Bluestockings The First Women’s Movement
Bluestockings: The First Women’s Movement by Susannah Gibson, published by John Murray Press in February 2025, delves into the lives of pioneering women in 18th century Britain who challenged societal norms. This 352-page book presents a historical account of the Bluestockings, a group of women who defied the limitations placed upon them by society, engaging in intellectual discussions and asserting their rights in a time when women had little power or autonomy.
Readers will discover the remarkable stories of figures such as Elizabeth Montagu, Hester Thrale, Ann Yearsley, and Catherine Macaulay, who navigated personal and societal challenges to carve out their own identities. The book highlights their contributions to literature, philosophy, and social discourse, showcasing how their legacies influenced later feminist thought. Through a blend of history and social science, this edition provides insight into the early feminist movement and the complexities of these women’s lives, making it a significant exploration of empowerment and sisterhood.
Official synopsis Publisher
A NEW YORKER AND NEW YORK TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR
‘Sophisticated, rich and skilful . . . highlights the extraordinary place these women carved out for themselves against the odds’ New Statesman
‘Remarkable . . . The Bluestockings bust out of the pages with unmistakable glee . . . their complexity and individuality shine through’ BBC History
‘Spirited, lively and scholarly’ Literary Review
‘A story of sisterhood and empowerment’ PHILIPPA GREGORY
In Britain in the 1750s, women had no power and no rights – all money and property belonged to their fathers or husbands. A brave group risked everything to think and live as they wished, despite the sneers of contemporaries who argued that books frazzled female brains and damaged their wombs.
Meet the Bluestockings:
ELIZABETH MONTAGU hosted a series of glittering salons in her London drawing room, where a circle of women and men discussed theatre, philosophy and the classics, competing to outdo each other in wit and brilliance. Discover how she took on Voltaire and won.
Whilst nursing twelve children and helping run her bullying husband’s brewery, HESTER THRALE took key writers under her wing – Dr Johnson moved into her house for several years. Her vivid diaries offer a powerful chronicle of what happened when she finally decided to follow her heart.
Find out how poetess and former milkmaid ANN YEARSLEY fought back when her snobbish patron refused to hand over her earnings because she was working class and thus irresponsible . . .
Or how CATHERINE MACAULEY’s eight volume history of England caused such a sensation that she became a leading light in the American Revolution – while her unorthodox love-life scandalised her contemporaries . . .
In this brilliant book, Susannah Gibson explores the lives and legacies of these and other figures who went on to inspire writers and thinkers from Mary Wollstonecraft to Virginia Woolf and lead the way for feminism.
Bluestockings: the unexpected and inspiring stories of the forgotten heroines of Britain’s very first women’s movement.
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