Unnatural Creatures: A Novel of the Frankenstein Women

For the first time, the untold story of the three women closest to Victor Frankenstein is brought to life in a dark and sweeping reimagining of Frankenstein by the author of The Lost History of Dreams.

The Mother
Caroline Frankenstein will do anything to protect her family against the nightmarish revolutions engulfing 18th-century Europe. In doing so, she creates her own monster in the form of her scientist son, Victor, whose obsession with conquering death leads to forbidden realms. 

The Bride
Rescued by Caroline as a four-year-old beggar, angelic Elizabeth Lavenza understands the only way she can repay the Frankensteins is by accepting Victor’s hand in marriage. But when Elizabeth’s heart yearns for someone else, the lives of those she most loves collide with the unnatural creature born of Victor’s profane experiments.

The Servant
After an abusive childhood, otherworldly Justine Moreau is taken in by Caroline to serve the Frankensteins. Justine’s devotion to Caroline and Elizabeth knows no bounds … until a family tragedy changes her irrevocably. Her fate sets her against Victor’s monster, who is desperate for a mate—and desperate to wreak revenge against the Frankensteins.

Stunningly written and exquisitely atmospheric, Unnatural Creatures shocks new life into Mary Shelley’s beloved gothic classic by revealing the feminine side of the tale. You’ll never see Victor Frankenstein and his monster the same way again.


Named a Most Anticipated Book for Fall by CrimeReads • Reader's Digest Top 25 Book for Halloween • Editors’ Choice by the Historical Novels Review • AudioFile Earphones Award Winner

“Worthy of comparison to Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea . . . Unnatural Creatures is a splendid achievement from a writer at the height of her powers.”—Historical Novels Review (Editors’ Choice)