From the summer of 1938, British women from all walks of life joined the Women’s Voluntary Services (WVS). This disparate band of women came together for the common good. By 1941 a million women had enrolled. These brave women played a vital role in Britain’s victory. They were instrumental in implementing the large-scale evacuation of children from bomb-targeted cities, in the care of the wounded, and in keeping those in war service fed. Lady Reading, founder and fearless leader, was one of the most influential women in twentieth-century Britain. The story of the WVS has never been fully told before. Social historians Patricia and Robert Malcolmson bring this vital part of the Second World War to life.
Everyone knows three things about the Women’s Institute: that they spent the war making jam; the sensational Calendar Girls were WI; and, more recently, that slow-handclapping of Tony Blair. 215,000 women in the UK belong to the WI. Their membership crosses class and has recently begun to recruit huge numbers of young women. It was founded in 1915, not by worthy ladies in tweeds but by the feistiest women in the country, including suffragettes, academics and social crusaders who discovered the heady power of sisterhood, changing women’s lives and their world in the process. This fascinating book reveals for the first time how they are – and always were – a force to be reckoned with.
These days, swimming may seem like the most egalitarian of pastimes, but this wasn’t always the case. Even into the twentieth century, women could be arrested and fined if they dared to dive into a lake. It wasn’t until the 1930s that they were finally, and reluctantly, granted equal access. But this didn’t happen by accident or benevolence, and SWELL is the story of the women who forced the doors open. It’s the story of how swimming can be a barometer for women’s equality; a thank-you to the fearless ‘swimming suffragettes’ who took on the status quo – and won. It’s a story of famous women, stars and Olympians, and it’s about ordinary women’s relationship with water too. It’s also the story of how Jenny Landreth eventually came to be a keen swimmer herself.
Three troubled women. One deadly secret. Lissy and her daughter, Rosie, live a quiet life and keep themselves to themselves. But when shocking events at Rosie’s school are revealed, their peaceful existence is shattered. Meanwhile, middle-aged women Erica and Beverley appear to have perfect lives, but behind closed doors, things are not all as they seem. All three women are tied together by a terrible secret from their past – the murder of a child. And one of the women is to blame. But is the person responsible the same person who was blamed all those years ago? As the truth slowly begins to surface, it becomes clear that one of the women has revenge in their sights…
They wanted to fly Spitfires, Hurricanes and Lancasters, and they came to England from every continent to do so – gifted, determined and astonishingly brave, the women of the Air Transport Auxiliary are the unsung heroines of World War II. Forbidden to fly in combat, they delivered planes – unarmed, without instruments or radios – to the RAF bases from which male pilots would fly them. At the mercy of the weather and long-range enemy aircraft, 15 of those women died – among them the legendary Amy Johnson. Sixty years on, Giles Whittell has tracked down more than a dozen survivors of this wartime sisterhood and woven their stories into a riveting account of remarkable women.
Bestselling author Liz Harfull shares fascinating true stories of rural Australian women, showcasing the passion, tenacity and resilience required to make a life on the land. Making a living on the land in Australia can be tough at the best of times, but the last few years of seemingly endless droughts, floods and bushfires – not to mention a global pandemic – have made it even more difficult. A FARMING LIFE shares the uplifting stories of women from six rural families as their resilience is tested by personal loss, illness, fractured relationships, natural disasters and the challenges that come with working in a traditionally male-dominated world. These women are all hands-on farmers – in fact, most are responsible for managing their own farms – and their defiance, tenacity and genuine humility shines through, as does their hope for the next generation of young women already lining up to follow in their footsteps.
Bestselling author Liz Harfull shares fascinating true stories of rural Australian women, showcasing the passion, tenacity and resilience required to make a life on the land. Making a living on the land in Australia can be tough at the best of times, but the last few years of seemingly endless droughts, floods and bushfires – not to mention a global pandemic – have made it even more difficult. A FARMING LIFE shares the uplifting stories of women from six rural families as their resilience is tested by personal loss, illness, fractured relationships, natural disasters and the challenges that come with working in a traditionally male-dominated world. These women are all hands-on farmers – in fact, most are responsible for managing their own farms – and their defiance, tenacity and genuine humility shines through, as does their hope for the next generation of young women already lining up to follow in their footsteps.
The extraordinary true story of the last surviving “Attagirls” who risked their lives flying planes from the factory to the front line during WWII. While their husbands, brothers and sweethearts fought in Europe, and their mothers, sisters and friends kept the home fires burning, for the first time, a group of remarkable women took to the skies. They weren’t allowed into combat but risked their lives in bad weather and without radios to bring their boys the aircraft they so vitally needed. Employed by the Air Transport Auxiliary, these women were known as “attagirls”. They proved that women too could master Spitfires, Mosquitoes and Hawker Hurricanes, forging a new path in aviation. The Hurricane Girls is the fascinating, moving and inspirational story of bravery, determination and remarkable women. Jo Wheeler, 2018 (p) Penguin Books Ltd, 2018
Janet Pimm is used to being invisible. 70-something, with her beloved allotment for company, she simply doesn’t need anyone else. But when the local council threatens to close the allotments, Janet will do anything she can to try to save them – even enlisting the help of her irritatingly upbeat and interfering neighbour Bev. As the two women set off on a journey together, Janet begins to realise that perhaps she isn’t so happy to blend into the background after all. And that maybe there’s more to Bev than she first thought. As the bulldozers roll in and they fight to save the place Janet loves most, both women find their voice again – no one can silence them now…
Janet Pimm is used to being invisible. 70-something, with her beloved allotment for company, she simply doesn’t need anyone else. But when the local council threatens to close the allotments, Janet will do anything she can to try to save them – even enlisting the help of her irritatingly upbeat and interfering neighbour Bev. As the two women set off on a journey together, Janet begins to realise that perhaps she isn’t so happy to blend into the background after all. And that maybe there’s more to Bev than she first thought. As the bulldozers roll in and they fight to save the place Janet loves most, both women find their voice again – no one can silence them now…
