in 1797, wollstonecraft fell in love with and married the philosopher william godwin (she had become pregnant with his child). godwin grew to love fanny during his affair with wollstonecraft; he brought her back a mug from josiah wedgwood's pottery factory with an "f" on it that delighted both mother and daughter. wollstonecraft died in september of the same year, from complications giving birth to mary wollstonecraft godwin, who survived. three-year-old fanny, who had been scarred from smallpox, was unofficially adopted by her stepfather and given the name of godwin. her copy of wollstonecraft's only completed children's book, "original stories from real life" (1788), has the initials "f. g." written in large print in it. according to the dominant interpretation of godwin's diary, it was not until fanny turned twelve that she was informed in an important conversation with godwin that he was not her natural father. in the only biography of fanny, janet todd disputes this reading, arguing instead that the conversation was about fanny's future. she finds it unlikely that fanny would have been unaware of her origins in the open and liberal godwin household.