Mrs. Poe (Cullen) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
A vivid portrait of New York's cultural life in the mid-1800s, when writers like Poe were practically rock stars. Don't miss it.
People


Cullen, whose previous novels have focused on obscure women from the past, such as Juana of Castile (Reign of Madness) and Sofonisba Anguissola (The Creation of Eve), now turns her attention to Frances Sargent Osgood, a mid-19th-century poet and children’s author who, some believe, was romantically involved with Edgar Allen Poe.
Publishers Weekly


(Starred review.) Cullen has crafted a beautifully heartbreaking story filled with emotional twists and turns. Yes, it's dark, but so was Poe, and readers can expect a page-turning tale exposing the transgressions, antics, and heroics behind a literary icon. —Andrea Brooks, Northern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights
Library Journal


[I]maginative historical novelist Cullen cleverly spins a mysterious, dark tale...with just enough facts to make it believable. Celebrities...step in for a fun romp through history.... [W]e’re left to wonder if Mrs. Poe is Edgar’s Mr. Hyde, or is Poe himself the villain? It’s enough to make the teacups rattle. —Laurie Borman
Booklist


Although Cullen attempts to portray Osgood and Poe as sympathetic characters, it's difficult to identify with either as they teeter back and forth between feelings of guilt, anguish, fear and defiance. The narrative might have been more interesting had the author focused on the relationship between the title character and her husband.
Kirkus Reviews