A Woman of Opinion

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

'I shall be a thousand different Marys and, in such manner, shall find the one I wish to be...'

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu longs for adventure, freedom and love, believing that only by truly living can she ever escape the stalking crow of Death...

An aristocratic woman in 18th century England is expected to act in certain ways. But Mary has never let society's expectations stifle her: she writes celebrated poetry and articles advocating for equality, as well as endless, often scandalous, letters to her many powerful friends.

However, Mary wants more from the world. Using her charm and connections, she engineers a job offer for her husband as ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. Travelling to Constantinople, Mary finally discovers the autonomous life she dreams of. And when she observes Turkish women 'engrafting' children against smallpox, she resolves to bring the miracle cure back to England.

Despite this, Mary's reputation becomes increasingly tainted. Her inability to abide by the rules, her outspoken opinions on women's rights, and her search for love and desire at all costs gains her powerful enemies. While Mary tries to ensure her name will live on by arranging the publication of her diaries after her death, her own daughter works against her, afraid of what they might contain...

An illuminating and beautiful novel which gives a voice to the tragically unremembered yet extraordinary life of pioneering poet and feminist, Mary Wortley Montagu.

©2024 Sean Lusk (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critics Review

Lusk's retelling of Mary's story is by turns witty, insightful and moving
Sunday Times
Lusk's narrative skilfully weaves together themes of identity, ambition, and the pursuit of happiness, offering readers a compelling story filled with emotional depth. You won't forget Mary after reading this.
Glamour
Exploring not only a fascinating period in world history but also the life of a strong-minded woman who refused to be silenced by society's expectations, A Woman of Opinion is not only brilliantly written but enlightening too.
Culturefly
Sean Lusk's A Woman of Opinion centres on the real-life story of the Georgian aristocrat Mary Wortley Montagu - the most remarkable free spirit and brave adventuress whose beauty, passions and achievements led to fame ... and also scandal. With this, his second novel, Lusk proves himself a magician who conjures prose of a spell-binding elegance and charm - as charismatic as the woman who he brings so vividly into life upon the page.
Essie Fox, author of The Fascination
Superb. Not only a very fine work of historical fiction, but also sure-footed and compassionate in terms of the world in which Lady Mary moved - not an easy place for a spirited, intelligent and questing woman. This book is a triumph - vivid, exquisite, enthralling and revealing.
Kate Griffin, author of Fyneshade
With A Woman of Opinion, Sean Lusk has made the voice of Mary Wortley Montagu ring clear and defiant through the centuries. I feel she could seamlessly step from her own world into ours, being absolutely real in both. What an achievement. What a woman.
Shona MacLean, author of The Redemption of Alexander Seaton
A fascinating tale of an under-sung pioneer, I can understand why Sean felt so passionately that Mary's story needed to be shared! Told with vim and vigour, this is historical storytelling at its finest.
Victoria MacKenzie, author of For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy On My Little Pain
As elegantly brave as its heroine, A Woman of Opinion combines precise and elegant writing with a subtle understanding of the female mind and heart. Lady Mary Montagu defied the conventions of her age, not because she was a natural rebel, but because she could imagine no other way to live her life than on her own bold terms. Sean Lusk is to be admired for understanding this - and for presenting it so beautifully on the page.
Annie Garthwaite, author of Cecily
A dazzling portrait of an unforgettable woman. Sean Lusk is a writer of rare insight, beauty and power.
Louisa Treger, author of Madwoman
What a book! A Woman of Opinion casts an absolute spell, with Sean Lusk's magical prose dazzling and delighting ... With acerbic humour and heartfelt pathos, Lusk shows how Lady Montagu's story - her championing of inoculation, support of women's voices and uncompromising self-belief in the face of establishment opposition - place this figure of the past firmly in the present. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu was a woman of opinion and one we would all benefit from listening to.
Rupert Dastur, author of Cloudless

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