Poor Creatures

The brilliant, fictionalised story of Mary Shelley and the birth of Frankenstein unfolds in Dundee in 1812. Isabel Baxter awaits Mary Godwin, a sharp-witted guest sent north to recover from a mysterious ailment. The Baxter family home, The Cottage by the river Tay, seems serene, yet harbours secrets. As the two young women grow closer, their friendship becomes consuming, fueled by feverish creativity and shadowed by something monstrous. Inspired by true events, this immersive reimagining follows the young Mary Shelley before she became the author of Frankenstein, exploring how girlhood, obsession, and literary intrigue shape a future icon. A tale of emerging womanhood and the many monsters encountered on the road to literary legend.

Mairi Kidd delivers a compelling narrative that places the reader inside a formative moment for a literary genius, with a historical atmosphere that feels immediate and urgent. The book is part of the oeuvre that includes works recognized by readers of Waterstones Scottish Book of the Month and the Specimens, Poor Creatures, appealing to fans of intricate historical fiction.

• Immersive reimagining of Mary Shelley before Frankenstein
• Set in Dundee, 1812, The Cottage by the River Tay
• Mary Godwin and Isabel Baxter form an intense friendship
• Explores girlhood, obsession, and emergence of a literary legend
• Inspired by true events; explores monsters in life
• 288 pages, Paperback, first edition by Penguin Random House USA