era. However, she longs for romance, and a story of her own.

The book started pretty slow. It took a while for me to get into the story and characters. I enjoyed reading about Fuller's time in Europe, however that was only a short part of the novel. I also enjoyed learning about famous novelists and how their lives were entwined. Overall,, 3 out of 5 stars.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you enjoyed “The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post” by this author, you’ll also enjoy this book. If you have not read “Marjorie Post” or “Margaret Fuller” by Ms. Pataki, you’re missing out.

This author does a superb job researching the protagonist. The protagonist is based on a real person, and the book presents Margaret Fuller in a detailed, interesting approach. I was amazed at what I learned about Margaret Fuller. In addition to getting to know and love Margaret Fuller, the reader gains great insight into many authors and prominent people of those times, such as Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Walt Whitman, Melville, Edgar Allan Poe, William Wordsworth, Frederick Douglass, Frederic Chopin. Details of how Margaret Fuller, a woman ahead of her time, was able to have a prolific writing career. She was a woman of many “firsts:” First woman to research in the Harvard library to study, work and write, America’s first full-time foreign news correspondent, and many more “firsts.”

I enjoyed learning about this woman and think you will too. Read this book. Learn and grow from this outstanding woman. You will not be disappointed.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Thanks to the publisher, Ballantine Books, an Imprint of Random House, and the author for the privilege to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

WHAT a treat! A completely captivating, deeply emotional historical novel about a woman I knew little about, but came to love. All I knew about Margaret Fuller (1810-50) before reading this book was that she was a Unitarian-Universalist and associated with the transcendentalist philosophy that developed in the 1820s and 1830s in New England. Others in that crowd (all residents of Concord, MA) include essayist/poet Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), author Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864), naturalist Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), and educator Bronson Alcott (1799-1888 - also Louisa May's Daddy). Why we have all grown up knowing these names but not Fuller's is beyond me.

For me to say that Margaret Fuller was a genius way ahead of her time must be one of the world's great understatements:

• She was a self-supporting, career woman at a time when lone women couldn't go anywhere without chaperones and a woman's only acceptable options were either marriage or spinsterhood. (And spinsterhood was NOT very acceptable.)

• Fuller was a widely published woman author at a time when almost no American women were published.

• She was the first female editor of a major newspaper in New York City.

•She is considered by many (including Susan B. Anthony 1820-1906) to be the inspiration behind the American feminism movement.

And Fuller's work, success, and travel (through the U.S., England, France, and Italy) put her smack in the middle of many of the most prominent writers, artists, and thinkers of her day. Aside from the names referenced above, she hung out with abolitionist Frederick Douglass (1817-1895), publisher Horace Greeley (1811-1872), English romantic poet William Wordsworth (1770-1850), writer/critic Edgar Allen Poe (1809-1849), French novelist George Sand (1804-1876), and Polish composer Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849).

Bestselling author Allison Pataki does a remarkable job of combining rich research, believable dialogue, and creative character exploration -- all in the service of making Margaret Fuller come alive as a three dimensional human being.

I even found as I approached the end of the novel that I was stalling -NOT eager to finish the book. Because I didn't want to read about Fuller's tragic death. So, no surprise, I highly recommend this book.

Allison Pataki is one of my favorite writers so I was thrilled to see that she has another book that is soon to be published. Typically, I am familiar with her subjects and the brilliance of her writing and research bring the characters to life and give the reader a much greater understand and appreciation of who they were as a person as well as the time in which they lived. I have to admit, I had never heard of Margaret Fuller and was absolutely captivated from the first paragraph. This book is among the very best and satisfying historical fiction as it compelled me to do my own research on Fuller, her writing, and the tumultuous time in which she lived in Italy. The author's note was fascinating as to how Pataki herself was introduced to Fuller and I applaud and thank her for introducing readers to this remarkable figure in our history.

You may wonder who Margaret Fuller is, as did I. We find Margaret in 1836 in Massachusetts accepting an invitation from Ralph Waldo Emerson (Waldo) to meet his friends and peers at his home in Concord. Among them we find Henry David Thoreau (Thoreau), Bronson Alcott and family (Louisa May Alcott’s father), Nathanial Hawthorne and more. She is the only woman in the group, a woman who is brilliant, fiercely independent, a muse to Waldo. Margaret’s temperament and personality is such that she has a wandering soul, craving challenges, adventure. Her struggles are also financial as she is the breadwinner of the family, supporting her mother after her father passed away. The conventions of that era wer such that women were thought of as chattel, not as smart as men, and certainly not having minds of their own. Margaret was the forerunner of equality for women, an activist for women’s rights and an advocate for human rights, equality for all. She was a writer, a hostess for women-only literary salons all while defying the conventions of the times. Through her notoriety she met with Horace Greeley who offered her a position as a foreign correspondent. While in Italy she met with Frederic Chopin, Walt Whitman, George Sand and more, as well as becoming involved in the unification of Italy.
This was an amazing story, yet as I read this I felt saddened to think that for the most part of her life until Italy she was a lonely person. She lived at a time during big historical events. She lived big always wanting more, wanting bigger adventures, someone who wanted better possibilities for women. Way before women were told to burn their bras there was Margaret Fuller, a person who was born way beyond the era she lived in.
Well researched and certainly well written, Ms. Pataki brought this protagonist to life along with a cast of characters that were also most definitely larger than life. The events of the times and the people involved literally jumped off the pages This novel will resonate with me long after reading it. Highly recommended. My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.