Mary Wollstonecraft
"I am then to be the first of a new genus - I tremble at the attempt yet if I fail - I only suffer..."
So wrote the iconic Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) in a letter to her sister on November 7, 1787. Mary had just moved back to London after having been fired from her job as a governess to the three eldest daughters of the wealthiest family in Ireland for being too progressive. Five years later, Wollstonecraft penned A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.
Today, many historians consider her the world's first feminist.
In her writing, Mary Wollstonecraft called to attention the disparities in education between boys and girls and the way women were denied the same economic opportunities men enjoyed. At the time, she was both admired and scorned for her audacity.
Yet her words live on well after her death and inspired women's movements around the globe in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, demonstrating the impact of a single person's actions. She remains a relevant figure in the twenty-first century as women continue to look to her as a role model for equity, as evidence by this statue erected in her honor as recently as 2020.
Mary Wollstonecraft in Love
Mary Wollstonecraft in Love is Mastro's debut novel about Wollstonecraft's career as a writer. An avowed spinster, Wollstonecraft is dead set against falling in love. After witnessing her father's abuse and her mother's withdrawal from all who loved her, Wollstonecraft sees marriage as a form of bondage for women.
But as this avowed spinster matures, three very different men ignite unexpected desires, forcing Wollstonecraft to decide what being a woman really means to her. It isn't easy. Exploring her sexuality as a single woman, she risks destroying her reputation. Marrying, she fear relinquishing her hard-earned independence. Determined to live by her terms, she defies convention. When she does, the consequences turn disastrous.
This sweeping novel takes place in London, Paris at the height of the French Revolution, and in Scandinavia's rugged terrain.
At present Mastro is seeking agent representation. Inquiries can be directed here.
Educational Writings
Blog Posts published under Nancy Allen-Mastro, Ed.D.:
Conditions That Foster School Transformation
Teacher Empowerment: Shared Accountability Comes From Teachers Having True Autonomy
Hope + Inspiration = Transformation
More posts can be found at Edvisions Blog Archives between October 2017 and August 2019.
