The Lioness of Boston

Isabella has a tragically short experience with motherhood. Historically, the real Isabella gave birth to her son on June 18, 1863, and the young boy died on March 15, 1865. After subsequently having a miscarriage, Isabella was told that she could not have biological children. In the novel, Isabella suffers intense grief, lamenting, “[O]nce I was lively. Once I was alive. […] Once, I was a mother” (100). The repetition of “once” creates emphasis, underscoring her grief and sense that she is no longer a person but a ghost in her own right.

Through Isabella, the novel explores Resilience in the Wake of Tragedy. In spite of her pain, loss renders Isabella more self-aware. She is forced to continue the work she began while struggling to get pregnant and find her life’s purpose in the absence of raising a family. Isabella’s reflection shows her sense of growing self-actualization: “I was the explorer. The only one to unfold the pages would be me” (105).

Even before she loses her son, Isabella is at odds with societal expectations of the time, which require women to be passive, docile, and not opinionated. She complains to her sisters-in-law that “there was a sad magic to being female, a disappearing of the self” (89). Jack is not always supportive of his wife’s outspoken tendencies; at one point, he rebukes her: “I find your anger at everything inappropriate and off-putting” (91). In spite of this, Isabella develops as a character and doubles down on aspects of her personality, which many people assume she will grow out of. Even when becoming a mother, Isabella insists on retaining her ideals.

Through Isabella, the novel explores the Defiance of Social Norms and Expectations. She is creative and innovative. As she tentatively explains to her father-in-law: “I think I like making something. Items that were it not for me, might not ever be” (70). At this point, Isabella has relatively limited exposure or interest in visual art, but she already possesses a strong interest in gardening, architecture, and beauty. Isabella’s pursuit of these things leads to her forming unconventional friendships and to others viewing her with even more skepticism. For example, Julia is genuinely confused when she asks Isabella, “[D]o you enjoy speaking to these … people? The gardener, the zookeeper” (76). Because most of Isabella’s social circle is comprised of very upper-class and wealthy individuals, it is surprising to her circle that Isabella would freely interact with people from very different social backgrounds. Isabella’s refusal to obey social norms reflects her rebellious and idiosyncratic personality. At the same time, Isabella seeks out unconventional friendships because she is unable to find true and enduring connections with the individuals around her.

Isabella’s attempt to throw a New Year’s Eve party results in social humiliation, which leaves a lasting legacy on her ability to feel belonging within Boston society. The recurring depiction of events on New Year’s Day foreshadows how, on January 1, 1903, Isabella will celebrate the opening of Fenway Court with a lavish party. Her earlier failed attempts and rejection show how far she eventually comes. Significantly, Isabella achieves greater social success only when she becomes more authentic and less apologetic. In this way, the novel shows the importance of being one’s true self. However, in the late 1860s, Isabella still vacillates between wanting to be herself and wanting to feel a sense of belonging within her community.

Part 1 ends with Isabella at one of the lowest points of her life. She is grief-stricken and bereft. Franklin intersperses the novel with interludes called “intermezzos”; this term is borrowed from music or drama and refers to a composition located in between the components of a longer work, such as between the acts of a play or the movements of a musical piece. This structure reflects Isabella’s keen interest in art and subtly alludes to her love of Italy (the name “intermezzo” is also an Italian word). It also reflects how in historical fiction, someone’s life becomes a work of art. Different portions of Isabella’s life can be seen as movements within a symphony or acts within a play. In the intermezzo portions of the novel, Isabella narrates retrospectively, looking back at her life, and is able to see how even tragic events came to have meaning and purpose.

Isabella muses on how her collection at Fenway Court reflects her experiences and inner life. For example, in Intermezzo 1, Isabella invites the reader to notice how many of the artworks portray depictions of a mother and child (typically the Madonna and the Christ child), implying that she was drawn to these works because of her lingering grief and sense of loss.