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A review by beccakatie
Death in Ten Minutes: Kitty Marion: Activist. Arsonist. Suffragette. by Fern Riddell
5.0
I found this book to be a brilliantly accessible read of the growth of feminism and the suffrage movement, told through the lens of an awe-inspiring woman.
The life of Kitty Marion was well situated in the wider context of the growth of women’s rights, and the debates regarding women’s sexuality. While much of the wider information given was not unknown to me, it was still a very engaging read that I did in fact gain additional knowledge from.
The book challenges our perceptions of the suffrage movement, including how we were taught and continue to teach it, and our reactions and justifications for the violence they enacted. It’s a well written, thought provoking, wide ranging biography.
I would, however, have liked to have at least a mention on the negative aspects of the birth control movement mentioned, and how it was often linked to eugenics. While this in no way detracts from the importance of accessible contraception and education, I feel like it is a point that should not be ignored. It risks sanitising the history, just as Riddell criticises the suffrage movement for doing by brushing the violence under the carpet in later years.
The life of Kitty Marion was well situated in the wider context of the growth of women’s rights, and the debates regarding women’s sexuality. While much of the wider information given was not unknown to me, it was still a very engaging read that I did in fact gain additional knowledge from.
The book challenges our perceptions of the suffrage movement, including how we were taught and continue to teach it, and our reactions and justifications for the violence they enacted. It’s a well written, thought provoking, wide ranging biography.
I would, however, have liked to have at least a mention on the negative aspects of the birth control movement mentioned, and how it was often linked to eugenics. While this in no way detracts from the importance of accessible contraception and education, I feel like it is a point that should not be ignored. It risks sanitising the history, just as Riddell criticises the suffrage movement for doing by brushing the violence under the carpet in later years.