Mad Mary Lamb – Lunacy and Murder in Literary London

An informed and sympathetic portrait of a troubled mind and humble heart. —Kirkus Reviews . After killing her mother with a carving knife Mary Lamb spent the rest of her life in and out of madhouses; yet the crime and its aftermath opened up a new life. Freed to read extensively she discovered her talent for writing and with her brother the essayist Charles Lamb collaborated on the famous Tales from Shakespeare. This narrative of a nearly forgotten woman is a tapestry of insights into creativity and madness the changing lives of women and the redemptive power of the written word.