Almost Invincible ~ Paperback ~ Suzanne Burdon

***GOLD MEDAL WINNER WISHING WELL INDEPENDENT BOOK AWARDS*** "She is singularly bold, somewhat imperious, and active of mind. Her desire of knowledge is great, and her perseverance in everything else she undertakes, almost invincible." Mary Shelley began 'Frankenstein' in 1814, when she was eighteen. By then, she had been living for two years in a scandalous relationship with the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who was already married with children. The novel was conceived in a contest with him and Lord Byron to tell ghost stories. When she eloped with Shelley, Mary had been quite prepared to suffer condemnation from society. It was much harder to cope with her jealousy of Claire, her step-sister, who had run away with them and was also in love with Shelley. During the nine turbulent years Mary and Shelley were together, Claire was the ever-present third, whose manipulative behaviour often drove Mary to despair. Shelley was little help - his unconventional attitudes to love strained her devotion to its limits. They moved constantly throughout England, Switzerland and Italy, escaping creditors, censorious families and ill health. It was in Italy that they found their spiritual home, their 'paradise of exiles', but it was also there that the loss of her children nearly broke Mary's spirit. Her writing became her grip on sanity, and Shelley never wavered from his belief in her creative genius - as she believed in his. 'Almost Invincible' is the story of Mary Shelley and her scandalous relationship with the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Through her tumultuous life, her writing became her grip on sanity, and Shelley never wavered from his belief in her creative genius - as she believed in his.Author BiographySocial researcher, academic and author Suzanne Burdon's research for Almost Invincible has been extensive. She travelled to the UK, the US and Europe to maintain the authenticity of the story. The book whilst factually based, beautifully imagines the emotions, conversations, and some of the mysteries surrounding Mary Shelley's life. Burdon says of writing the book, 'Amongst the volumes of extant information and many complex biographies I glimpsed a Mary who was a teenage rebel, a grieving mother, a determined author and a long suffering lover of a man well ahead of his time. It made me want to tell her story.' Suzanne is British, and currently lives in Sydney, Australia.