Mathilda is a short novel written around 1819 and 1820, but not published until 1959. The title character writes an account of her life while she is close to death. She tells of a childhood without her mother, of a distant father who returns, and of a bond between them that becomes a source of dread and guilt. The work is intimate and sorrowful, dealing with grief, secrecy and isolation, and it is valued for showing Shelley's range beyond Frankenstein. It handles painful family themes in a restrained way.