I confess that I had never heard of Margaret Fuller until I read Allison Pataki's Finding Margaret Fuller. While Pataki's book is historical fiction, she gives her readers a fascinating glimpse of Margaret Fuller -- a strong advocate of women's rights, a protege of Ralph Waldo Emerson, and an accomplished writer and journalist in her own right.

The book begins with the death of Fuller, her husband, and their infant son when their ship hits a sandbar off the coast of New York. From this beginning, Pataki fills in the life of Fuller from her first meeting with Emerson to her friendships with other notable writers of that time (i.e., Henry David Thoreau and Nathaniel Hawthorne) to her career as a foreign correspondent working for newspaper editor, Horace Greeley. It is evident in this book that Fuller must find her own way in life since she was not a woman to conform to society's norms.

While I found this to be an interesting read, the pace could be a little uneven at times. Overall, Finding Margaret Fuller is a fascinating account of a woman ahead of her time.

Thank you to #RandomHousePublishingGroup, #Ballantine Books, and #NetGalley for this electronic ARC of #FindingMargaretFuller.

As Allison Pataki did with The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post (2022), her latest novel, Finding Margaret Fuller, again brings to life an extraordinary American woman known by far too few for little other reason than she was a woman in a largely man’s world. A friend of thinkers and writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, A. Bronson Alcott and daughter Louisa May, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Herman Melville, Margaret Fuller was once called “the best read person in the United States.” Multilingual scholar, writer, early feminist, newspaper editor, and foreign correspondent, she was forced to earn a living after her father’s death in order to support her mother and Fuller merits study and fame.

Pataki opens the book with news that Fuller’s ship has hit a sandbar and perhaps sunk off the coast of New York on her summer 1850 return voyage from Europe. Hearing the news first, Emerson spreads it to others and issues orders, determined to honor Fuller by attempting to save her writing even if she cannot be saved. Following this prologue, the first chapter transports readers further back in time to summer 1836. Margaret Fuller has been invited, perhaps summoned, to the famed Emerson’s home in Concord, Massachusetts. With his pregnant young wife confined to bed, Emerson welcomes Fuller into his home, escorts her to his study, and proceeds to question how she became so widely read and knowledgeable.

Fuller’s extraordinary story unwinds from there as readers encounter other famous figures such as publisher Horace Greeley, abolitionist Frederick Douglas, poets Edgar Allan Poe, Walt Whitman and William Wordsworth, novelist George Sand, and composer Frederic Chopin.
Readers should not miss Pataki’s extensive notes in the back of the book where she explains the incident that sparked her interest in Fuller, the research that went into the book, and the effort to remain as historically accurate as possible while turning biography and history into historical fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine/Random House for an advance reader copy of another meticulously researched and well-written novel by Allison Pataki.

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I enjoyed this book about the early American writers, their friendships and their belief in the need to stand up for the ideals. This is the story of the Transcendentalists, covering Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne and the Alcotts, all living on the same street and their late night discussions and motivations for education for all. I've been to Concord and seen these houses, walked Walden Pond, which made this book all that more exciting and touching. I enjoyed learning about Margaret Fuller, and I did look her up and read a brief biography after reading this book, which is amazingly accurate. I will say, I enjoyed the first half of the book, when Fuller is in the developing and growing United States, a lot more than when she went to Europe as a correspondent for The New York Tribune. Margaret got caught up in Italy's fight for freedom, and the writing about this time in her life seemed a bit "looser". She rubbed elbows with plenty of notable activists while there, but the second half of the book seemed to drag a bit more than the beginning.

I enjoyed all I learned through this historical fiction, it was enlightening and entertaining. Well written and the characters each portrayed with their strong personalities. If you enjoy historical fiction about strong women and their drive, I highly recommend this. First half, 4.5 stars, second half, 3 stars. Overall 3.5 stars with a recommendation to the right audience.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

Margaret Fuller was a famous author, a member of the Transcendentalists, a celebrated group of American writers in the 1830s and 1840s. Her close friends included Nathanial Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott, Henry David Thoreau, Herman Melville, and she even had several public rows with Edgar Allan Poe, who wrote "Humanity is divided into men, women, and Margaret Fuller". But until I read this book I had never heard of her!

Privately tutored by her father to be free and an independent thinker, she was left with few real world abilities when her father unexpectedly died leaving the family destitute. As the oldest child, she needed to make money to support not only herself, but her mother and younger siblings. But as a woman in that time in America, and in fact in the world, she had few options. She spent some time tutoring young ladies from affluent families whose parents felt they were entitled to a better education than was available to them otherwise. She also spent a few years teaching in progressive schools, but found her greatest joy was in writing. She hosted a series of Conversations in Boston, which were attended by all sorts of women, some of whom were instrumental in her later life.

She helped create The Dial magazine with Thoreau and Emerson and later was employed by Horace Greeley at the New York Tribune to cover everything from the poetry of Elizabeth Barrett Browning to the writing of Frederick Douglass to the music of Lugwig von Beethoven. He also employed her as the first overseas correspondent for an American newspaper, where she travelled around Europe and sent back columns for Americans, including meeting and interviewing William Wordsworth in England and George Sand and Frederic Chopin in France. While living in Rome, she wrote first-hand accounts of the uprisings in Italy as they attempted to form a republic.

She married an Italian, Marchese Giovanni Ossoli and gave birth to a son, but tragically they were all killed in a shipwreck just off the coast of New York as the ship carrying her home to America crashed and sank, leaving no trace of any of them. She had written a book about the Italian uprising which she was bringing to America to publish, but it was also lost in the wreck.

This was a book worth reading, if only to find out about one of the leading lights of early American literature whose tragic end at the early age of forty robbed her of her rightful place in our literary history.

In her author’s note at the back of this book Allison Pataki says “To write about Margaret Fuller felt like a bold undertaking.” Reading the book--the first one of Pataki’s that I’ve read of the seven historical novels she’s written --I thought it was even more bold to write the book in the present tense in Margaret Fuller’s voice!
But then I looked at Pataki’s previous two books and saw that she did the same thing as she does here. In her book about Desiree Clary (“the woman who captured Napoleon’s heart”), Desiree is the author. In her book about Marjorie Meriweather Post (“the American heiress and trailblazing leader”), the author is Marjorie.
This new one, being her third in a row to employ this approach, demonstrates that Pataki—in writing about a woman whose historical importance is, in my opinion, far greater than the other two—has perfected her technique.
As in the earlier books, this one has a prologue and an epilogue. (Unfortunately the prologue here is the weakest element in the book. It’s melodramatic, not in Margaret’s voice, and is unnecessary. It could have easily been worked into the book’s epilogue. I almost stopped reading the book because of the prologue. It gives no hint of the quality of the chapters that follow.)
As in the earlier books, the book consists of (many, in this case 56) short chapters. As in the earlier books just about every chapter starts with a dateline (the season, or even the month, from 1836 to 1850) and a location (as we travel with Margaret from Concord, MA—the location of many chapters--to New York City to London, Paris, Florence and the many chapters in Rome).
And as in the other two books, the important characters in the book--Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott, Edgar Allen Poe, Horace Greeley, Wordsworth, Chopin, George Sand, Giuseppe Mazzini, Elizabeth Barrett Browning—are not “a product of the author’s imagination.”
So if this new book is so like the earlier books, why do I claim that Pataki has perfected her technique? Because this time around Pataki’s “author” is a writer. Throughout the book you feel Pataki’s empathy for a fellow writer who was brave enough to overcome all the obstacles that a woman of her time faced if she wanted to think and learn as a man does, to write, and to support her own life.
Sure, a biographer could feel the same empathy, but a biographer would also have to maintain a distance from her subject and likely would overwhelm the reader with too many details.
Pataki can restrict her focus to the “inspiring, shocking, romantic and ultimately tragic facts” of Fuller’s life. She can choose the place in the narrative for Emerson to praise Fuller’s “radiant genius and fiery heart.” She can give just the right weight to Horace Greeley’s characterization of Fuller as “the Most Well-Read Person in America.” She can choose the moment in the book when Fuller remembers “one of the many quotes that Father insisted I memorize, Possunt quia posse videntur --They can conquer who believe they can” and remember that this quote comes from the Aeneid and is said by an oarsman who is “on a journey to find, to found, and to become.”
And Pataki can write an epilogue in which Louisa May Alcott, reflecting on the tragic death of the woman she admired so much, realizes that “Margaret will be there in the mind of every girl who grows bold and asks questions of herself and her world. 'To become,' as Margaret would have said, …Margaret whose body is lost but whose words will never die . . . who has shown [Louisa] and countless others, that it is not only her right, but her sacred obligation, to fly.”
In a book that aims to make Margaret Fuller’s name and legacy more widely known and appreciated, how perfect to encapsulate that legacy in the words of a woman whose name and legacy are known worldwide.
Thus Pataki’s technique achieves perfection.
I expect that fans of Pataki’s previous books will count this one as Pataki’s best book yet. Readers, like me, who have not read a book by Pataki before (but now plan to seek out her other books) will be convinced that Pataki is right: Margaret Fuller’s life and work should be more widely known. Margaret Fuller deserves the love that Pataki gives her here.

Thank you Ballantine Books for providing an advance copy in galley form for review consideration via NetGalley. Please note: Quotes taken from a galley may change in the final version.
All opinions are my own.

FINDING MARGARET FULLER by Allison Pataki (The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post and Beauty in the Broken Places) provides a fictional look at the life of a journalist and author who was famous during her lifetime (1810-1850) but is much less well known today. A contemporary and friend to writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and later Louisa May Alcott, Fuller crafted works such as Woman in the 19th Century. Fuller was even rumored to be an inspiration for Hawthorne's Hester Prynne. Sadly, she met an untimely death in a shipping accident, but Pataki is a master at imaging and recounting events in Fuller's life during her visits to Concord and while living in Boston (where she was the first woman to use Harvard's library) and in Europe (where Fuller was a foreign correspondent for Horace Greeley's newspapers). Fuller's feminist leanings are explored as well as her romantic trysts although modern readers may tend to cringe at Emerson's seeming manipulation of her. FINDING MARGARET FULLER received starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly ("full of lush details about the life of an overlooked contributor to Transcendentalism and women’s rights").

Historical fiction that is based on real lives and events, especially when it is about strong women whose stories have not been told widely, will always get me excited about reading. Finding Margaret Fuller is about a woman who is considered one of the founders of the American women's rights movement, and yet few non-historians have even heard of her. I certainly had not, and after reading this novel, I am certain to go searching for several of the resources listed by Allison Pataki in the author's notes.

Thoroughly researched, this novel is compelling and very readable, told mostly in first person through Margaret's voice. Although we know from the very first how the story is going to end, the journey is inspiring and the characters are a virtual who's who of writers, poets and artists of the mid-18th century. Margaret Fuller was a very accomplished woman, influential and successful as a writer, editor and foreign correspondent, and had her life not been cut short, we certainly would be learning about her along with her contemporaries.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Ballantine for the digital ARC of Finding Margaret Fuller by Allison Pataki. The opinions in this review are my own.

Before reading this book, I knew very little about Margaret Fuller, even having studied the Transcendalists. Pataki's writing gave life, breath, and dimension to an important figure in American history that too few know about. Meeting...Finding Margaret Fuller in these pages will spark joy, curiosity, wonder, and a deep desire to live one's life boldly and without apology, just as Margaret Fuller did.

Like the author says, why do we know who all these other famous writers from Concord are except for Margaret Fuller? I’m glad Allison Pataki uncovered her history and shared her in this fabulous book. What an amazing lady Margaret was, ahead of her time, blazing trails for women and holding her own with an impressive group of men. I’ve been to Concord and seen these famous author’s homes and their graves. So inspiring.

Thank you kindly to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine, Ballantine Books, and Allison Pataki for the opportunity to read, "Finding Margaret Fuller." It was an absolute pleasure to read this historical fiction novel about such an interesting and amazing woman.

I was flabbergasted to learn about a female author who was friends with so many well known authors from the mid 1800's. Sarah Margaret Fuller, who went by Margaret, spent many summers in Concord, Massachusetts with Ralph Waldo Emerson and his wife, Lidian. While staying there she also met and befriended Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and the Alcott family, including Louisa M. Alcott. Margaret Fuller became well known at that time as the best read woman (person) in America. She also wrote books that have been recognized as the first ever published feminist and women's rights books. She was also a teacher and eventually made her way to become a journalist for the New York Tribune. She was also sent to Europe as the first war correspondent in 1847. She made so many strides for women and the equal rights movement.

Margaret Fuller fell in love in her late thirties and had a child with an Italian man during the time she spent in war torn Europe. She wrote articles about the war going on over there (in what is now Italy) and sent them back to America. She eventually wanted to return to America to introduce her family and friends to her husband and child. After she finished writing her book about Europe she and her small family decided to board a cargo ship for America. Unfortunately, the ship got caught in a storm off Fireman's Island near New York. Margaret, her husband, and little boy all perished at sea, along with the only copy of the manuscript she had written while she was in Europe.

I find it so strange I've never heard anything about this incredible woman. While reading this story, I kept comparing the similarities between Margaret and Louisa May Alcott's character of Jo in Little Women. It surely appeared that Alcott thought highly of Margaret Fuller and then later gave some of Fuller's admirable qualities to her storybook characters.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the author's notes at the end of the book. She did a
wonderful job of explaining how she tried to stay as close to the historical facts as possible. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, especially on the subject of women's rights. #NetGalley #FindingMargaretFuller

It's not often a novel introduces a reader to so many literary luminaries even while it entertains-but this does. I was not familiar with Margaret Fuller, whose life was entwined with the lives of many other writers, before this but wow. She was an intelligent, dynamic, and compelling figure who not only advocated for women's rights and abolition but also the transcendental movement. A writer, a critic, a war correspondent, a critic-she did it all. She lived a big life at a time when women didn't. Yes there was a whiff or two of scandal but that's not at the forefront-her incredible life and accomplishments are. I learned a great deal not only about Fuller but also about her peers (I admit to and recommend a bit of wikipedia). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A great read.

Being given access to read and review an ARC of Allison Pataki's latest book was an opportunity I could not refuse, even though I had no idea who Margaret Fuller was. However, having read several of this author's historical fiction novels focusing on lesser known women in history, I knew I would be in good hands. I was not mistaken.

Pataki depicts Fuller's life and how it existed within a global world backdrop. How did I not learn about Margaret Fuller, who hobnobbed with the families of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne and more, when she visited and stayed with them in Massachusetts? Or that she inspired the suffragettes, like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.? With my pitiful world history knowledge, I didn't even realize the turmoil and independence efforts that were occurring in Italy's states during this same time.

There were times I admired Margaret, times when I couldn't relate to her at all, and still other times that I completely disagreed with her decisions and actions. But I think this is a testament to Pataki's excellent writing: to make this person seem real and not a caricature.
I'm so glad that I read this excellent historical fiction novel and will be recommending to friends and followers!

Thanks to #Netgalley #RandomHouse #Ballantine for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Finding Margaret Fuller is an epic reimagining of the life of Margaret Fuller, America’s forgotten leading lady and the central figure of a movement that defined a nation. Set in Massachusetts in 1836, the novel introduces us to a young, brazen, and unapologetically brilliant Margaret Fuller. She accepts an invitation from Ralph Waldo Emerson, the celebrated “Sage of Concord,” and becomes a pivotal figure among the Transcendentalists. Her influence extends to luminaries like Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry David Thoreau.

But Margaret craves more than literary salons and interpersonal drama. She seeks adventure, challenges, and new horizons. From hosting women-only literary gatherings to co-founding The Dial magazine, studying at Harvard, and sparring with Edgar Allan Poe, Margaret defies conventions. She even becomes the first female foreign news correspondent, mingling with luminaries like Frederic Chopin and Walt Whitman.

In Rome, Margaret finds passion, romance, and revolution, sparking an international scandal. As a trailblazer, she transcends rigid roles, advocating for women and humanity. Her story unfolds against a backdrop of historical events, revealing a fierce adventurer who changed history on her own terms.

Allison Pataki weaves a star-studded narrative, rich in historical details, celebrating Margaret Fuller’s indomitable spirit. This novel is a captivating tribute to a remarkable woman who left an indelible mark on the world. Reading this book during Women’s History Month was extra inspiring.

Thank you to New Galley for the opportunity to read and review this book. It releases on March 19th and you can find it at your favorite place to purchase books. Enjoy!

Allison Pataki is always able to stir my curiosity about astonishing woman in history. Margaret Fuller is not a name that I recognized, yet I still knew I had to read this book, and I am so glad I did. Pataki captured my attention, and I was held in complete rapture as I devoured each page hungrily. Each glorious detail about Margaret Fuller's life was captured and it led me down a google rabbit hole. I had to keep looking up all Margaret's friends. There is no way one person knew all of these people of history. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau, Edgar Allen Poe, and many more. Margaret knew each one, spent time in their homes, discussing every topic under the sun, played with their children, knew each one on such a level that made me jealous. She was an enigma to many. Known as the best-read person in the United States, I now have the job of helping to spread her story to everyone.

Margaret had the most unusual schooling given to her by her father. She was obviously well read, she was a teacher in her younger years, a newspaper editor, a war correspondent, writer, and the list goes on. Everyone knew her name and for what she stood. She lived all over the world and was able to write about them all. Bringing a new spin on issues at hand during the 1800s. I wonder what else she would have accomplished if her life did not end at the tender age of 40. I am completely fascinated by Margaret Fuller and you need to read this book. I promise you will fly through it, learning new and wild things about history. Thank you to Allison Pataki and Ballantine Books for my gifted copy.

I had never read anything by Allison Pataki, nor had I ever heard of Margaret Fuller, yet the book sounded interesting, and it was. Margaret Fuller, author, lived for a time in Concord, as well as in other Massachusetts and New York towns before moving to Europe. Her story is a fascinating one, filled with other well known authors. I found it enjoyable and would like to read more about her. I also plan on reading more of Ms Pataki's books. Thanks to NetGalley, Ms Pataki, and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I’ve read and enjoyed previous books by Allison Pataki, so I was, of course, looking forward to whatever she released next. And while I had never heard of Margaret Fuller prior to picking up Finding Margaret Fuller, some elements of the blurb appealed to me, like her associations with numerous famous figures, like Nathaniel Hawthorne and Louisa May Alcott, not to mention her involvement in the Transcendentalist movement, which I also knew a little about from my brief research into the Alcott family. Upon reading about her, and how she was a trailblazer, revolutionary, and rebel who defied convention in many ways, it’s not shocking that she is forgotten while many of her contemporaries are celebrated, even if some of those contemporaries meant to honor her in their works.
Margaret is an interesting historical heroine to follow, because of all the amazing things she did. I loved how she was always in the thick of change for one reason or another, from advocating for women’s rights to being in the thick of the revolutions in Europe and later helps in the fight for Italian unification, after being offered the position of foreign correspondent, not to mention flouting convention on a personal level to engage in a love affair with an Italian count and becomes pregnant out of wedlock, and later marrying him. But there is also a sense of vulnerability to her too, with the deep fear of dying at sea, something that would eventually befall her.
While this book covers quite a bit of her life, she has so much going on, and Pataki captures it in enough captivating detail that there is rarely a dull moment. The story is well-paced and consistently engaging throughout.
This is a wonderful tribute to a woman that history has sadly not properly given her due. If you’re interested in historical fiction about obscure historical, yet fascinating historical figures, I’d recommend checking this out!

Thank you to Random House, Ballantine, and Net Galley for this ARC of Finding Margaret Fuller by Allison Pataki in exchange for an honest review.

I bet you've heard of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. All were famous writers and transcendentalists. But I bet you didn't know about Margaret Fuller-who was one of the only woman transcendentalists.

Margaret Fuller was the first born in her family. Her father, wanting a boy, didn't allow Margaret to play or take part in traditional activities that children usually do. Instead, she was brought up with books and studying. Margaret Fuller earned a reputation in the 19th century as "The Most Well Read Person." She believed in equality for all.

I have read many of Pataki's historical fiction books, and Finding Margaret Fuller did not disappoint. I adored it from beginning to end. We get to see how the life of Fuller played out. From her first meetings in Concord with the famed Emerson, to her crossing the ocean to Europe to become the first newspaper correspondent to ever cover news in Europe. She was the influence for Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter and an inspiration for a young Louisa May Alcott. Margaret wrote hundreds of articles and books promoting unity. She was part of the women's rights campaign. She paved the way for so many changes that were to come.

I loved reading about this strong independent woman, who definitely didn't get enough credit for all that she brought to the table. I highly recommend this fascinating novel.

This was a good historical fiction book about a lady that I had never heard of. Margaret Fuller had a very interesting life and got to meet a lot of (now) well-known authors. Life was not easy for women back in the 19th century, and Margaret was a warrior women’s right. As a strong and fearless woman she was the first American foreign correspondent. Margaret was also the first woman aloud in the Harvard library! She led a fascinating life filled with adventures, scandals, but also a joy for life.
This book is well worth a read, especially if you are interested in history. I relished learning more about a woman that history forgotten. Margaret Fuller was a trailblazer who knew what she wanted.

I appreciate the early review copy of Allison Pataki's Finding Margaret Fuller, I was a fan of her previous fictional but fact based book about Marjorie Post and am glad I got a chance to return to this author's engaging, detailed way of highlighting lesser known women in history. I don't like historical fiction but I do love books that give me a chance to feel immersed in a life over many years (I love stories that span time), that really make a character not just about the time they lived in but also real and present and relevant outside of time and place. Pataki for me does this in Finding Margaret Fuller, bringing in a strong woman, a sense of adventure and timelessness, and surrounding me with literary giants from Fuller's inner circle, making her a central figure in that world and space.

Finding Margaret Fuller
By: Allison Pataki
Publishing: March 19, 2024
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Length: 416 pages

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

1836-This novel is so full of richness. I had not heard of Margaret Fuller, but her life was extraordinary.

She spends so much time with some of the literary giants. Ralph Waldo Emerson is touched by her words and gives her an opportunity to stay with him and meet his eclectic array of friends. She meets Henry Thoreau and Bronson Alcott who daughters include the impressionable Louisa May Alcott, who is a kindred spirit. Bronson was not a nice man. He gave her a job as a teacher which led to a toxic relationship, but Margaret was close with his family.

After having many opportunities where women were not included, she was more determined to make her mark in this world. She was not swayed by naysayers. After some published work she gets a job at the New-York Tribune. After success there her boss gives her an assignment to cover news in Europe.

She meets a charming Italian man and ends up having a child.

I was absolutely fascinating by her life and read more about her. She was the first American female correspondent and a women’s writes advocate.

If you love novels about strong females, I highly recommend this one.