When I first encountered Samantha Silva’s book ‘Love and Fury’ I was on a reading high from having completed Charlotte Gordon’s ‘Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley’. Finding out about the intricacies of the lives of two such remarkable women was such an impactful and emotional experience, I couldn’t wait to delve into Silva's recreation of an imagined Mary Wollstonecraft.

Silva, like Gordon, alternates her chapters between Mary Wollstonecraft and a Mrs. Blenkinsop, a midwife who is called to attend after the birth of Wollstonecraft’s daughter Mary Shelley. Having the awareness that this time was limited, Wollstonecraft would die within days of giving birth to her daughter due to unhygienic practices of the male doctors, the reading of this text was incredibly emotional and heart wrenching. Mary Wollstonecraft, a woman who now is considered one of the first feminists, narrates her life from her sickbed to her infant daughter. I was initially apprehensive about how Silva might manage such an individual but I found the creation of her fictional Mary to be nuanced and complex. She expresses her desires and vulnerability to her daughter, who herself is on the brink of life and death. The maternal bond evident alongside a woman who was strident in maintaining her identity and sense of self is something that resonated with me as a contemporary reader and still an issue we are grappling with as a society. Mrs. Blenkinsop watching and supporting Mary through all this, seemingly to be in a better place to help her than the male doctors was also a poignant addition to the text.

William Godwin was also a character who stood out for me. After reading ‘Romantic Outlaws’ I had in mind a character who was rigidly set in his ways, as someone potentially quite distant and unsympathetic. Silva painted him as a man who was the opposite. Someone who was vulnerable, open to new ideas and desperate to support his wife and daughters in whatever way he could. Sadness pervaded the novel with Mary Wollstonecraft’s other daughter Fanny, being left behind on the periphery, not quite understanding what was happening to her family. Left with the knowledge of her tragic fate that awaits her off the page, the image of Fanny and her father in the rose garden was a moment that sticks with me.

A wonderful and sensitive exploration of womanhood and the power of relationships. I will no doubt return to this book time and again.

Having read Mary Wollstonecraft’s ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: with Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects’ at university many years ago, I was excited to be given the opportunity to read a fictionalised version of her life. However, on consideration, Wollstonecraft is best understood through a careful consideration of her own writing or through biographies such as Claire Tomalin’s seminal ‘The Life and Death of Mary Wollstonecraft’.
Samantha Silva is clearly keen to show the reader just how remarkable and free-spirited her subject is. Nevertheless, the device of Wollstonecraft telling her new-born child – Mary Shelley – her life story as she lies on her deathbed feels horribly contrived. Silva also introduces the voice of her midwife as a partial onlooker and yet there is little that this character can add about Wollstonecraft’s relationship with her older daughter, Fanny, or her partner William Godwin as she knows neither of them. There is some interesting detail on eighteenth century midwifery and doctoring, not least the ‘wine cure’ apparently recommended when no more can be done. Not a bad idea! Nevertheless, this dual narrative does little other than to reinforce the fact that Mary is dying and the horribly sentimental conversation between midwife and mother in the final pages will only appeal to those with mawkish tendencies.
Add to this Americanisms dotted throughout the novel, a fanciful depiction of a governess’s role and some poorly expressed sentences such as, ‘’I find her novel in mind and spirit, actually,’ he said, not taking his eyes off of me.’ and it took some willpower to finish this novel! It’s clear that ‘Love and Fury’ will introduce Mary Wollstonecraft to more readers and that’s never going to be a bad thing. Perhaps then they will seek out the writings of the woman herself and appreciate just what an exceptional revolutionary she was.
My thanks to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

Being more familiar (like most I'd imagine) of the travels of Mary Godwin with the great Romantic poet Shelley, I was less clear on the particulars of Mary Wollstonecraft. I thought this was a great book even if it took the shine off her a bit for me- so much of her life seems spent chasing or recovering from failed affairs. Much was made of Godwin as well, which didn't really stand up to me knowing the later treatment of his biological and adopted daughters.
I still found the book enjoyable, though maybe too many of the written words of so many writers and poets were too often stuffed into their mouths. It makes the dialogue heavy, which tired me out at times.

I just want to thank NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review for this book. The first page of the book has already got me so hooked and I know that I would love this book so much. It is such an easy book to vibe with because of how the author was able to help connect me and the main character. This book was hard to put down as it is both happy and sad. Anyone who loves historical writings I would recommend this to them.

Mary Wollstonecraft is one of my heroines so I read anything I can find about her. This imaginative novel is absorbing as, shortly before her death, she tells her newborn daughter (the just as famous-to-be, Mary Shelley) the story of her life in the form of a memoir.

The scenes set in Paris during the Revolution were particularly good and I loved the point of view from the midwife watching over her charge. My only disappointment was the ending which appeared rushed and the book could have been longer. I would have liked to learn as much about Mary meeting and falling in love with William Godwin as we do about her love affair with Gilbert Imlay.

I hope this book brings Mary Wollstonecraft to a whole new generation of readers especially young feminists who perhaps have no idea of what she achieved. Many thanks to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Love and Fury is an engrossing novel: I read it in a day not because I was rushing through it, but because I really didn't want to put it down.

This is my favourite kind of historical fiction: intimate and introspective whilst reflecting the sweep of an era and its society. As a fictional memoir, it's so fluent to read that you almost don't realise how well it's crafted: the intertwining voices of Mary and Mrs B, shifting from past to present, add an emotive depth and perspective. Silva's narrative not only captures the spirit of Mary Wollstonecraft, but also her becoming - her flaws and failures, the world that she rails against and the world that she seeks to create.

Sensitive, intelligent and engaging - Love and Fury is one of my favourite books of 2021.

What a tour de force

I am a huge fan of Mary Wollstencraft and this inspired novel does not disappoint. Telling her story to her new-born daughter (Mary Shelley to be, of course), Mary looks back at the events, both personal and historical, and the people, both men and women, who have influenced the course of her life.

Writing roughly around the time that Jane Austen was trying to reconcile the need to make a prudent marriage with love and respect, even nowadays, Mary would be an iconoclast: giving as good as she gets in the then male preserves of writing and publishing; eschewing marriage; training up her pupils to be useful not decorative; refusing to be judged on her looks alone…one can imagine her as a 21st century influencer!

Into her orbit come other characters, who are vividly brought to life: her grieving, loyal midwife Mrs Blenkinsop; possibly the love of her life Fanny Blood; the ultimately devious Gilbert Imlay; her husband, diffident William Godwin – all this, plus a ring-side view of the French Revolution! Above all, I was struck by just how tenuous life was in the 18th century.

As soon as I am able (once the novel is published), I will post this review on Amazon.

Historical fiction based on the personal life of Mary Wollstonecraft

Debilitated by childbed fever, Mary Wollstonecraft recounts her life story to newborn daughter, Mary Shelley.

Love and Fury is a faithful account of Wollstonecraft’s life, a life which thrummed with all the drama of the best historical fiction. For all that, the novel fails to capture the emotional turmoil and deep depression of an abandoned unmarried mother in the late 1700s, who attempts suicide on at least three occasions.

Silva’s awe of her subject is evident. However, giving various characters lines drawing attention to the character’s fame, for example, ‘That’s right, sir. Mary Wollstonecraft is stronger than us all’, ‘Mary Wollstonecraft will be remembered better than all of us’, ‘Have you darn my socks, the Mary Wollstonecraft?’ (Silva’s emphasis) among several such instances, jars like a knowing wink to the reader. Similarly, guests at Joseph Johnson’s soirée are presented as a rollcall of notables, ‘Here, William Cowper… Over there, the naturalist Erasmus Darwin…’, to be instantly recognised by Mary as though she has access to eighteenth-century social media.

The novel’s strength lies in bringing Mary Wollstonecraft to a potentially new audience – for which Love and Fury can only be applauded.

My thanks to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for the ARC.

As much as I love history and women of history, I'm terrible for leaving my non fiction titles unread on the shelf. Being a big fan of Mary Wollstencraft and also historical fiction, I knew Love and Fury would be perfect for me and I wasn't disappointed.

Samantha Silva has written such an accessible account of Mary Wollstencraft's life. I really enjoyed the narrative, which swapped between past and present and loved the author's writing style.

From a neglected childhood to the birth of her youngest daughter, we are told the story of Mary's life. Her great loves and losses, her hateful parents, her travels and her work. Of the many characters we meet, Mrs B had to be my favourite though Mary's love for Fanny is beautiful.

My only criticism of the book is that I wish it was longer! A huge thank you for the chance to read and review this gorgeous story.

Quite honestly, this is the most beautiful book I have had the pleasure of reading this year so far. I will be extremely surprised if anything tops this. I found it nigh on impossible to put this book down and found myself rereading some passages just because they were so lyrical. Silva's style is incredible and her work seems to lift off the page before you.

"There is no confinement that can hold me, no drawing of the curtains, but wide-open windows throwing fresh country light across the pages, illuminating the blackest ink."

Love and Fury is equal parts heart wrenching, inspiring and heartfelt. The narrative alternates firstly between Mrs B, the midwife attending to an ailing Mary after she gives birth to her second child, and secondly Mary W as she relays the story of her life to her new daughter. This was a love letter not just from Mary as a mother to her child, but to all women, I believe.

This was a story of love. Of finding love and the need to be loved; Mary's childhood was littered with abuse and neglect. It is no wonder that when Mary did love, she loved fiercely. Her friendship with Fanny is intense and wonderful. Whilst Mary was not on this earth for long, she did a lot of living.

Many of the struggles Mary faced still resonate today, sadly, but she faced these head on and would not allow herself to be broken. She strived for equality amongst men, she argued that women were just as clever as men should they be given the chance at a proper education, and she longed for women to be able to pursue their own lives and remain unmarried if they so chose. Had Mary lived longer, I dare say she would have made even more of a name for herself as an advocate for women's rights instead of her 'unconventional' relationships taking centre stage.

What an absolute treat this was to read. I cannot wait to purchase my own copy to keep.

Audiobook narrated by Ell Potter which I can only say did a beautiful job telling me this story.
I’ve started writing this review a dozen times only to try again because I can’t possibly do it justice. I knew absolutely nothing about Mary Wollstonecraft. Her bravery, talent and love. Her cruel childhood, her writings. She’s one of the first women to fight for equal rights.
She saw injustice at a very young age. She knew many marriages were slavery for women. And that women had no rights, money or power during her life.
It was breathtaking to read this, a prose that flowed seamlessly, wonderfully detailed observations. I couldn’t put it down.
I’m not going to say anymore except that I highly recommend it. It’s a must read.
Thanks Macmillan Audio, Allison & Busby via Netgalley.

Seen this advertised and was desperate to get my hands on a copy!

Wow it did not let me down! A truly magical book. A very different angle to the usual stories about Mary and really well written. Certainly a page turner. The story weaves between timelines and gives a completely different insight to anything on this historical icon I had read before. Absolutely beautiful couldn.t put it down. Fully recommend!

This was a 5 star read for me, I found it impossible to put down , totally immersed in the life of Mary Wollstonecraft, the author of Vindication Of The Rights Of Women and mother of Mary Shelley.
The book opens with a midwife, Mrs Blenkinsop, arriving at the house of Mary and William Godwin. Mary is not worried as she already has one daughter, Fanny, but of course we know that she will die.
The book alternates between two points of view, Mrs B and Mary W. The Mary chapters are in the form of a story to her newborn, the story of her life.
The birth story particularly when the doctors are called is horrifying. Unwashed hands inside her to remove the placenta! I could barely look.
It’s incredibly moving how the book has been written. This amazing woman in a world where women were barely educated, expected to marry and not respected. Reading about her life in this way was so well done. I loved the character of Mrs B, a representative of female knowledge and experience in a way, compared to the male doctors.
The ending isn’t perfect, Silva doesn’t go into how Godwin and Mary’s relationship developed but it’s still a superb and emotional read.

If you want to know about Mary Wollstonecraft's life then this is a great way to find out. The follows Mary on the day she gives birth to the daughter who will become Mary Shelley and on the follwing days as Mary battles with puperal fever and her daughter "Little bird" also clings tenuously to life. Mary speaks to "her little bird" recounting the story of her life in a series of flashbacks. I already knoew quite a lot about her life, so no surprises for me, the book is a "fictionalised" account so some artistic license has to be allowed for. I enjoyed this book but the prose didn't "sing" for me. It felt quite didactic. It's well worth reading but didn't win my heart.

A really beautiful book about Mary Wollstonecraft. She comes across as a great character and very loyal to her family and friends. It was such a shame that her love for others didn't extend to herself and heartbreaking that she died just when she was truly happy.
I think that the book could have been longer as the last quarter or so does feel a bit rushed and I would have loved to have learned how her relationship with Godwin developed.
I didn't know a lot about Mary before reading this and didn't realise what an interesting life she had led. I really hope the book gets the credit it deserves and would love to see the book made into a film or even better a TV series.

"Fuseli raised his glass. "Well, I for one hate clever women. They're only troublesome." "Here's to troublesome women! May they long live," said Darwin, raising his tumbler over the candles. Johnson joined in, quoting from my novel. "'Her joys, her ecstasies, arose from genius.' Like our Mary. The best troublesome woman I know."

And troublesome she was! Thank fuck for that, or else I'm not sure where we'd be on this #internationalwomensday 2021.

Mary Wollstonecraft has come to feel a bit like a friend to me now after having read about her life's work and legacy twice within six months, and I absolutely loved once again getting to relive her quite turbulent and rebellious - if short, life. It simply amazes me how many times she picked herself up and dusted herself off after being knocked down by her family, her sex, the patriarchal structures that governed her, revolution, love, and death until she passed at the unripe age of 38 in the aftermath of giving birth to Mary Shelley. If only she could know what she left behind and what her sacrifices and willpower would come to mean for women throughout history.

In comparison to Romantic Outlaws, Love and Fury did come across as quite abrupt and condensed given that it focused solely on the life of Wollstonecraft. However, it was immensely touching how she kept addressing Shelley in the narrative throughout as the reader knows that fate will prevent them from ever knowing one another. I also loved getting to experience those last heart-wrenching days through the eyes of midwife Mrs. Blenkinsop who really adds something special to the equation towards the end.

I loved this book and I love Mary Wollstonecraft and I miss reading about her already. If you read #romanticoutlaws by #charlottegordon and enjoyed it, you have to read Love and Fury by Samanta Silva, and vice versa. You have to. I'm biased, but this was so good. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

I don't like saying happy international women's day, but this feels like the most perfect book to post about today. Let's keep fighting Mary's fight and let's never stop. 💪

Thank you @allisonandbusby for this e-ARC! 🙏❤

One of the few things I knew about Mary Wollstonecraft was that she died just after giving birth to her daughter Mary (author of Frankenstein.) Hence the prospect of reading a book focusing on the birth of this baby filled me with some doubt, as there was little suspense about the ending. But having gradually set the scene with the arrival of the midwife, through whose eyes all the 'framing structure' scenes are shown, Silva moves into Wollstonecraft's voice while (as if telling her life story to the baby Mary) she recalls her life from childhood in Yorkshire through being a governess in Ireland, a star of literary London, a reckless traveller to France at the height of the French revolution, a businesswoman on a mission to Norway and so many more roles. Wollstonecraft leaps off the page in a way I have not seen since I read that great biographical romance, Katherine by Anya Seton. Her thoughts and intense perceptions are described with psychological acuteness. Dialogue is effortless, always believable and yet progressing the plot and revealing of characters. 'My heroine would have thinking powers. And not be governed by fear,' says Wollstonecraft. When asked, 'No weeping and sighing then?' she answers, 'Just enough. As I weep and sigh. Just enough.'
It is interesting that William Godwin's appearances, from Wollstonecraft's point of view, are very brief: we see more of him in the midwife's story. I was reminded of so many great and popular works of art - ranging from Wuthering Heights to the Sound of Music, and was so sorry when I reached the end of the book - an ending which manages to be positive and uplifting.
I can personally can hardly fault this book though I spotted a few small problems (which may be rectified before publication). There are Americanisms such as 'out back' for 'at the back' and 'race track' for 'racecourse'. There is some anachronistic language, words such as Tsunami. Occasional sentences are not as polished as the rest, eg, 'Soon we were tete a tete as soon as we came together.' The geographical locations are left a bit vague because the English counties are not mentioned - it would not be a case of ' Hoxton' but a 'Middlesex village called Hoxton' and the same for Braintree (Essex.) There is an odd reference to someone having had the same pair of shoes for 20 years: I didn't feel this would have been worthy of note in the period. (I have had at least one of my pairs for this long, and in those days, I am sure shoe repairs were easier to come by. )
However these are very minor. I found this a great read, funny, moving, true to life and a fascinating account of a historical figure about whom I will now want to learn much more. It is remarkable that it is only Silva's second novel, though as a screenwriter she has the knack of economical scene-setting and creating action that brings scenes and people to such vivid life.
Very strongly recommended.

A truly beautiful book. A very different angle to the use academia stuff about Mary and really well written. The story weaves between timelines and ages and gives a completely different insight to anything in this time period and on this historical icon before. Absolutely gorgeous, couldn.t put it down.