Customer Reviews

Mrs. Delaney: Her Life and Her Flowers

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I may be the only reader who came to this book AFTER reading the majestic "Mrs. Delany & Her Circle" of 2009. THIS book was first published in 1980, and it has been reprinted several times.

Here Ruth Hayden tells the story of Mary Delany's life in 18th-century England & Ireland. She brings her subject to life with frequent excerpts from Delany's letters and many illustrations of Delany's beautiful flower collages and other works of art.

This is a book to curl up with--an engaging story, engagingly told.

I read this book after reading a newer book about Mary Delaney that was rather unsatisfactory. This book is the one to read to learn about Mary Delaney's life, her world and her art. Her descendent, Ruth Hayden, has thoroughly researched Mary Delaney's life and the society in which she lived. Mrs. Hayden writes with skill, keeping Mary Delaney's story at the forefront and using the historical information to give the reader insight. The book is full of illustrations: contemporary drawings of court life and society, fabric and coverlets designed by Mary Delaney, and full color plates of her paper art. Mary Delaney's story will particularly interest women, as she was married at 17 to a detestable man in his 60's, and after his death, chose independence for twenty years before marrying the love of her life. She didn't create her paper art until she was in her 70's, which is all the more amazing when one realize that in the 1700's, people in their 70's weren't as fit as they are today, and bifocals didn't exist. The book I ordered came from England, but it was well-worth the wait.