Wild Women: Crusaders, Curmudgeons, and Completely Corsetless Ladies in the Otherwise Virtuous Victorian Era (for Fans of Women of

by Autumn Stephens

Book Overview

Badass Victorian Women

Enjoy a fascinating and sometimes humorous glimpse into the lives of over one hundred, 19th-century Victorian era American women who refused to whittle themselves down to the Victorian model of proper womanhood. Included in Wild Women are 50-black-and-white photos from the era.

During the Victorian era a woman's pedestal was her prison.

"Women should not be expected...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0943233364
• ISBN13: 9780943233369
• Release Date: November 1992
• Publisher: Conari Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.0" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

wonderful collection

I think this book is great....wonderful photos, interesting facts from ladies from the Victorian Era (which is a time in history, not a place or country) Great buy for fun women and history buffs!

Adventurous ladies rediscovered.

Amusing collection of mini biographies of various American ladies rather strangely described as being from the Victorian era(surely it must be called something else in America, i mean sorry but she wasn't your Queen, you know)Some of the ladies I had heard of, many I hadn't, all were fun to read about. The back of the book proclaims 150 Women gave Queen Victoria fits! even though the book contains at least 2 women whom Queen Victoria greatly admired. One is Annie Oakley,although Ms. Stephens describes the Queen as 'simpering' at her (I am confident that Queen Victoria never simpered in her life). The other is Harriet Beacher Stowe, whose novel Dred she prefered to Uncle Tom's Cabin, saying "how interested she was in Nina, how provoked when she died, and how angry that something dreadful did not happen to Tom Gordon". Queen Victoria was at least as interesting as any of the women in Autumn Stephens' book, and would I am sure have sympathised with at least some of them. She gave her name to an entire age in England (and apparently in America too!)

Witty and Wise!

I don't know what I expected but this is an extremely witty book. But it's also a very wise book. Stephens has written dozens and dozens of wonderful essays on some very remarkable women. I loved them all, but somehow I found myself lingering among those Controversial Curers and Ingenious Invalids! I must identify! Oh, dear, but then again, Charlotte Gilman Perkins is there, so what can I say? There are funny details, interesting facts, nice photographs and even quotes that will make your days pass by in sober reflection. Don't let the wit overwhelm the sober. A wonderful edition for ALL collections on women in history. Now if only I could get my hands on one of Lydia Pinkham's cure for PMS! You can find her grave online too. She was a marvel!

Humour does not take away from importance of facts

Though written with wit and humour, one can only begin to imagine the amount of research that went into this book. The convictions of the women described within this tome inspire perseverence in those of us who are challenged by our individual goals.

The other side of the Victorian Lady...Terrific reference!

I found this book fascinating, a quick sometimes shocking read. A feminist eye-opener with short, readable, to-the-point anecdotes of unconventional women's lives from primary sources. Also if you love historical romance, you will definitely love this book. ~Gaelen Foley, author of PRINCESS