Lusk’s retelling of Mary’s story is by turns witty, insightful and moving

Lusk’s narrative skilfully weaves together themes of identity, ambition, and the pursuit of happiness, offering readers a compelling story filled with emotional depth. You won’t forget Mary after reading this.

Exploring not only a fascinating period in world history but also the life of a strong-minded woman who refused to be silenced by society’s expectations, A Woman of Opinion is not only brilliantly written but enlightening too.

Sean Lusk’s A Woman of Opinion centres on the real-life story of the Georgian aristocrat Mary Wortley Montagu – the most remarkable free spirit and brave adventuress whose beauty, passions and achievements led to fame … and also scandal. With this, his second novel, Lusk proves himself a magician who conjures prose of a spell-binding elegance and charm – as charismatic as the woman who he brings so vividly into life upon the page.

Superb. Not only a very fine work of historical fiction, but also sure-footed and compassionate in terms of the world in which Lady Mary moved – not an easy place for a spirited, intelligent and questing woman. This book is a triumph – vivid, exquisite, enthralling and revealing.

With A Woman of Opinion, Sean Lusk has made the voice of Mary Wortley Montagu ring clear and defiant through the centuries. I feel she could seamlessly step from her own world into ours, being absolutely real in both. What an achievement. What a woman.

A fascinating tale of an under-sung pioneer, I can understand why Sean felt so passionately that Mary’s story needed to be shared! Told with vim and vigour, this is historical storytelling at its finest.

As elegantly brave as its heroine, A Woman of Opinion combines precise and elegant writing with a subtle understanding of the female mind and heart. Lady Mary Montagu defied the conventions of her age, not because she was a natural rebel, but because she could imagine no other way to live her life than on her own bold terms. Sean Lusk is to be admired for understanding this – and for presenting it so beautifully on the page.

A dazzling portrait of an unforgettable woman. Sean Lusk is a writer of rare insight, beauty and power.

What a book! A Woman of Opinion casts an absolute spell, with Sean Lusk’s magical prose dazzling and delighting … With acerbic humour and heartfelt pathos, Lusk shows how Lady Montagu’s story – her championing of inoculation, support of women’s voices and uncompromising self-belief in the face of establishment opposition – place this figure of the past firmly in the present. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu was a woman of opinion and one we would all benefit from listening to.