Memoirs of the Author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman

“William Godwin’s 1798 Memoirs of the Author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman reflects Wollstonecraft’s and Godwin’s agendas for societal progress as well as the story of an era. Unfortunately, Godwin’s candid narrative of Wollstonecraft’s passions—for men, for women’s rights, for political reform—fueled attacks by enemies and embarrassment in friends. As a result, this significant historical and literary work has been relatively unavailable since its initial publication. Clemit’s and Walker’s excellent introduction, full annotations and appendices of contextual materials detail the book’s history, and situate it in terms of literature, feminism, politics, biography and publishing history, making this new edition of Memoirs especially welcome.” — Betty T. Bennett, editor of The Selected Letters of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

“Pamela Clemit is a renowned Godwin scholar, and she and co-editor Gina Luria Walker significantly redirect attention from the Memoirs as a perversely prejudicial document in the reception of Wollstonecraft’s work to a central document within Godwin’s oeuvre and a key text for redefining notions of Romantic historiography.” — Wil Verhoeven, University of Groningen