What Regency Women Did For Us
Profiles of twelve trailblazing Regency Era women—from Jane Austen to Madame Tussaud—who took charge of their destinies and changed the world.
In the nineteenth century, women faced challenges and constraints that many of us would find shocking by today's standards. What Regency Women Did for Us tells the inspirational stories of twelve women who overcame entrenched institutional obstacles to achieve trailblazing success—women such as the German astronomer Caroline Herschel, who discovered a comet that bears her name; the French artist Marie Tussaud whose wax sculptures made her world famous; the great author Jane Austen whose novels continue to delight generations of readers. These women were pioneers, philanthropists, entrepreneurs, authors, scientists, and actresses—women who made an impact on their world and ours.
Popular history blogger Rachel Knowles tells how each of these women challenged the limitations of their time and left an enduring legacy for future generations to follow. Two hundred years later, their stories remain powerful inspirations for us all.
Reviews
Rachel's fine book looks at how the women of Britain emerged from the shadows of their husbands during the Regency period, inspiring female writers, scientists, etc. to take hold of their own destinies and start to have an influence on the world. Brilliant.
If what you want is an introductory overview, using selected case studies to provide examples of how some women in the late 18th and early 19th centuries lived very different and rewarding lives, and achieved a surprising amount given the constraints placed on them by society, then this is well worth a look. Read it for: an interesting study of the lives of 12 disparate Regency women.
