I remember reading the synopsis to this book and thinking hmmm I'm not sure if it's for me but I'll give it a go. I didn't realise is how little I knew about second wave feminism.
The year is 1968. Veronica (Vee) Moon is a junior photographer for a local newspaper, but she is frustrated by the type of jobs considered suitable for a woman, in this male dominated environment. There are only so many church fairs and Mothers' Union meetings you can photograph before you go mad. Vee yearns to be part of a bigger story.
Vee does not know a lot about feminism, but she knows she wants more than to be the little wife of her fiance, Barry: tied to domestic servitude and motherhood, with a sweet martini and lemonade on a Saturday.
Vee decides to take a trip to see the on-going protest of the Ford Dagenham machinists, who are striking for equal pay, and to take some photographs while she is there. This is where she meets the fierce Leonie.
Leonie takes Vee under her wing and undertakes to be her mentor in the feminist cause. Vee's life starts to change from this day onwards. Leonie offers her the chance of a free and exciting life - one she has never even thought possible - at the heart of the rising tide of the fight for women's equality.
The story alternates between two different timelines - significant moments in the past for Vee and Leonie; and moments from the present day for Vee and Erica, as preparations for the exhibition progress.
Through the years, Leonie becomes increasing bitter that the direction of feminism has not gone the way she would have liked. Her ambition to become a successful published author has been thwarted at every turn, by her projects being just behind those published by the famous guiding lights of the feminist cause - although her "Dear John" column has been a success, even this has a sell by date in the end.
Meanwhile, Vee's career has gone from strength to strength and she has become a role model for women who want to forge ahead in the previously male-dominated areas. Leonie considers Vee to have "sold out", but Vee is actually benefiting from the changes initiated by women like Leonie and doing the best to make all the progress she can.
Leonie is a pretty tough character and she is not easy to like, especially as she gets older and her experiences seem to weigh her down.
Vee is the softer face of feminism and she has more in common with the majority of women who "just wanted more" - the right to have freedom over their own bodies, make their own decisions, and control their own finances, without reference to a man.
Erica is the face of modern feminism - she has a lot more freedom that the women of Vee and Leonie's generation, but she sees the progress as more of leading to a right to decide how to live your life as a woman. Erica, as some of Leonie's friends from the past, show that it is important to include men in the fight for equality, rather than seeing them all as the enemy.
Interestingly, Vee takes on the role of staunch feminist herself, when she first starts to work with Erica and is disappointed that their struggles from the past have not led to women today having the equality she and her sisters hoped they would. In effect, Vee becomes the mentor to Erica., as their relationship develops.
This book packs a very powerful emotional punch – and while its context is perhaps its core, I was equally enthralled by the smaller scale personal story, the overwhelming strength of the female friendship while realistically portraying the women’s differences, the slow uncovering of long hidden secrets.
I thought this book was quite superb – brave and different, an unflinching look at a struggle that still continues and that it’s all too easy to overlook and take for granted, coupled with an immensely engaging personal story. It’s also beautifully told, and a totally compelling read – I recommend it most highly.
The year is 1968. Veronica (Vee) Moon is a junior photographer for a local newspaper, but she is frustrated by the type of jobs considered suitable for a woman, in this male dominated environment. There are only so many church fairs and Mothers' Union meetings you can photograph before you go mad. Vee yearns to be part of a bigger story.
Vee does not know a lot about feminism, but she knows she wants more than to be the little wife of her fiance, Barry: tied to domestic servitude and motherhood, with a sweet martini and lemonade on a Saturday.
Vee decides to take a trip to see the on-going protest of the Ford Dagenham machinists, who are striking for equal pay, and to take some photographs while she is there. This is where she meets the fierce Leonie.
Leonie takes Vee under her wing and undertakes to be her mentor in the feminist cause. Vee's life starts to change from this day onwards. Leonie offers her the chance of a free and exciting life - one she has never even thought possible - at the heart of the rising tide of the fight for women's equality.
The story alternates between two different timelines - significant moments in the past for Vee and Leonie; and moments from the present day for Vee and Erica, as preparations for the exhibition progress.
Through the years, Leonie becomes increasing bitter that the direction of feminism has not gone the way she would have liked. Her ambition to become a successful published author has been thwarted at every turn, by her projects being just behind those published by the famous guiding lights of the feminist cause - although her "Dear John" column has been a success, even this has a sell by date in the end.
Meanwhile, Vee's career has gone from strength to strength and she has become a role model for women who want to forge ahead in the previously male-dominated areas. Leonie considers Vee to have "sold out", but Vee is actually benefiting from the changes initiated by women like Leonie and doing the best to make all the progress she can.
Leonie is a pretty tough character and she is not easy to like, especially as she gets older and her experiences seem to weigh her down.
Vee is the softer face of feminism and she has more in common with the majority of women who "just wanted more" - the right to have freedom over their own bodies, make their own decisions, and control their own finances, without reference to a man.
Erica is the face of modern feminism - she has a lot more freedom that the women of Vee and Leonie's generation, but she sees the progress as more of leading to a right to decide how to live your life as a woman. Erica, as some of Leonie's friends from the past, show that it is important to include men in the fight for equality, rather than seeing them all as the enemy.
Interestingly, Vee takes on the role of staunch feminist herself, when she first starts to work with Erica and is disappointed that their struggles from the past have not led to women today having the equality she and her sisters hoped they would. In effect, Vee becomes the mentor to Erica., as their relationship develops.
This book packs a very powerful emotional punch – and while its context is perhaps its core, I was equally enthralled by the smaller scale personal story, the overwhelming strength of the female friendship while realistically portraying the women’s differences, the slow uncovering of long hidden secrets.
I thought this book was quite superb – brave and different, an unflinching look at a struggle that still continues and that it’s all too easy to overlook and take for granted, coupled with an immensely engaging personal story. It’s also beautifully told, and a totally compelling read – I recommend it most highly.