Shelley and the Unknown Lady By Lona Manning
Publication Date: October 5, 2020
eBook; 177 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Percy Bysshe Shelley’s brief and turbulent life was as passionate and haunting as his poetry.
Romantic, idealistic and impulsive, Shelley had several intense love affairs.
When Shelley drowned at sea, he took his secrets with him.
Did a beautiful, lovelorn lady really follow him throughout Europe, as he claimed? Did Mary Shelley ever learn about this rival for her affections?
Shelley and the Unknown Lady is a carefully researched imagining of the true-life tragedy behind the mystery.
This novella is a stand-alone story excerpted from Lona Manning’s Mansfield Trilogy.
Available on Amazon
Praise for Lona Manning's Writing
“Many try to emulate [Jane] Austen; not all succeed. Here, Manning triumphs.” -Blue Ink Reviews"Manning’s books are… maniacally well-researched, gorgeously written, and wholly accurate in character. I can’t wait for the next one! I wholeheartedly recommend her books..." -Goodreads reviewer
Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Percy Shelley is someone I've always wanted to learn more about but haven't had the chance, which is why I jumped at the opportunity to read Lona Manning's novella, Shelley and the Unknown Lady.
Per the author's note this novella was inspired by Percy Shelley's claim that a mysterious woman was stalking him throughout Europe. He relayed this story to several people but no one was ever able to solve the mystery. Author Lona Manning takes this mystery and puts her own spin on it. She combines the character of Mary Crawford from Jane Austen's novel Mansfield Park, and her own novel, A Different Kind of Woman, to create her own version of the events.
Mary Crawford meets Percy Shelley one day as she is visiting a small town in Italy and instantly becomes enamored with him. She is no longer happy in her marriage so she has left her husband and children back in London.
Mary and Percy begin to meet daily, discussing life and philosophy and their friendship soon turns into a pasionate love affair...with all the drama that inevitably follows. I don't want to give too much away, so you will just have to pick it up and find out for yourself!
I loved how the author included passages from Shelley's poems, and there is a treasure trove of information on Shelley at the end of the book, including a preview of Manning's novel, A Contrary Wind.
Pick up Shelley and the Unknown Lady for a wonderfully entertaining read!
About the Author
Lona Manning loves reading, choral singing, gardening and travel. Over the years, she has been a home care aide, legal secretary, political speech writer, office manager, vocational instructor, non-profit administrator and ESL Teacher. She has also written true crime articles for www.CrimeMagazine.com. She began writing A Contrary Wind, her award-winning debut novel, while she was teaching English in China. Manning and her husband raised their family in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, Canada. You can follow her on Twitter or Goodreads or at her Facebook page, "A Contrary Wind" where she posts on all things Jane Austen.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Blog Tour Schedule
Monday, October 5Review at Passages to the Past
Tuesday, October 6
Interview at Novels Alive
Excerpt at Probably at the Library
Wednesday, October 7
Review at Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals
Thursday, October 8
Guest Post at Novels Alive
Saturday, October 10
Feature at Reading is My Remedy
Sunday, October 11
Review at Gwendalyn's Books
Monday, October 12
Guest Post at Coffee and Ink
Tuesday, October 13
Review at Novels Alive
Interview at Bookish Rantings
Giveaway
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.The giveaway is open to US residents only and ends on October 13th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
Shelley and the Unknown Lady
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