MARGARET THE FIRST by Danielle Dutton
This book was short and lovely. I had no idea who Margaret Cavendish was before I read this, and was impressed by her history and her claim of being ‘the first woman to live by her pen’. Her writings (as exemplified in this work of fiction) do seem flimsy when viewed rationally, but when has poetry ever been in the province of the rational?
It was an all-around refreshing read, which I felt has invigorated my imagination and my love for everything lyrical and whimsical. Margaret’s marriage to William Cavendish as depicted in this book was also–though unconventional due to their 30-year age difference–refreshingly loving and respectful, reflective of a true union of peers.
Serena Salamandra 