A Woman of Opinion
Reviewed on 1st June 2025
Sean Lusk’s second novel shares similarities with his first - it’s historical, it involves travel, and it’s really engaging. But also differences - this time there’s no fantasy. Instead this is the story of Mary Wortley Montagu, a real 18th century writer, but with the details that history has failed to retain filled in with a fictionalised account.
I found my attention captured immediately, although the narrative felt very unclear exactly where it was going - in the sense that this isn’t the traditional novel where the character has a quest and a sense of direction. Instead it’s almost like each chapter serves as a separate episode, and each is its own story, and the full picture can’t emerge until you’ve consumed them all.
I found it really great to learn more about this period of history through this lens. I find stories much more engaging as a communication format than drier text, and so it was cool to see this from the point of view of a realised person. There’s much more going on, at home and abroad, than I had realised.
A great second outing, and I’m intrigued to find out what might come next.
