Paperback Publication Date: April 1, 2014
Gallery Books READ AN EXCERPT.
Great Reads of 2013 NPR Books That Make Time Stand Still, Oprah.com Editor's Pick. The Historical Novels Review Best Books of 2013. Atlanta Magazine Indie Next List Pick.
A vivid and compelling novel about a woman who becomes entangled in an affair with Edgar Allan Poe at the same time she becomes the unwilling confidante of his much-younger wife. It is 1845, and Frances Osgood is desperately trying to make a living as a writer in New York; not an easy task for a woman, especially one with two children and a philandering portrait painter as her husband. As Frances tries to sell her work, she finds that editors are only interested in writing similar to that of the new renegade literary sensation Edgar Allan Poe, whose poem, The Raven has struck a public nerve. She meets the handsome and mysterious Poe at a literary party, and the two have an immediate connection. Poe wants Frances to meet with his wife since she claims to be an admirer of her poems, and Frances is curious to see the woman whom Edgar married. As Frances spends more and more time with the intriguing couple, her intense attraction for Edgar brings her into dangerous territory. And Mrs. Poe, who acts like an innocent child, is actually more manipulative and threatening than she appears. As Frances and Edgar's passionate affair escalates, Frances must decide whether she can walk away before it's too late... Set amidst the fascinating world of New York's literati, this smart and sexy novel offers a unique view into the life of one of history's most unforgettable literary figures.
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Praise for Mrs. Poe
Is it true that Edgar Allen Poe cheated on his tubercular, insipid young wife with a lady poet he'd met at a literary salon? Cullen makes you hope so. - New York TimesThis fictional reenactment of the mistress of Edgar Allan Poe escorts you into the glittering world of New York in the 1840s. A bewitching, vivid trip into the heyday of American literary society. - Oprah.com, Book of the Week
Vivid?Atmospheric?Don't miss it. - People
Nevermore shall you wonder what it might have been like to fall deeply in love with Edgar Allen Poe, Mrs. Poe nails the period. - NPR
A page-turning tale, Readers who loved Paula McLain's The Paris Wife will relish another novel based on historical scandal and romance. - Library Journal, starred review
Immensely engaging. Set upon the backdrop of a fascinating era this is not only a captivating story of forbidden lovers but an elaborately spun tale of NYC society. - The Historical Novels Review
A must-read for those intrigued by Poe, poetry and the latter half of nineteenth-century America. - RT Book Reviews (4 stars)
Lynn Cullen talks Edgar Allen Poe and Mrs. Poe
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Amazon (Kindle) Amazon (Paperback) Barnes & Noble Books-a-Million IndieBound iTunes Simon & SchusterAbout the Author
Lynn Cullen grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the fifth girl in a family of seven children. She learned to love history combined with traveling while visiting historic sites across the U.S. on annual family camping trips. She attended Indiana University in Bloomington and Fort Wayne, and took writing classes with Tom McHaney at Georgia State. She wrote children?s books as her three daughters were growing up, while working in a pediatric office and later, at Emory University on the editorial staff of a psychoanalytic journal. While her camping expeditions across the States have become fact-finding missions across Europe, she still loves digging into the past. She does not miss, however, sleeping in musty sleeping bags. Or eating canned fruit cocktail. She now lives in Atlanta with her husband, their dog, and two unscrupulous cats.
Lynn Cullen is the author of The Creation of Eve, named among the best fiction books of 2010 by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and as an April 2010 Indie Next selection. She is also the author of numerous award-winning books for children, including the young adult novel I Am Rembrandt?s Daughter, which was a 2007 Barnes & Noble ?Discover Great New Writers? selection, and an ALA Best Book of 2008. Her novel, Reign of Madness, about Juana the Mad, daughter of the Spanish Monarchs Isabella and Ferdinand, was chosen as a 2011 Best of the South selection by the Atlanta Journal Constitution and was a 2012 Townsend Prize finalist. Her newest novel, MRS. POE, examines the fall of Edgar Allan Poe through the eyes of poet Francis Osgood.
For more information please visit Lynn Cullen's website and blog. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Pinterest.
Review:
Series: N/A
Release Date: 1 April, 2014
Publisher: Gallery Books
Genre: fiction/historical
Genre: fiction/historical
ISBN: 9781476702926
Edition: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★☆
Review Written: 16 June, 2014
As a teen, I discovered Edgar Allen Poe and his writings, the dark fantasies that he shared seemed to speak to me, as morbid as it sounds. I fell in love with his writings of stories such as the Tell-Tale Heart and Conversation with a Mummy. I memorized poems like "Annabel Lee" and "Road to El Dorado", and for a short while I could slip away and just enjoy the flowing ideals of his poetry, despite the dark subject matter. When this book came up for review as a tour, I knew I needed to read it, and I wasn't disappointed at all.
Mrs. Poe covers story of Frances Osgood, a young woman trying to make a living to support her family with her poetry. Turned away because her writing isn't nearly as dark as The Raven, Mrs. Osgood finds herself struggling to find a way to turn things into money. Things seem to take a turn for the better when she meets the mysterious Poe at a literary party, she finds him to be more handsome and with more a connection than she truly thought possible. But things are never as they appear, and quickly Osgood finds herself trapped in an affair with the unbalanced writer.
Things only get far more complicated when she's introduce to the real Mrs. Poe, a girl of nearly twenty-three who has a love of the fame that her husband has garnered. Somehow Osgood finds herself trapped in a circling descent as she acts as a confident for Virginia Poe and the rapid decline of both Poes in health and mental stability.
Cullen's writing is superb, a gliding masterpiece worthy of Poe-level work. Her introduction of characters and dialog slide in seamlessly, giving readers a chance to simply immerse themselves into the dark world that is the Victorian Era America. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has as deep a love of Edgar Allen Poe as myself, or even just the casual reader.
As a teen, I discovered Edgar Allen Poe and his writings, the dark fantasies that he shared seemed to speak to me, as morbid as it sounds. I fell in love with his writings of stories such as the Tell-Tale Heart and Conversation with a Mummy. I memorized poems like "Annabel Lee" and "Road to El Dorado", and for a short while I could slip away and just enjoy the flowing ideals of his poetry, despite the dark subject matter. When this book came up for review as a tour, I knew I needed to read it, and I wasn't disappointed at all.
Mrs. Poe covers story of Frances Osgood, a young woman trying to make a living to support her family with her poetry. Turned away because her writing isn't nearly as dark as The Raven, Mrs. Osgood finds herself struggling to find a way to turn things into money. Things seem to take a turn for the better when she meets the mysterious Poe at a literary party, she finds him to be more handsome and with more a connection than she truly thought possible. But things are never as they appear, and quickly Osgood finds herself trapped in an affair with the unbalanced writer.
Things only get far more complicated when she's introduce to the real Mrs. Poe, a girl of nearly twenty-three who has a love of the fame that her husband has garnered. Somehow Osgood finds herself trapped in a circling descent as she acts as a confident for Virginia Poe and the rapid decline of both Poes in health and mental stability.
Cullen's writing is superb, a gliding masterpiece worthy of Poe-level work. Her introduction of characters and dialog slide in seamlessly, giving readers a chance to simply immerse themselves into the dark world that is the Victorian Era America. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has as deep a love of Edgar Allen Poe as myself, or even just the casual reader.
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