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UK £3.51 £10.20
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US $3.97 $11.49
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CA $18.43
Biographical
fiction / American History
1872
USA
“Forty-eight years before women were granted the
right to vote, one woman dared to run for President of the United States, yet
her name has been virtually written out of the history books. Rising from the
shame of an abusive childhood, Victoria Woodhull, the daughter of a con-man and
a religious zealot, vows to follow her destiny, one the spirits say will lead
her out of poverty to "become ruler of her people."
But the road to glory is far from easy. A
nightmarish marriage teaches Victoria that women are stronger and deserve far
more credit than society gives. Eschewing the conventions of her day, she strikes
out on her own to improve herself and the lot of American women.
Over the next several years, she sets into
motion plans that shatter the old boys club of Wall Street and defile even the
sanctity of the halls of Congress. But it's not just her ambition that
threatens men of wealth and privilege; when she announces her candidacy for
President in the 1872 election, they realize she may well usurp the power
they've so long fought to protect.
Those who support her laud "Notorious
Victoria" as a gifted spiritualist medium and healer, a talented financial
mind, a fresh voice in the suffrage movement, and the radical idealist needed
to move the nation forward. But those who dislike her see a dangerous force who
is too willing to speak out when women are expected to be quiet. Ultimately,
"Mrs. Satan's" radical views on women's rights, equality of the
sexes, free love and the role of politics in private affairs collide with her
tumultuous personal life to endanger all she has built and change how she is
viewed by future generations.
This is the story of one woman who was ahead of
her time - a woman who would make waves even in the 21st century - but who
dared to speak out and challenge the conventions of post-Civil War America,
setting a precedent that is still followed by female politicians today.”
How many
Americans, let alone us Brits on this side of the Pond have heard of this
extraordinary lady, Victoria Woodhull? I would guess at a mere handful only.
Familiar with our own Ms Pankhurst and Women’s Suffrage here in Britain I was
interested to discover this US equivalent theme, and ended the book by wholeheartedly
wishing that Ms Evelina could stray into the realm of Alternative Fiction and
place Ms Woodhull as elected President!
Do not be put
off by the thought that this might be nothing more than a novel about political
events and women’s rights – it is both these things but primarily it is about a
little-known part of American history which is both intriguing and fascinating.
Written in Ms Woodhull’s voice, Ms Evelina deftly weaves the historical facts
into the fictional inventive via a highly enjoyable and talented style of writing
which vividly echoes Ms Woodhull’s own courage and determination.
The inclusion
of an author’s note outlining what was fact and what was fiction in this novel was
as engrossing as the story itself. What a pity that today’s political upheavals
cannot be equally as enthralling as this most excellent novel!
© Helen Hollick
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