Solitary Walker: A Novel of Mary Wollstonecraft
Available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook wherever books are sold online.
Readers of biographical fiction will embrace this carefully researched novel about the woman historians widely consider the world's first feminist. Told against the backdrop of Wollstonecraft's incredible rise as a writer, the French Revolution, and a solo journey along the remote shores of Scandinavia, Solitary Walker is the timeless story of a woman forging her own path.
“A captivating work of historical fiction, intellectually stimulating and dramatically engrossing... The author’s prose authentically captures the dialogue of the time and powerfully evokes the contradictions that make Wollstonecraft’s legacy so richly complex.”
- Kirkus Reviews
More Reviews of Solitary Walker
“Mastro’s writing is skillful and precise, creating descriptions of settings and characters that linger. She has an eye for atmospheric details: “Everyone’s clothes felt damp; even the pages of their books had gone limp,” she writes of a hot, rainy summer day in Bristol. Nearly all the characters are historically documented; if you’re familiar with the period, you may figure out which one(s) are fictional. All is explained in an author’s note. This is a well-researched, admirable fictional portrait that will leave you amazed at the daring and vigorous way Mary moved through her world.” Click here to read the full review.
- Sarah Johnson, Book Blogger, Reading the Past
“I have read other books about both Wollstonecraft and her famous daughter, Mary Godwin Shelley (1797-1851) — author of FRANKENSTEIN and wife of poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) — but what this author has excelled at is creating a deep, rich, and believable inner life for this 18th century intellectual. Wollstonecraft’s thoughts, motivations, fears, and emotions are all tied to her history and experiences, just as ours are. We understand why she acts as she does. In fact Mastro’s portrayal is so skillful that Wollstonecraft feels as fully human and three-dimensional as anyone you might know today. She is a true heroine of her own story. Don’t miss this one; it represents the best of the historical fiction genre.” Click here to read the full review.
- Toby A. Smith, Book Blogger
“Mastro reminds us that this her ‘interpretation of [Mary] as a woman, what might have been going through her mind, as well as what she and others may have said or done’. In my opinion she has done so honestly, authentically but above all, reasonably. Her explanations and interpretations make sense, they are believable and compassionate. I hope that Mastro has another prominent woman from the past in her sights.” Click here to read the full review.
- Book Blogger, This Reading Life, by Brona’s Books
