Official Review: Mistress Suffragette by Diana Forbes

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ShailaSheshadri
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Re: Official Review: Mistress Suffragette by Diana Forbes

Post by ShailaSheshadri »

This sounds like a novel of romance and historical fiction. The captivating review helped me to get a good idea of the storyline. There is a glimpse of "Women's Suffrage Movement" in the story. It appears the book has a good characterization. The review and the sample made it clear that Mistress Suffragette is a great read for the lovers of historical fiction.
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Wiesie
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Post by Wiesie »

After reading the review I immediately wanted to buy the book. Definitely a well written piece. :D
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Post by Nelsy Mtsweni »

The book sounds to be amazing...a historical fiction empowering women and promoting positive friendships. Thanks for the review.
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Abovi perpetual
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Post by Abovi perpetual »

I appreciate this review because it seems am already acting like a suffragist in my school and I think I need to read the full story to guide me more on my moves.
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Post by Shas F »

It's been a joy reading the first few chapters of Mistress Suffragette by Diana Forbes on Amazon, encouraging me to put it in my "To Read" list. It's about a woman's coming-of-age in 1893 America at a time when the world she knows is falling apart. Penelope's father is on the brink of bankruptcy and she's just been dumped by her fiance, her 5th degree cousin, Sam Haven. She and her sister, Lydia, are at the age when they can find suitable husbands, and boy, is their mother working overtime to get them paired with the "right" men in society. Penelope and Lydia, together with their parents, attend a ball so they can get acquainted with gentlemen looking for suitable wives. On the same night, Penelope did not get prospects for suitable partners. She got a job opportunity and sweet horrors!, she got propositioned by a dashing, very much married man, Edgar Daggers. Wow, what a 21st Century conundrum for our heroine at the dawn of the 20th Century! The year 1893 is also the time when activism for women's suffrage rights bloomed in America, particularly in Boston and JessNWheelers' review states that Penelope encounters that in her journey to findi her place in the world. Forbes' book is about Penelope's brush with the tough real world, her worth and rights as a woman and as an American citizen. This is definitely a feminist book, with a wink. Thankfully, it is humorous and yes, like reviewer JessNWheelers said, full of characters that are complex, flawed but have parts lovable, relatable and recognizable in real people. I recommend this to young women trying to understand the very long journey women have to take to gain equal status in society and at the same time, gain the upper hand in their relationships. This is not only a historical romantic fiction, it's Sex and the City at the turn of a century.

As to the characters in the book, Penelope leads in complexity. She's is naive, idealistic and righteous but she can also be superficial, judging people by their looks. She doesn't like George Setton, her sister Lydia's suitor, not only because he's the solicitor monitoring the decline of her father's business. He's also not the most handsome man. But George Setton, whatever he is, encourages Lydia to read the Chicago Tribune and he makes her laugh. On the other hand, Penelope is attracted to Edgar Daggers because he's handsome and hot even if his sexual proposition to her is immoral. Penelope is mad at Sam Havens for dumping her and frowning on his statement that "Marriage is an alliance." But a deeper look at Sam may want you to judge him differently. He actively encourages Penelope to get a job, see more of the world and learn to stand on her own. Isn't that feminist? This is a very interesting book and I hope many young women get to read it.
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