"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 Thanks to hitherto unpublished letters and diaries of a witness who was snubbed and excluded in previous works, we now have a first-rate account of Mark Twain's last decade.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'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
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