Elle Fanning plays the title role in a historical drama directed by Haifaa Al-Mansour, which explores gender inequality and the affairs of the heart in the early 19th century.
Mary (Fanning) is haunted by the death of her mother, feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft, and is raised by her politically-minded father, William Godwin (Stephen Dillane).
Scandalously, Mary falls under the spell of Percy Shelley (Douglas Booth), who is married with children.
They embark on an affair and travel around Europe in the company of Mary’s step-sister Claire Clairmont (Bel Powley).
When tragedy permanently separates Percy from his first wife Harriet (Ciara Charteris), Mary is free to pursue her heart, regardless of the consequences to her social standing.
Meanwhile, Claire is swept off her feet by leading Romantic poet Lord Byron (Tom Sturridge).
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