Book Spotlight: Her Lost Words

Today, Stephanie Marie Thornton releases her stunning new book, Her Lost Words: A Novel of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley. This historical fiction novel follows two famous figures, a mother and daughter, who both left their mark on the world.

I find both Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley to be fascinating and inspiring women. The former paved the way for women’s rights, declaring our equality to men. As a feminist, her efforts in the late 1700s unlocked later advancements for women. And her daughter, Mary Shelley, wrote one of my favorite classic novels, Frankenstein, an early example of science fiction that continues to be referenced and reimagined to this day.

Her Lost Words highlights both women, from their groundbreaking careers to their intimate personal lives. This is one of my most anticipated novels this spring and is surely one that would be an excellent book club pick.

Find out more about it below, and let me know if you’re planning to pick up Her Lost Words. If you’ve already read it, let me know how you liked it in the comments! I’m hoping to read it soon, so stay tuned for my review.

Official Summary

From A Vindication of the Rights of Woman to Frankenstein, a tale of two literary legends—a mother and daughter—discovering each other and finding themselves along the way, from USA Today bestselling author Stephanie Marie Thornton.
 
1792. As a child, Mary Wollstonecraft longed to disappear during her father’s violent rages. Instead, she transforms herself into the radical author of the landmark volume A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, in which she dares to propose that women are equal to men. From conservative England to the blood-drenched streets of revolutionary France, Mary refuses to bow to society’s conventions and instead supports herself with her pen until an illicit love affair challenges her every belief about romance and marriage. When she gives birth to a daughter and is stricken with childbed fever, Mary fears it will be her many critics who recount her life’s extraordinary odyssey…
 
1818. The daughter of infamous political philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft, passionate Mary Shelley learned to read by tracing the letters of her mother’s tombstone. As a young woman, she desperately misses her mother’s guidance, especially following her scandalous elopement with dashing poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Mary struggles to balance an ever-complicated marriage with motherhood while nursing twin hopes that she might write something of her own one day and also discover the truth of her mother’s unconventional life. Mary’s journey will unlock her mother’s secrets, all while leading to her own destiny as the groundbreaking author of Frankenstein.
 
A riveting and inspiring novel about a firebrand feminist, her visionary daughter, and the many ways their words transformed our world.

Get the Book

You can buy Her Lost Words here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Her Lost Words by Stephanie Marie Thornton
Audience	Adult
Genre	Historical Fiction; Women’s Fiction
Number of Pages	448
Original Publication Date	March 28, 2023