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madeleinesbookshelf's review
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.25
An interesting and informative biography of a historical figure who is not often spoken of.
yasminlibrarian's review
informative
slow-paced
4.5
Fascinating history book covering the British empire’s banal bureaucracy and overt terror through the microcosm of one famous Sikh royal family. It takes a while to get there but the description of suffragette tactics in Britain was in depth and much more violent than generally taught. Gratifying to learn more about the history of the Punjab too.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Racism, War, Mental illness, and Violence
charlottejones952's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.25
tessisreading2's review
5.0
Amazing work of history, vividly depicting not only Sophia and her family but the people around her and the times she lived in, in such a way that it's all totally accessible and understandable and interesting even with no background on the subjects.
raghuiyer's review
4.0
This is a fairly well researched and well written book. It carefully tries not to evoke nostalgia for a bygone socio-political system. The authoress does a good job capturing the life of a forgotten princess. The book is a not above a bit of chest thumping - how a brown princess led the struggle for the vote, how visits to India *might* have stiffened her backbone and various themes of oppression by British authorities. Enough to rile you, but not enough to translate it into anything concrete.
It is a timely read for people who have forgotten what the right to vote means. Something which we take for granted and worse as useless, would have been unavailable to most of humanity a mere 100 years ago. In a sense, it is a story of hope - hope that there were many privileged who took a stand against subjugation and help the oppressed. Highly recommended.
It is a timely read for people who have forgotten what the right to vote means. Something which we take for granted and worse as useless, would have been unavailable to most of humanity a mere 100 years ago. In a sense, it is a story of hope - hope that there were many privileged who took a stand against subjugation and help the oppressed. Highly recommended.
megatsunami's review
5.0
Those suffragettes were frickin awesome.
Sophia was especially awesome. I like that she got involved in activism in her 30's. I like how she used her class privilege/ princess status to get more attention for women's rights.
Also, the British did f-ed up things in Punjab. Not a surprise.
Also also, did you know concentration camps were invented in South Africa by a British commander to use primarily against the Boers? And that Gandhi learned about hunger strikes from suffragettes in British prisons?
I guess I should probably mention that this book is SO GOOD.
Sophia was especially awesome. I like that she got involved in activism in her 30's. I like how she used her class privilege/ princess status to get more attention for women's rights.
Also, the British did f-ed up things in Punjab. Not a surprise.
Also also, did you know concentration camps were invented in South Africa by a British commander to use primarily against the Boers? And that Gandhi learned about hunger strikes from suffragettes in British prisons?
I guess I should probably mention that this book is SO GOOD.