Rocking the Boat: Welsh Women Who Championed Equality 1840-1990
Angela V. John (Parthian Books
Women’s place in history is one that has been awarded little discussion in popular culture. Often these women, whose achievements are deserving of discourse, are rendered a footnote in the various exploits of men. Rocking the Boat, by Angela V. John, seeks to readdress this all too frequent imbalance. Cataloguing and documenting the lives of Welsh women, John’s text seeks to offer an insight into the importance, and relevance of these women who have not received the necessary academic discussion and focus. John, a leading historian in Wales, seeks to emphasise how these women challenged gender roles at a time when the roles of women were transitioning.
John’s text wisely does not merely look to reveal key details about these women’s’ lives, but rather places their importance in the context of Welsh identity and heritage, offering an opportunity for intersectionality. Rather than offering a simple biographical approach, John offers a brief snapshot into a defining moment. Thus, John’s first essay, on Dr Frances Hoggan, frames the narrative with an instant that takes place later on in her life: a speech given to the grandly named ‘First Universal Races Congress’. John’s approach then, while rigorously academic, is accessible, using clear, concise narrative hooks to aid reader’s engagement.
Her text, while biographical and non-fiction by definition and genre is one that is not in an academic tome, but rather one that seeks to attract a wide readership in the hopes of illuminating those who are less familiar with these women and to their vital nature. Focusing on a 150-year period allows John to place each narrative within context, and encourages the reader to examine the changing role of these women, and women in general, over this specific time period. An important text, John’s work should be read widely. Siobhan Denton
Price: £20. Info: www.parthianbooks.com
