A good, honest biography of this courageous woman, pulled from her letters, writings, and the journals of her friends and compatriots during her lifetime. And after her lifetime - her influence is felt long past her untimely death.

While born into an abusive family where the primogeniture of her older brother, Ned, excluded everyone else from receiving their parents' love and good attention, Mary as the oldest daughter saw that the world of the intellect was the most open one for her. Her schooling was spotty but still she learned spelling and grammar from her close childhood friend; her first set of short stories was illustrated by William Blake; and she had the financial freedom and personal opportunity to live in Paris during the French Revolution.

Ms. Jacobs brings the writings to life by including those of her publisher, Joseph Johnson, her sisters, and her increasing circle of friends without modern changes to grammar or spelling. I was often struck while reading these passages of how difficult it must have been to pull this vast bit of knowledge in and consolidate it into an observation or to make a point.

The world was changing quickly during Mary's lifetime and she was fully available to meet it. Her obsession with her first love is all the more refreshing for those of us who have been through a difficult break-up and can't seem to shake off the feelings of the beloved for another suitor. Her masterpiece Vindication of the Rights of Women resonates through the centuries, and she is able, as shown through her various writings, to incorporate her various life changes (shunning love, falling in love, finding her own way after the love) while still remaining true to her personal journey. ( )