Books in my BedsheetsMargaret the First by Danielle Dutton
In my recent reading streak of modern fiction, I’d had yet to read anything set in a time period other than the present day. Margaret the First, however, is a historical work; a fictionalization of the life of Margaret Cavendish. And yet, it is so thoroughly modern, and that’s where it delights. Dutton’s writing is incredibly skillful, owing to its lilting, almost hypnotic style. The book is brimming with research and references, but they’re laid so gentle-handedly, that pure immersion is still the result. The story focuses on the near maddening ennui that Margaret suffers whenever distanced from her self-expression,…
