The chance discovery of letters from Hester Thrale (1741–1821) to her daughter Sophia provides an opportunity to rethink our understanding of one of the key people in the life of the dictionary-maker and moralist Dr Samuel Johnson. Much-maligned after the death of her first husband for her decision to marry Gabriel Piozzi, an Italian musician and Catholic, Hester has often been portrayed as cold-hearted and lacking in the essentials of motherhood. These letters shed new light on her relations with her four surviving daughters (she gave birth to 12 children in 14 years). They also reveal her desire for recognition as a scholar and poet, and her keen awareness of her shortcomings. They provide a fascinating portrait of a complex woman, determining her independence and that of her daughters, in spite of family tragedy and vicious criticism in the press.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The story of Hester Thrale’s life after her second marriage to Gabriel Piozzi in 1784, told through the letters she wrote to her daughter Sophia.
Foreword 6
\nWhat Hester Did Next 8
\n‘Verses for Sophia Thrale’s Album’ by her Mother, 20
\nHester Lynch Piozzi
\nLetters to Sophia Thrale Hoare from Hester Lynch Piozzi 23
\nSouvenirs de l’Amitié: Miniature Portraits 130
\nby Sophia Thrale Hoare
\nLetters to Sophia Thrale Hoare from Her Friends:
\nSamuel Johnson 157
\nArthur Murphy 159
\nMaria Siddons 162
\nSarah M. Siddons 165
\nSarah Siddons 167
\nLady Eleanor Butler 168
\nLady Eleanor Butler 170
\nAppendix: Letter from Hester Lynch Piozzi to 174
\nHester Maria ‘Queeney’ Thrale
\nNotes on the Letters and Illustrations 180
\nAcknowledgements 182
\nSources 184
\nIndex 188<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":60729,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":""},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[15],"product_tag":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-58993","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-uncategorized","7":"author-by-author-kate-chisholm","8":"author-by-author-loren-rothschild","9":"publisher-kulturalis","11":"first","12":"instock","13":"shipping-taxable","14":"purchasable","15":"product-type-simple"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n