"Like Letters from the Earth, Twain continues to give long after his death. Now, we have Laura Trombley's fascinating narrative of his last days and his little-known relationship with Isabel Lyon. The pieces begin to fall into place; the funniest man on earth is revealed to be a much more complicated soul. It was Twain after all who said, "The secret source of humor is not joy but sorrow; there is no humor in Heaven."
— Ken Burns, Emmy Award Winning Documentary Filmmaker and Director of Mark Twain
"Researched to a "T," Mark Twain's Other Woman: The Hidden Story of His Final Years tells a story of dysfunction, deceit and duplicity the likes of which we associate not with Mark Twain—but with the pages of Henry James."
— Brenda Wineapple, Author of White Heat and Hawthorne, 2009 Pushcart Prize Winner
"A riveting tale of the vortex of ambition, desire, jealousy and obsession swirling 'round one Great Man."
— Emma Donoghue, Author of Slammerkin and The Sealed Letter
"This book is a revelation. Thanks to hitherto unpublished letters and diaries of a witness who was snubbed and excluded in previous works, we now have a first-rate account of Mark Twain's last decade. This account gives us a candid look at the cross-currents of wit, charm and irrational angers that marked and marred the great man's final years. Trombley's discoveries make for an illuminating portrait, and essential reading."
— Meryle Secrest, Author of Duveen: A Life in Art and Somewhere for Me: A Biography of Richard Rogers, Pulitzer Prize Finalist
"Trombley dissects the long-dismissed relationship between Twain and Lyon, whose ambitions brought her to the upper levels of American letters before Twain cast her off, publicly vilifying her to reporters as a conniver and thief."
— The Los Angeles Times
"A revealing look at Twain's last years of dark self-absorption."
— The Boston Globe
"Isabel is an intriguing figure, but even more gripping is Trombley's portrait of Twain as a kind of American Lear, obsessed with his legacy and beset by the troubles of his surviving daughters."
— The St. Petersburg Times
"Trombley, an impeccable researcher, edits reams of letters and documents into a complex, absorbing narrative, which, like a good mystery, gets more suspenseful as it goes. Her book changes our view of Twain and adds Isabel Lyon to the historical record as a woman who played an enormous part in the life of America's first literary celebrity."
— The Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"Twain is revealed to be a man obsessed with self-promotion, wealth and protecting the reputation of his daughters, the vain and vindictive Clara and Jean, an epileptic. It provides a disturbing picture of the author, and his family and friends, not to be found in the traditional Twain biographies."
— The Newark Star-Ledger
"Trombley uses Lyon's letters and journals to defend Lyon and to place blame on false accusations by a jealous Clara and a scheming Albert Bigelow Paine, Twain's authorized biograher. Trombley has interesting things to say about the difficulties of being a 'new woman' in America 100 years ago."
— The St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"Trombley's Mark Twain's Other Woman unlocks the door to long-suppressed secrets that marred the closing chapters of Mark Twain's life. A tragic story emerges, and Trombley's powerful narrative enables us to witness each dramatic scene."
— Alan Gribben, Author, Mark Twain's Library; Co-Editor, Mark Twain on the Move
"In this provocative study, Trombley illuminates a woman--Isabel Von Kleek Lyon--whom Twain deliberately shoves into the shadow to protect his image. Readers see how bitter interfamily conflict exposes Lyon to the wrath of Twain's oldest surviving daughter. ...(R)eaders will confront considerable evidence that Twain cares more about shielding himself from negative publicity than about truth or fairness when he dismisses Lyon and subsequently heaps abuse upon her name. A strong challenge to the iconic image of an iconoclast."
— Booklist
"Trombley reveals the hitherto unknown story of Isabel Van Kleek Lyon, who became Twain's secretary and companion during the last years of the author's life. Trombley quotes extensively from the journals and letters of Isabel herself as well as writings from Twain and others in his immediate circle. This is an extensively researched portrait of a famous author who often acted capriciously and a revealing biography of a woman who was left in the shadows of literary history."
— Library Journal
"...(A) remarkable book about an even more remarkable relationship. This friendship, which went sour, makes for engaging reading and his historical reporting at its very best. Laura Skandera Trombley brings both Twain and this very determined woman into sharp focus."
— Tucson Citizen
"...(A) scintillating book about an obscure woman's relationship with the world's first global celebrity."
— The Tahoe Bonanza
Check back for more reviews of Mark Twain's Other Woman.
