I thought the opening to this book was as engrossing as anything I've read in a while, with an intriguing set up, historical notes and a heroine off to do her own thing in the face of her father's and fiance's disapproval. Veronica Moon is a photographer, one who rose to fame in the heady days of feminist Seventies Britain but has now been forgotten and lives a reclusive life alone. A retrospective exhibition, the work of a tired mum and the relative of Veronica's great friend and love Leonie, is about to open in London and bring Veronica back to life. Will it help solve the mystery of why she faded from public life and help heal old rifts?
The book is split into flashback scenes from Veronica's and Leonie's friendship, and modern scenes as preparations for the exhibition go ahead. Each chapter also has historical notes and writings from Leonie and Veronica, both of them mainly unpublished. It focuses on the British feminist movement, starting with the Ford Dagenham strikers, before looking at Miss World protests, Greenham Common and many things in between, such as the more private and violent side of the women's movement - Veronica documents injuries caused by domestic abuse to potentially use as evidence in court. It makes a positive change to read about the British wave of protests, since so many historical moments always seem to look at America - it's good to remember how radical British women were at the time. And how we still need them.
I enjoyed Veronica's growth as a character very much, and her encouragement of the younger woman to go to a protest, and to have confidence in her self was fun to read. Leonie's chapter were a little hectoring, but she's an old school feminist and there are still plenty of those around.
This is a great book - if you want to learn more about the women's movement of recent times, or remind yourself why it's so important for us all to don our DMs and take to the streets - but it's also well written, intricately researched and full of authenticity.
The book is split into flashback scenes from Veronica's and Leonie's friendship, and modern scenes as preparations for the exhibition go ahead. Each chapter also has historical notes and writings from Leonie and Veronica, both of them mainly unpublished. It focuses on the British feminist movement, starting with the Ford Dagenham strikers, before looking at Miss World protests, Greenham Common and many things in between, such as the more private and violent side of the women's movement - Veronica documents injuries caused by domestic abuse to potentially use as evidence in court. It makes a positive change to read about the British wave of protests, since so many historical moments always seem to look at America - it's good to remember how radical British women were at the time. And how we still need them.
I enjoyed Veronica's growth as a character very much, and her encouragement of the younger woman to go to a protest, and to have confidence in her self was fun to read. Leonie's chapter were a little hectoring, but she's an old school feminist and there are still plenty of those around.
This is a great book - if you want to learn more about the women's movement of recent times, or remind yourself why it's so important for us all to don our DMs and take to the streets - but it's also well written, intricately researched and full of authenticity.