I got this book in December 2021 when Barnes and Noble had the big hardcover sale, and months later, I wondered, “why on Earth did I get this book?” I knew it was about a midwife, Mrs. Blenkinsop helping Mary Wollstonecraft during the birth of her daughter. Little did I know, I would thoroughly enjoy this book.

Book: Love and Fury: A Novel of Maty Wollstonecraft by Samantha Silva
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: May 25, 2021
Tags: Adult, historical fiction, family, based on real people
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository | Thrift Books | Abe Books
Read: July 9, 2022 to July 9, 2022

August, 1797. Midwife Parthenia Blenkinsop has delivered countless babies, but nothing prepares her for the experience that unfolds when she arrives at Mary Wollstonecraft’s door. Over the eleven harrowing days that follow, as Mrs. Blenkinsop fights for the survival of both mother and newborn, Wollstonecraft recounts the life she dared to live amidst the impossible constraints and prejudices of the late 18th century, rejecting the tyranny of men and marriage, risking everything to demand equality for herself and all women. She weaves her riveting tale to give her fragile daughter a reason to live, even as her own strength wanes. Wollstonecraft’s urgent story of loss and triumph forms the heartbreakingly brief intersection between the lives of a mother and daughter who will change the arc of history and thought.

In radiant prose, Samantha Silva delivers an ode to the dazzling life of Mary Wollstonecraft, one of the world’s most influential thinkers and mother of the famous novelist Mary Shelley. But at its heart, Love and Fury is a story about the power of a woman reclaiming her own narrative to pass on to her daughter, and all daughters, for generations to come.

Spoiler Free Review

I got this book in December 2021 when Barnes and Noble had the big hardcover sale, and months later, I wondered, “why on Earth did I get this book?” I knew it was about a midwife, Mrs. Blenkinsop helping Mary Wollstonecraft during the birth of her daughter. Little did I know, I would thoroughly enjoy this book. I had no idea that this was about Mary Shelley’s mother and her life as a women’s rights advocate in the 1700s.

We have two timelines, 1: Mrs. Blenkinsop’s point of view in present day time helping Mary Wollstonecraft give birth to her daughter Mary Shelley, and 2: Mary Wollstonecraft’s point of view who is the narrator, telling her life story to Mary Shelley, addressing Mary Shelly as Little Bird. We are thrown into the heart wrenching, informative, accomplished, and tough life of Mary Wollstonecraft.

I gave Love and Fury four stars, really enjoying was emotional and gripping and I learned so much about her life. Yes, this is historical fiction, some parts may be falsified, but, I also had no idea who Mary Wollstonecraft was and had no idea that she was Mary Shelley’s mother. So I did learn a lot.

I learned a lot about Mary Wollstonecraft and her life and family and I found this book to enjoyable and it really captures your attention. Samantha Silva does a really good job in terms of portraying heartbreak and also the struggles of being a mother. We are thrown into the world of Mary Wollstonecraft from a young age and we just can’t help but be sad about the tough situations that she had to go through from a young age to adulthood.

This book was an absolutely amazing read and I’m so glad that I decided to pick it up. I truly learned a lot and would also highly recommend listening to the audiobook. The narrator does a fantastic job with this story and I can say I enjoyed this book so much more with the audiobook. I felt immersed into Mary Wollstonecraft’s world and the narrator truly adds to the immersion.

I hope you guys have a great day, please like and comment down below if you enjoyed this book as well or if you plan on reading it!

Loves,

Veronica Chen