The Life and Letters of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Volume 2 (of 2)

A historical account written in the late 19th century. This volume examines the life and correspondence of the renowned author Mary Shelley, focusing on the profound impact of her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley’s death and her subsequent struggles. It delves deeply into her emotional turmoil, relationships with contemporaries, and her efforts in sustaining herself and her child through grief and adversity. The opening of this volume introduces a harrowing period in Mary Shelley's life following the tragic drowning of her husband and friend, Edward Williams. It captures the somber atmosphere as Mary, along with her friend Jane Williams and Trelawny, searches for confirmation of their fate, punctuated with intense anguish and despair. Trelawny's grim task of delivering the news of their deaths to Mary is portrayed with a profound intensity, revealing her overwhelming sorrow and the support from friends like Leigh Hunt. This part of the narrative highlights Shelley's emotional resilience amidst profound loss and sets the stage for her subsequent life marked by solitude and creative endeavors intertwined with memories of her loved ones.