The Determined Heart

The Tale of Mary Shelley and Her Frankenstein

By: Antoinette May

Narrated by: Susan Duerden

The Determined Heart reveals the life of Mary Shelley in a story of love and obsession, betrayal and redemption.

The daughter of political philosopher William Godwin and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary Shelley had an unconventional childhood populated with the most talented and eccentric personalities of the time. After losing her mother at an early age, she finds herself in constant conflict with a resentful stepmother and a jealous stepsister. When she meets the Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, she falls deeply in love, and they elope with disastrous consequences. Soon she finds herself destitute and embroiled in a torturous love triangle as Percy takes Mary's stepsister as a lover. Over the next several years, Mary struggles to write while she and Percy face ostracism, constant debt, and the heartbreaking deaths of three children. Ultimately, she achieves great acclaim for Frankenstein, but at what cost?

©2015 Antoinette May (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved

Swept up in this beautiful story.

This was so well written. The story was was moving and I felt like I was swept away every time I picked it up. The love scenes were very sexy but not uncomfortable. Well done! The only comment that is not totally positive is that the narrator had a "sing-song" quality to her cadence at the end of a phrase. I didn't notice until the last quarter of the book and I did listen twice so overall not a big deal. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a great story of love and loss, ambition with great perseverance!

Disappointing

Wish I could leave a better review but was quite disappointed in this book. It seems to be filled with nothing but a story line of free love and affairs. Couldn't finish it.

Awesome narrator was brille

Beginning was slow but Mary's life began to take shape narrator's voice changes done very well I was able to follow

Intriguing Look at an Author's Motivation

Interesting look into the human spirit. Amazing to contemplate how centuries ago men and women faced the same questions we struggle with to day. The narrator is somewhat distracting with the lilt at the end of each sentence.

surprisingly entertaining

I was sorry when this one was finished. fascinating story took the reader into the period and lives of household names in unexpected ways. did not want it to end.