I have an affinity for Feminist Historical Fiction & this is why:
Ever since I first discovered the hidden niche of Feminist Historical Fiction & Feminist Biographical Historical Fiction stories, I became an insta-reader of ALL those stories! As many as I could unearth and get a copy of – in fact, if you browse my original Story Vault you’ll find many reviews for stories under those classifications! It was through reading these kinds of incredibly researched stories of Historical Fiction – wherein, persons who lived through those difficult generations ahead of women winning the right to vote and other rights we almost take for granted in today’s world – had a bevy of knowledge to pass down to those of us who followed after them.
Feminism is a living and breathing entity within all generations of women – as even though we’ve always strove to assert ourselves in fields which interest us to study &/or find employ – opportunities for women haven’t easily been won or had by all. There has been a bit of a glass ceiling across fields and industries as much as prejudice, injustice and inequality between genders.
I took a bit of time away from seeking these kinds of stories as I had had a bit of a full rounding of History through these portals & lenses the authors were giving me to re-affirm our living histories against the backdrop of different eras of Historical interest and change. I had to take a step back in other words as the stories themselves were a bit much for me to read all at once and to concentrate on them to the point where time away from the stories let me re-group and return back to the texts lateron. Sometimes we can dive a bit too deeply into certain parts of History and need to navigate into other areas of literature before we return. At least this has been true for me – in respect to Feminist Historical Fiction and especially in regard to war dramas which was another side interest of mine in the original years of Jorie Loves A Story.
For me, seeking out Feminist Lit is necessary to not only understand the paths women had to take ahead of me but to shine more light on the incredible ways in which women continue to carve out their own voice and allow those voices to be heard. As soon as I read the premise for “Strait Lace” I knew it had to be on my #mustread list of #nextreads – as it fits within the context of what I was exploring previously as much as it takes on a different view of interest as well.
To celebrate this novel and to gain more insight into how the writer dealt with the subject and message of the novel itself – I elected to host an interview wherein I could converse with the author and discuss her writings of “Strait Lace” a bit more in-depth. I hope you’ll enjoy where the conversation led us and what is revealled through it too!
Strait Lace
Subtitle: A Loxley Hall Book
Source: Chapter Sampler
It is 1905. Edwardian England. Harriet Loxley, the daughter of a vicar and niece to a prominent Nottingham lace manufacturer, spends her days playing cricket with her brother, scouring the countryside for botanical specimens, and never missing an opportunity to argue the case for political power for women. Given the chance to visit the House of Commons, Harriet witnesses the failure of a historic bill for women’s voting rights. She also meets the formidable Pankhurst women.
When Harriet gets the chance to study biology at Bedford College, London, she finds her opportunity to be at the heart of the fight. From marching in the street, to speaking to hostile crowds, to hurling stones through windows, just how far will Harriet go?
Places to find the book:
Published by Historium Press
on 14th January, 2025
Format: Chapter Sampler | Online
Available Formats: Hardcover, Paperback & Ebook
Converse via: #CoffeePotBookClub, #RosemaryHayward, #FeministFiction, #HistFic and #HistoricalFiction
