Zoë Fairbairns

"Five generations of women through the history of their emancipation"
By sally tarbox on 24 January 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
Lent me by an acquaintance; this was SO much better than I anticipated.
It begins with two sisters in 1855; the younger, Helena, has just made a 'good' marriage while the more independent Sarah turns her back on a future living in her sister's home and sets sail for Australia with the aim of buying her own farm.
Now knowing this was a family saga written from a feminist perspective, I was just waiting for Sarah to become a wealthy landowner, but it doesn't quite pan out like that - it's much more believable and interesting.
The future generations of women whom the narrative follows are not all mothers and daughters, but there is a link somewhere: Pearl, daughter of a loose-living barmaid; Ruby, who learns to be a secretary and ends up in India, a nameless prison wardress, and 1970s Jackie, with her ideas on women's liberation and free love...
A very entertaining and well-written light read.… (more)

I've always liked Zoe Fairbairns' books, with reservations. She sometimes lets the feminism get in the way of a good story. This doesn't happen here, though the main male character (Boniface Bennett, believe it or not) isn't a great example of blokedom.

I liked the wit in the writing, I also liked the originality: this is only book I'm aware of that's centred around the Lloyds Names disaster. I certainly felt the pain of the 'Name' in the book, as she got deeper and deeper into the brown stuff!

The description of Heather's rather squalid living conditions, and early life, were well done too. However, the storyline got a bit too surreal for me when we got into the realms of the foster family-that-never-were. What on earth was that all about? But overall, a good book, Zoe Fairbairns' best one as far as I'm concerned.… (more)