Strange True Tale of Frankenstein's Creator Mary Shelley, written by Catherine Reef, reviewed by Stephanie Wilson

Summary: When the name Mary Shelley is mentioned, inevitably what comes next is the name of her most famous creation, Frankenstein. Reef rescues Mary Shelley's life from a simple recitation of the facts: wife of Percy Bysshe Shelley, creator of Frankenstein. She has created a nuanced portrait of a complicated woman with a complicated life. Shelley's mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, a famous early feminist died days after Mary was born. She was raised by her father and step-mother and with several half-siblings. Her life would be marred by scandal and loss. Shelley began her relationship with the very much married Percy Shelley when she was just a teen. Society never approved of Shelley, her unconventional ideas or her relationship with Percy. She suffered the loss of all but one of her five children. It was not uncommon for children die in early childhood in the nineteenth century. Shelley also had to endure the suicides of her half-sister Franny and Percy’s wife Harriet. Suicides were viewed with scorn by society and considered ruinous for a family’s fortunes. As a result, neither Franny’s nor Harriet’s bodies were claimed by the family. The women were buried in common graves and not publicly mourned. Percy Shelley’s tragic death followed close on the heels of the miscarriage of her fifth child. The totality of her losses nearly killed her. Only her fourth child, a son named Percy Florence lived to adulthood. He devoted his life to saving his father’s writings and hers from obscurity. In recent years, Shelley’s lesser known books have experienced a resurgence in interest due to the publication of new editions. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: Mary Shelley’s life was fodder for the gossips during her lifetime but her modern ideas have aged well. She believed in the education of women. Even though she had to initially publish Frankenstein anonymously, she believed women had valuable stories to tell. She disagreed with the common sentiment of her era that writing was an unseemly vocation for a woman. Reef’s portrait of Shelley is as interesting as it is educational. The Strange True Tale of Frankenstein’s Creator Mary Shelley can be used to supplement in class readings of Frankenstein. Fans of Frankenstein will enjoy learning more about the author and her unconventional life. The Strange True Tale of Frankenstein’s Creator Mary Shelley will make a welcome addition to high school and public libraries