A Woman of Opinion with Sean Lusk at Mr B's Emporium

About

Mr B's Emporium is incredibly excited to welcome Sean Lusk to their shop, to discuss A Woman of Opinion, a novel which gives a voice to the tragically unremembered yet extraordinary life of pioneering poet and feminist, Mary Wortley Montagu.

Sean's debut, The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley, was a BBC Between the Covers Book Club pick, and Longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2023. It was a huge Mr B's team favourite, and they're delighted to welcome Sean to celebrate the release of his illuminating and beautiful new novel.

About the book:

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…

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

This book is a triumph – vivid, exquisite, enthralling and revealing. ― Kate Griffin, author of Fyneshade