Book after Book

Welcome to the blog tour for Maid of Steel by Kate Baker! More about the book… It’s 1911 and, against her mother’s wishes, quiet New Yorker Emma dreams of winning the right to vote. She is sent away by her parents in the hope distance will curb her desire to be involved with the growing suffrage movement and told to spend time learning about where her grandparents came from. Across the Atlantic – Queenstown, southern Ireland – hotelier Thomas dreams of being loved, even noticed, by his actress wife, Alice. On their wedding day, Alice’s father had assured him that adoration comes with time. It’s been eight years. But Alice has plans of her own and they certainly don’t include the fight for equality or her dull husband. Emma’s arrival in Ireland leads her to discover family secrets and become involved in the Irish Women’s Suffrage Society in Cork. However, Emma’s path to suffrage was never meant to lead to a forbidden love affair… More about the author… Kate Baker wrote terrible holiday...

It is with special pleasure that today I welcome you to the blog tour for First in the Fight , written by Helen Antrobus and Andrew Simcock. About the book Emmeline Pankhurst stands proudly in St Peter’s Square, but she stands for so many more… First in the Fight  tells the compelling stories of the twenty women featured on the Our Emmeline statue long-list. Author Helen Antrobus brings to life the achievements of these radical Manchester women alongside beautiful illustrations by the Women in Print collective. Be part of the legacy of the 20 Manchester women who changed the world. Description The women of Greater Manchester have long stood shoulder to shoulder in the fight for equality and social change. The unveiling of the statue of Emmeline Pankhurst in St Peter’s Square, strove to represent the contributions that Manchester women had made not only to the city, but also to the rest of the world. Sitting alongside stunning illustrations from...

By Geoffrey Trease Synopsis: An office worker and an aristocratic young lady become unlikely friends as they work together for women's right to vote. A thrilling story of secret meetings, police oppression and social upheaval, as well as an accurate account of the Suffragette movement in the years before the First World War. How did this book end up in my hands? While walking through the library, a book cover caught my attention. This cover! Was it a page-turner? We all know how the fight for women’s suffrage ended so I didn’t rush to the end. Having read the synopsis, did the book meet my expectations? Yes, it did. On a side note, at first I hadn’t noticed that the author was a man. It shouldn’t matter but for a moment I faltered as it almost seemed nonsensical to be reading a short novel about the Votes for Women struggle written by a man from the point of view of women. It worked though and I’m glad I wasn’t put off. Did I like the ending? Yes, the short novel en...

The bold actions of the Suffragettes and the history of London are strongly linked to one another and it is therefore only natural that the Museum of London should dedicate an exhibition to these brave women. I visited Votes for Women a few weeks ago and I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in this movement and a few hours to spend in London. The exhibition itself is not that extensive but the displays are located in different areas of the museum and you won't be able to resist browsing other collections too. Back to the Suffragettes though! From badges and banners to the chains used during protests and the medals earned with prison sentences, the items on display are of a varied nature and help create a complete picture of the times. My favourite part of the exhibition was a short video running along an entire wall, which combined interviews with women talking today about their predecessors and historical footage. Informative and emotional at the same time...

Written by Emmeline Pankhurst Published by Vintage Books "I began to think about the vote in women’s hands not only as a right but as a desperate necessity." (p.27) This ye ar marks the centenary of the 1918 Representation of the People Act, which granted votes to women over the age of 30 with property valued at £5 or more. It is thanks to the anniversary of this milestone in the Votes for Women campaign that I reached for my copy of My Own Story , Emmeline Pankhurst’s memoir, first published in Great Britain in 1914. The faded receipt hidden among the pages places my purchase on the 30th December 2014 in the shop of the National Portrait Gallery in London. It has taken me a while to do justice to Mrs Pankhurst’s words and I now firmly believe that everyone should read this book, regardless of sex or political beliefs. If you are looking for gossip, you will find none. What you will gain by reading this book is a clear and matter-of-fact insight into the Women’...

B y Louise Kay Stewart Illustrated by Eve Lloyd Knight Published by Wren and Rook , Hachette Children's Group Rebel Voices – The Rise of Votes for Women – is a children’s book. A children’s book with a difference. I mean, take a look at that bold, feisty and unapologetic front cover. Doesn’t it make you feel ready to take on the world? That same world that you can see reflected in those beautiful eyes. Such a smart cover! Equally smart is the content. Girls will be inspired and empowered by the women portrayed in this book. Women who take risks, break rules, speak out. Women who are dedicated and passionate. Women who are not afraid to lose everything they have – including their lives – for a cause they believe in. Women who fight and – ultimately – women who win. On the centenary of some women gaining the right to vote in the UK, this is such a brilliant homage to all women who have linked arms all over the world to fight for equality. The text is informative and eas...

100 years ago, for the first time in the UK, some women obtained the right to vote! A lot is still to be achieved but it is only fair to remember everything that has already been achieved and to be grateful to those extraordinary women who have come before us. A great film to watch - and definitely worth a re-watch - is Suffragette : If you're more into the written word, this is what I am going to be reading this month: My Own Story by Emmeline Pankhurst and an interesting article about Eleanor Marx - because all great women deserve to be remembered. I will be sharing more titles in celebration of 100 years of vote on Twitter , using the hashtag #FeministBookshelf . Please feel free to add your recommendations in the comments below or on Twitter.