“A History of Britain in 21 Women” by Jenni Murray

Jenni Murray, presenter of the BBC Woman’s Hour, has chosen 21 women who refused to succumb to the established laws of society, blazed trails for those coming after, and who continue to inspire us.  Christchurch City Libraries have this book available in audio and large print format (I did wonder whether they’ve heard about my cataract).

The 21 women are Jenni’s personal choice.  They range chronologically from Boadicea to Nicola Sturgeon.  Some notable inclusions are Aphra Behn, the playwright who was arguably the first English novelist, Caroline Herschel, astronomer, the first woman to earn her living in science, and Mary Somerville the first person to be called a scientist.  Fanny Burney’s description of her 1811 mastectomy without anaesthetic is gruelling, and it’s encouraging to know she lived for another twenty-nine years after the experience.

Many of the early women received the bulk of their education at home – surely a commendation for lockdown learning.  Jenni’s personal knowledge of the more recent women and the changes they’ve made to our society add to the book’s fascination.  She often gives directions to relevant monuments and buildings, and I wish I’d had these when I visited the U.K.

This book  goes some way to correcting the gender imbalance in British history and deserves to be widely read.

So many women made a mark
whose stories were kept in the dark