Mrs. Lowe-Porter: A Novel by Jo Salas

(Thank you to JackLeg Press and Edelweiss for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book:

A fascinating reimagining of the overlooked, complicated life of Thomas Mann's translator, Helen Lowe-Porter.

The literary giant Thomas Mann balked at a female translator, but he might well owe his standing in the Western canon to a little-known American woman, Helen Lowe-Porter. Based closely on historical source material, Jo Salas's novel Mrs. Lowe-Porter sympathetically reveals a brilliant woman's struggle to be appreciated as a translator and find her voice in a male-dominated culture. Married to the charming classicist Elias Lowe, whom she met and fell in love with while in Munich, the story weaves one woman's journey as her husband Elias's career soars and her translation work earns Mann the Nobel Prize. The novel celebrates Helen Lowe-Porter as she learns to risk stepping out from the long shadow of the dominating men of her life to become a person of letters in her own right.

my thoughts:

Love, love, loved Mrs. Lowe-Porter by Jo Salas! The writing was top notch - compelling, insightful, and unputdownable. The story was intriguing and unforgettable. I couldn't help but get caught up in Helen's story - she was smart, talented, capable, and determined in a world built on overlooking women. She was Thomas Mann's first English translator. She gave so much to her work and her family. And yet, she wanted so much for herself - to be a writer in her own right. This book is her story. 

Oh my, what a marvelous read! I truly enjoyed getting to know Helen Lowe-Porter. I feel like Salas has captured Helen's life authentically and realistically. She has written a historical fiction biography of this woman who I never knew I needed to know about and it is seriously the best. I'm so glad I read this book. Thank you, Jo Salas!

Thank you to JackLeg Press and Edelweiss for providing me with a copy of this book!