Since its publication in 1818, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has been considered an essential Gothic novel, making its way into countless homes, libraries and classrooms. The story’s author, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, lived a much less talked about—but just as eventful—life, however. Her story is captured by Catherine Reef in Mary Shelley: The Strange True Tale of Frankenstein’s Creator. 

Born Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin to two acclaimed writers and Romantic-era thinkers, Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin, Shelley experienced loss at every corner of life. Losing her mother 11 days after she was born was just the beginning of the misfortune she would encounter. Gossip and controversy had lingered around her, partially due to her father’s atheism, but it arose when she first ran away at 16 with Percy Bysshe Shelley, a Romantic poet who was married, at the time, to someone else. 

Reef captures the highs and lows of Mary Shelley’s life, using quotes from the author herself and those around her to help tell the story and provide multiple perspectives. Reef is able to make connections that were never made in Shelley’s time. For instance, without anybody ever knowing, her son would later go on to befriend Shelley’s friend’s daughter, whom Mary Shelley had a hand in supporting as a child. 

Additionally, the frequent illustrations that contribute to several pages of the book are a helpful tool for readers to connect and follow her journey. Keeping track of the people she meets and the places and things she experiences can be somewhat difficult at times, as she moves several times throughout the book, never staying in one place for very long (mostly due to financial pressures). 

There is, however, a much stronger focus on Shelley’s life and her relationships than her stories. Although their plot may be briefly described and Reef includes how well each story sold and what effect it had on Shelley’s life, it wasn’t as prioritized. Lesser known stories and stories that were never published had more of a spotlight, especially if it impacted her relationships. For example, her (then unpublished) story Mathilda was explained more in detail because it was an indicator of the strained relationship she had with her father ever since she ran away with a married man. 

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s life was filled with as much drama and heartache as many of her stories, making Mary Shelley: The Strange True Tale of Frankenstein’s Creator an enthralling read, start to finish. Catherine Reef’s novel is an insightful, intriguing novel for fans of history, horror or Mary Shelley’s work.