The story of FRANKENSTEIN’s creator is a strange, romantic and tragic one, as deeply compelling as the novel itself. Mary ran away to Lake Geneva with the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley when she was just 16. It was there, during a cold and wet summer, that she first imagined her story about a mad scientist who brought a corpse back to life. Success soon followed for Mary, but also great tragedy and misfortune. Catherine Reef brings this passionate woman, brilliant writer and forgotten feminist into crisp focus, detailing a life that was remarkable both before and after the publication of her iconic masterpiece.

Nontraditional, controversial, rebellious and politically volatile, the Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera are remembered for their provocative paintings, as well as for their deep love for each other. Their marriage was one of the most tumultuous and infamous in history --- filled with passion, pain, betrayal, revolution and, above all, art that helped define the 20th century. Catherine Reef's dual biography features numerous archival photos and full-color reproductions of both artists' work.