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A review by moonlightcupofcocoa
Georgian Feminists: Ten 18th Century Women Ahead of Their Time by Rebecca Sophia Katherine Wilson
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
First things first, thanks to NetGalley and Pen and Sword for the ARC. As always all thought are 100% my own.
Georgian Feminists is an accessible and thought-provoking introduction to ten intriguing strong women from the Georgian Era. The women are from different classes, different backgrounds and led very different lives. Some of these women I already knew, but I still loved the author's research and thoughts about them. Others were new to me and I am glad to have learned about them for the first time.
The book is clearly well-researched and is approached with respect, passion and open mind. The author doesn't put the ladies in question on a pedestal. Instead, we are introduced to their flaws in addition to their achievements as well as introduces the reader to societal and cultural norms and influences that could have left a mark on each of the women, ultimately leading to their actions.
I enjoyed reading the speculations from the author as much as learning the facts about those women. It almost felt as if I were having a conversation with the author.
The one question that I was left with at the end of the book is why some of these figures were considered 'Georgian Feminists'. Is a feminist any woman that chooses to live her life the way she wants? That is able to stand up to the patriarchal figures in her life and say 'no'? Or must the woman in question advocate of women's right and lift up others in their community?
The women presented in the book are all very iconic. They are all very strong, intriguing and often inspiring. Each in her own way. But while some of them did leave behind a legacy be it in the form of thought-provoking texts or contributions to scientific discoveries or others, others mostly just lived their own lives with sole focus on their own interests.
Don't get me wrong, watching other women, be it historically or currently, live freely and authentically is always an inspiration. It's more that going into the book, I expected more focus on what the figures presented did to further women rights.
Still, I really enjoyed the book and am recommending it to others. You will be introduced to epic women and end up going down so many rabbit holes thanks to the book and the many, many, references it shares.
Georgian Feminists is an accessible and thought-provoking introduction to ten intriguing strong women from the Georgian Era. The women are from different classes, different backgrounds and led very different lives. Some of these women I already knew, but I still loved the author's research and thoughts about them. Others were new to me and I am glad to have learned about them for the first time.
The book is clearly well-researched and is approached with respect, passion and open mind. The author doesn't put the ladies in question on a pedestal. Instead, we are introduced to their flaws in addition to their achievements as well as introduces the reader to societal and cultural norms and influences that could have left a mark on each of the women, ultimately leading to their actions.
I enjoyed reading the speculations from the author as much as learning the facts about those women. It almost felt as if I were having a conversation with the author.
The one question that I was left with at the end of the book is why some of these figures were considered 'Georgian Feminists'. Is a feminist any woman that chooses to live her life the way she wants? That is able to stand up to the patriarchal figures in her life and say 'no'? Or must the woman in question advocate of women's right and lift up others in their community?
The women presented in the book are all very iconic. They are all very strong, intriguing and often inspiring. Each in her own way. But while some of them did leave behind a legacy be it in the form of thought-provoking texts or contributions to scientific discoveries or others, others mostly just lived their own lives with sole focus on their own interests.
Don't get me wrong, watching other women, be it historically or currently, live freely and authentically is always an inspiration. It's more that going into the book, I expected more focus on what the figures presented did to further women rights.
Still, I really enjoyed the book and am recommending it to others. You will be introduced to epic women and end up going down so many rabbit holes thanks to the book and the many, many, references it shares.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Sexism