Bluestockings

Brilliant, earnest, quietly unconventional, the Bluestockings are the unsung pioneers of early British feminism. Their networks empowered women, while their salons stressing conversation and civility opposed the misogynous boozy male culture of the 18th century. Blending story, history and delicious anecdote, Susannah Gibson's book opens a sparkling window onto this extraordinary society of engaged, energetic and very witty women

Rich and sophisticated . . . Gibson's balancing act, skilfully managed, is to highlight the extraordinary place these women carved out for themselves against the odds in 18th-century society, without glossing over aspects less congenial to 21st century readers . . . As Gibson writes, the legacy of the bluestockings was to lay the foundations for a whole new world-view. It was the basis of all that followed: for women's right to an education, to earn an income, to vote, to bodily autonomy. It is a call that echoes down the centuries, and attempts to silence it continue

A lively account [of] a social and political movement that would, over the next two hundred and fifty years, transform the expectations and conditions of women around the world

A story of sisterhood, empowerment - and also rivalry and rage. Perhaps the greatest pleasure for the reader is to see the joy that the bluestockings take in reading, thinking and writing. There are men and there are constant pregnancies but the women are profoundly and lastingly engaged with the written word

Remarkable . . . this intricate story weaves together the many luminaries and intellectuals of 18th-century life . . . The Bluestockings burst out of the pages with unmistakable glee. Aided by Gibson's use of first-hand accounts from the women themselves, their complexity and individuality shine through . . . With beautifully written prose, Gibson allows the 18th century to be a delicately crafted backdrop to the lives she has chosen to explore

Gibson evokes deftly the extent to which things had to fall into place for these women to establish their reputations . . . [the] structure allows for a nuanced understanding of each woman

A lively portrait of 18th-century Englishwomen who claimed a place for themselves in the nation's intellectual life . . . Gibson offers vivid sketches of all these women . . . The author's engaging account honors the determination and charm with which her subjects seized as much freedom as society would allow them

Engrossing . . . the legacy of the Bluestockings made itself heard in the lives of other women writers and thinkers, quiet but compelling, like whispering in a library . . . echoing through the generations

Gibson's work is a thrilling portal into the lives of several extraordinary women in eighteenth century England and a celebration of their many achievements