Vulgar History

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu was an English aristocrat, medical pioneer, writer, and poet. She learned about the practice of smallpox inoculation while in the Ottoman Empire, and lobbied to bring the practice to England. We're joined by Sean Lusk, author of A Woman of Opinion, a new novel about Mary's life.

Click here to buy a copy of A Woman of Opinion.

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Hilary Mantel's essay on the importance of historical fiction.

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