Queer Enlightenments: A Hidden History of Lovers, Lawbreakers, and Homemakers

by Anthony Delaney

From a ground-breaking historian with a refreshing new voice, an overlooked history detailing eleven stories of eighteenth-century queer people who lived extraordinary lives of resistance, joy, and sometimes sorrow 

For many, queer history began in 1960s New York with the Stonewall Riots, as though nothing and no one had ever come before. In this evocative, wonderfully lively correction to the historical record, Dr. Anthony Delaney uncovers a new era of queer history, illuminating the hard-fought lives of remarkable queer people in the “long eighteenth-century” that have long been lost to the annals of time. 

Unfolding between 1726 and 1836, Queer Enlightenments is an inviting, at times deeply affecting, journey through the taverns, prisons, and cruising grounds of a bygone era and into the lives of aristocrats, tradesmen, and sex workers who won or lost their lives in the pursuit of sexual freedom. In London, Mother Clap’s famous Holborn coffee house is open to all comers, a place of companionship and community, until a tip-off leads to a midnight raid. The celebrated Chevalier d’Eon, soldier, diplomat and spy, challenges a rival to a fencing match. The sweepstake is not over who will win, but over whether the Chevalier is a man or a woman. Two women, later to be famous for the utopia they created in a Welsh country town, elope to be together in a dramatic escape from their disapproving Irish families. At the court of King George, a silver-tongued noblewoman remarked of one of Queen Caroline’s confidants, “the world consists of men, women, and Herveys.” A Black sex worker endures a degrading trial that labels her the New York “Man-Monster”— but between the lines of its transcripts can be found traces of her life, one of acceptance, resistance, and indomitable spirit.

A dazzling work of restorative history, Queer Enlightenments traces the stories of people daring to challenge society’s expectations, unearthing archives and court records to reveal the tragedies and the joys of queer life three centuries ago.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Queer, LGBT, Audiobook, Historical, Adult

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 7, 2025

Reviews

[Bookshire Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

hoo boy, this will ruffle some feathers, especially among Anne Lister stans...

This is a well researched book written by an author who is not satisfied with just repeating widely accepted assumptions but digs really deep in historical sources and, sometimes, uncovers truths some people won't want to hear.

Even though it conveys some uncomfortable truths, the POV is compassionate and understanding the need to have queer heroes when we have been largely written out of history. The resulting histories/portraits of less and more widely know figures are more rounded for it.

Read it and you will learn that:
- being queer doesn't automatically mean you are a good person. People are and always have been messy and contain multitudes.
- before worshiping someone as a queer icon/hero, it is worth checking if their gender nonconforming presentation was really their own choice (as with Chevalier d'Éon)
- Anne Lister was much more complicated person than how the Gentleman Jack movie presents her and that the first lesbian marriage maybe wasn't that straightforward (as it were).

The style of the book is highly readable and will be well suited for both academics and public.

I have received an ARC through Netgalley and I'm leaving a voluntary, honest review.

[Cody]

Queer history is a tough subject to write about. And tougher to write about when writing for both a public and semi-academic audience. Queer history needs to be told, but how we actually tell these stories is another matter and something queer historians are still debating today.

Queer Enlightenments/Queer Georgians teeters between the academic voice and the voice for a public audience and I'm not sure it totally works. It is quite dry for someone looking for queer anecdotes throughout history and too sparse on the theory for anyone familiar with the historicism of sexuality.

And from that academic viewpoint: I think, above all, this book suffers from a teleology problem. I'm not a staunch constructivist (you can see my reviews on here for Will Tosh's Acting Straight or Simon Goldhill's Queer Cambridge), but I did find too many parallels drawn to how *we* would perceive a queer identity today. That is the point of the book: to draw a line from today to the past. But I'm just not sold on how it's presented to the reader.

If a historian is going to completely reject Foucault's conclusions on homosexuality (which is an absolutely valid opinion, though I do not believe Delaney's understanding on constructivism should be simply reduced to it being 'no more than a clever exercise in semantics [that] offers very little in the way of meaningful historical insight or analysis' because he observed otherwise as a PhD student), I believe there is some responsibility to back up the argument of historical queerness with some theory. Particularly Sedgwick, Butler, Katz, and Traub, since they are the first that come to mind when looking at 'responses' to Foucault or unhistoricism. This observation and rebuke of Foucault is saved for the conclusion, as well, which I'm not sure is the best place for it since it is so central to how we understand the history of sexuality. It's clear from the introduction that Delaney is looking to break away from academic rhetoric, I just wish we could have followed that with more methodology and discussion.

This is still an important read for a lay reader. Despite this review appearing to suggest otherwise, I truly believe it's important for non-academic audience to get hung up in academic terminology. However, if you open one can of worms and specifically refute a theory, there needs to be a more in depth explanation of cultural context and acknowledgement of just what queerness meant for an individual for me to recommend it to someone interested in the history of sexuality.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Book Riot Community]

This is one of Book Riot’s Best Books of 2025:

Reading this history of queer and gender nonconforming people in the 18th and 19th centuries was at times maddening in how familiar it felt: the moral panic, the cruelty, the self-righteous persecution of people just trying to live their lives. But it was also invigorating to spend time with the 11 fascinating subjects of the book, from more familiar figures like Anne Lister and the Chevalier d’Eon to Mary Jones and Mother Clap. These people were asking themselves a lot of the same questions queer folks are asking today about sex and gender expression, and Dr. Anthony Delaney dives into each of their stories with nuance, tenderness, and care.

- Vanessa Diaz

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My opinions are my own and are freely given.

This was an amazing non-fiction book detailing the lives of people, most of whom I had never heard of before. Which really is really not that surprising, considering how much of our history has been rewritten. It really amazes me that people think queer people didn't exist before this century. This book could help you combat that misinformation (don't expect miracles, though 😉). Really, though, the more you can learn about history, whether you are part of the queer community or not, is always a good thing.

I definitely would recommend this book to anyone!

[BookSafety Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a clever book. It was at times a bit of a clunky reading experience, weaving the author's voice with the historical notes and citations, mixed with retellings and fact. It's a massively important book, telling the story of people whose stories usually aren't told, or straight up deleted from history, and it made me both smile and tear up. It was also challenging to read at times. Many of these characters and people like them had rough lives, but the community aspect definitely shines through, which is a comfort.

One of those books that everyone should read (and request at your local library - this kind of history is actively being removed in many places as I write this).

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Nic · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I hope you find companionship in the pages of this book. Not fictional renderings of an imagined better way, but proof of our persistence.” (Delaney) Queer Enlightenments is touching, inspirational, and quite fun to read! I started off feeling like the book was a little slow until I hit chapter three and realized the way the author was building story upon story and weaving these themes together.

I loved the way the stories were presented with a deeply human angle, never treating the subjects as paragons of perfection or of pure pity. There’s such poignancy in reading a historical account written by an openly queer man—it’s unflinching in its examination but still manages to be heartwarming.

It’s a book that makes me proud to be part of a larger community because as he says, “Together, these histories remind us that even when the odds are stacked against us we survive (d’Eon), and that given our tenacity (Lister) we may thrive yet. Each one of us, shoulder to shoulder with the other; nobody left behind.”

An enormous thank you to Anthony Delaney, Atlantic Monthly Press, and NetGalley for this advanced reader’s copy, it was a pleasure to read!

[Rhian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this if you have any interest in history (LGBTQ+ or otherwise). This gives you a small peak into a hidden world - which is what all successful public history books do in my opinion. Covering a wide range of the LGBTQ+ spectrum this uses newly discovered/reinterpreted archive sources to give us a view into gay, lesbian, trans and even asexual lives. The range is unusual and exciting. I can see how this book might ruffle some feathers *cough* Anne Lister *cough*. But that just makes this book all the more exciting.

Anthony Delaney is the co-host of one of my favourite history podcasts, After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds and the paranormal (for those of you looking for more), so I wholeheartedly recommend the audiobook. 4.5⭐️

[Saimi Korhonen · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I hope the adventures that follow make you punch the air in silent triumph, and mourn for what they (and we) have lost. I hope these accounts help to root you in our once-hidden histories and direct you, more joyously and defiantly, towards a better future. With that, let us begin."

Anthony Delaney's Queer Georgians (in the US/Canada: Queer Enlightenments) traces the lives of different kinds of queer people from sex workers and milkmen to lords and ladies, during the so-called Long 18th Century (this book begins in 1726 and ends in 1837). Without ignoring the grave peril these people faced due to their identities, Delaney, in this book, emphasises the joy, love, sex, community, determination, persistence and self-expression that can be found in these stories, reminding the reader that queer people have always been there, have always found ways to be together and to be themselves, despite the intolerance, danger and violence they faced.

I loved this book. It was one of my most anticipated releases of this year and even though I knew I would love it, I was not prepared for how much I loved it. I hardly ever cry when I read nonfiction, but this book did make me sob a little bit (the very ending of the Ladies of Llangollen chapter, where Delaney talks about his personal connection to them, as a boy from Kilkenny, got to me). But it also made me laugh – how could one read the bitchy letters John Chute and his friends, like Horace Walpole, wrote to each other, griping about each other's interior design choices without giggling? This book is so joyful in so many ways, even though Delaney never forgets to remind us that men were literally killed for having sex with other men. But just because things were perilous, doesn't mean that all of queer history is just pain, fear, shame and persecution. There's so much more in our past than that and this book with all its wild, funny, sweet, romantic, exciting and adventurous stories is a testament to that. Delaney's writing is engaging and so easy to follow, and I liked how he never pretends to be all objective. No, he talks about his own feelings regarding the research he did, his experiences as a queer man and how some of these stories surprised him and impacted him. One of the aspects I most loved about his style of writing was how he addresses his readers, specifically his queer readers. Two quotes I loved from the book were: "These are our roots; feel how mighty they are" and "Instead our roots run deep and our resilience knows no bounds; the ventures have shown it. Thus, where once you felt isolated or downtrodden, I hope you find companionship in the pages of this book. Not fictional renderings of an imagined better way, but proof of our persistence."

Many of the queer Georgians Delaney writes about were previously unknown to me. It was a delight to get to know the flamboyant Lord Hervey (who, interestingly, was understood to exist outside the gender binary: one of his friends said that, in the world, there are men, women and Herveys) and his longterm partner, Ste Fox, who made a home together at 31 Great Burlington Street. Theirs was a story of love letters, domesticity, duels (not between each other, though) and travels to Europe. Hervey's letters to Fox survive and it was a delight to read them in all their horny and romantic glory – this specific quote from one of Hervey's letters nearly made me weep for how sweet it is: "I look upon you as my Dwelling". Their love story might not have lasted forever, but their story still matters. Their relationship also offered an interesting view into what life might've been like for a wife of one of the men in a situation like this. I felt quite bad for Molly, Hervey's wife, but I greatly admired for how she handled everything. She seemed to make the best of it, even befriending Fox and, essentially, becoming co-spouses to Hervey with him. Jon Chute and Francis Whithead – referred by their friends with a marital shared name the Chuteheads – were new to me, as was their whole community, known, to them, as the Strawberry Committee (after Horace Walpole's Strawberry Hill). I was living for their letters to each other about interior design and whatever they had on their mind that day, and I was moved by the way they confided in each other about their fears of, for example, walking alone as gender nonconforming or queer men. Same kind of fear was palatable in some of Hervey's letters to Fox. The Strawberry Committee's story was a beautiful testament to how queer people have always found each other and how long the historical roots of our found families are. Kitty Courtneay and William Beckford's stories went to places I did not see coming at all. I knew of the Powderham Scandal (they were discovered together) and that Beckford had to exile himself for a good few years, but I had no idea that a) Kitty ended up having to flee, years later, to New York and b) Beckford ended up creating this hedonistic home with his partner of over two decades, Franchi, where they hosted all kinds of people ("buggers" like them), housed a collection of pretty young boys and has an all-male staff that, probably, served the houseguests more than just tea.

Beckford is a great example, among many in this book, of how queer histories are not worth telling only if the person at the heart of it is what we would deem as morally good. Beckford, who got his fortune from slave plantations and did all kinds of other unpleasant shit, is no less worthy of remembering than someone like Kitty, who is much more a victim of the laws of the time, or the Ladies of Llangollen, whose love and devotion to each other makes them celebrities. It is understandable that queer people look for heroes from the past, but I like that we seem to be moving towards a direction in the field of queer history that allows for complexity, nuance, darkness and dickheadedness.

Speaking of dickheads, we need to talk about Anne Lister. Delaney does two dramatic reinterpretations of known, beloved historical queer figures (he also does some minor potential myth busting, such as arguing that the Powderham Scandal didn't actually take place at Powderham, but at Beckford's home state). One of these is Anne Lister. The heroine of TV show Gentleman Jack and an icon of the lesbian community, Lister is quite the legend and her marriage to Ann Walker is a key part of that legend. But the woman Delaney introduces to the reader in his book (I emphasise that all his interpretations are staunchly based on research and Anne Lister's own words) is not the protofeminist heroine we want to imagine her as, but a Tory female patriarch who was coercive, manipulative and perhaps even downright emotionally abusive. It was quite jarring to read about how she constantly mocks Ann Walker in her diary and how clearly she was, in huge part, in this relationship for Walker's money. The fact that she made Ann, essentially, her wife, had her make her the beneficiary of her will and then sent Ann to live with a doctor while she used her money was just... hngh. I felt really bad for Ann, who seemed to struggle with mental health issues from a very young age and also had to deal with this very unequal relationship, but never more so than when Lister remarked in her diary that Ann feels, in their shared home, like she is "under restraint". Also, as hard a pill as it was to swallow, there is no concrete archival evidence for a church wedding between the pair. The other dramatic reinterpretation Delaney does is on the Chevalier d'Eon, who is often referred to as a trans woman. He suggests the rumours of Chevalier's biological sex started out as a smear campaign by the French and specifically the Secret du Roi, the King's secret service, to whom Chevalier had been a bit of a treasonous menace. While the Chevalier, as we can read in his own words, never wanted to present as a woman and staunchly denied being born a woman, his history is still very queer and Delaney posits that while he might not be the trans hero we think he was, he might be an asexual hero. It was quite harrowing to read about the media storm the Chevalier had to weather when rumours of their sex began to circulate (there were bets placed on the truth and even a trial was held, in his absence, that declared him female) and about how the king essentially blackmailed him into presenting as a woman. Delaney also challenges the common assumption that, after he was ordered by Louis XVI to dress according to his "true sex" he spent the rest of his life as a woman. The truth, as certain adverts suggest, was more complex than that.

Even if the Chevalier wasn't quite who we thought he was, there are some defiant trans people within this book. While George Wilson, who married a woman and created a life with her in New York until unfortunately, due to drunkenness, was arrested and "discovered", is only someone we can get a small glimpse of, Mary Jones, a black trans sex worker, keeps popping up in the archives because she just couldn't be stopped. She is arrested multiple times and serves time in prison on several occasions (theft, most of the time, or vagrancy) but nothing seems to stop her. She just keeps getting back up, despite facing horrible treatment in the media who dubbed her the "man-monster" and at court where people mocked her, laughed at her and ripped her wig off. I loved this quote from a newspaper about how her "ruling passion appears too strong for punishment to subdue". She wouldn't stop being herself, no matter how many times she was caught, even though she did utilise her other name, Peter Sewally, from time to time. Hers is an interesting case of identity fluidity. Also, her story is a great example of how you don't have to do anything particularly grand to be remembered. As Delaney puts it: "There is a misconception still, I think, that to 'make history' one needs to disrupt or reshape it in some global way. But Mary Jones puts to rest this misconception and demonstrates that sometimes just getting back up when you're so often told to stay down is all it takes to change the world."

The Ladies of Llangollen, aka Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby, were some of my favourites within the book. As I read their story, partly familiar to me, I was constantly asking myself: "Where is the movie about these two? Or the TV show?" Their story is wild! Most remember them as these domestic old ladies who have a nice garden, but the story of how they met and ended up in Wales is a story of two escape attempts, secret meetings in barns, a dog called Frisk ruining everything by barking, women crawling out of windows and hiding in cupboards, forced separation and, in general, being menaces until people give up on trying to control you. They genuinely wouldn't be apart from one another and fought their way to the shared life they always wanted. While they are not the only love story in the book, theirs is that kind of romantic, almost cinematic story of growing old together and being buried side by side (and with their loyal, beloved maid Mary who was a true MVP for them when they were trying to escape as young women).

Delaney explored many different facets of queer existence in the Georgian era. There are discussions of law and how queer people faced violence from those who saw themselves as bastions of law and morality (the raid on Mother Clap's molly house is a brutal example of this). He explores the ways queer people formed homes and families, challenging the commonly held opinion that queer people could solely exist, in the past, in the streets, on cruising grounds and the occasional molly house. But molly houses were never just the sex/drinking clubs they are often seen as – they were that, too, but some men also lived in them as couples! He showcases how common marriage-like unions and marital language was within queer romances, shining a light on the long, long history of queer love and marriage. Class is a key aspect of the book, as the ways these people were treated and the levels of danger they faced was often closely tied to their class. Mary Jones had to deal with racism as well as transphobia, and was, due to her race, despite being a free woman, seen as a second class citizen. Men like Gabriel Lawrence didn't have a title and a fortune to protect them, and they couldn't simply flee from their country like Kitty Courtenay did when faced with possible legal persecution. Many of these people also benefited from the unequal, racist, misogyistic and classist society they lived in and Delaney doesn't pretend otherwise: as much as we love to see Hervey and Fox together, we must remember the privileges they held and the unfair way their society propped them up while trodding countless others. Gender naturally plays a huge role in these stories, but not solely due to them being about people who didn't fit the typical gender norms of the time. Gender also impacted these people's possibitilies to be together – women, for example, often shared homes and income, and that was not frowned upon or questioned, which made it much easier for sapphic women to create homes than achillean men whose cohabitation was way more often seen as potentially threatening, especially in the upper echelons of society. There is so much to unpack, discuss, appreciate and enjoy about this book!

I would happily recommend this book to anyone interested in queer history and also to queer people in general. As Delaney puts it in his epilogue, knowing the history of our community is powerful and important, especially now as everywhere in the world, queer people's rights and existence are challenged. There's so much empowerment to be found within these pages, despite the occasional heartbreak and moment that makes you want to punch a homophobe in the face. Wonderful, wonderful book. I will read whatever Delaney publishes in the future.


Here are some interesting facts I learned:

- In Molly Houses, it was common for men to refer to each other with feminine nicknames based on an aspect of their life – an orange-seller was Orange Deb an a resident of Camomile Street was the Duchess of Camomile.

- The phenomenon of queer men giving an older female ally the moniker of "mother" has a long history: the mollies who frequented Margaret Clap's molly house called her Mother Clap. She was loyal to them, and they to him. An intriguing example of history of allyship.

- A cotquean was a whole new term for me – a cotquean is a man who engages in feminine activities and runs a home for another man. A largely forgotten term but well known at the time, a kind of alternative to the urban, city-based, often working class molly.

- Sodomy was a capital offence from 1533 (The Buggery Act, thanks to Henry VIII) to 1861. The last recorded execution for sodomy was in 1835.

- Hervey's son became Fox's child's godparent. He also had a bust of Hervey at his home with his wife, Elizabeth, whom he quite fell for. A melancholic little factoid, reminded me of how a newspaper clipping of Kitty Courtenay's party was found amongst William Beckford's belongings after he died.

- At the time when Gabriel Lawrence is tried for sodomy following the raid on Mother Clap's molly house, the accused would not receive any legal advice or help.

- There was something called a "buggering hold" – perhaps a place where queer men were kept.

- Some called the Grand Tour the "mother and nurse of sodomy" because during their trips, young men often lived together and formed a sort of domesticity.

- The Marriage Duty Act of 1695 punished unmarried men of over 25 with taxation.

- The Irish Penal Laws (introduced in 1695) prevented Irish Catholic people (like Eleanor Butler and her family) from bearing arms, owning a horse worth more than 5 pounds, leaving all property to one child and from serving in fields such as the law, education, politics or the army. All this was to keep them from becoming too powerful or influential.

- The legal age of consent in Delaware, until 1880, was seven. Jesus Christ.

- Many famous people visited the Ladies of Llangollen – Wordsworth, Byron, Shelley and so on. Anne Lister went to see them with her then lover and was greatly inspired by their life.

- Queen Charlotte (wife to George III) was a patron to both Chevalier d'Eon and the Ladies of Llangollen. Charlotte was not the only queen to play a role in this book: before her, Queen Caroline was good friends with Lord Hervey and together they did some serious politicking, which highlighted the power within the feminine sphere in life.

- Ann Walker's – the wife of the famous diarist Anne Lister – diary written during their trip to Europe was discovered in 2020.

- At court, Mary Jones was mostly referred to as Mary Jones, not Peter Sewally. Even though people mocked her, her chosen name and preferred identity was, in a way, recognised.

- In the early 1800s sodomy was illegal in America, but because of the law's refusal to name this "horrid sin", it had effectively tongue-tied itself to not actually be able to prosecute people for it. This is one of the many reasons some queer people ended up fleeing or moving to New York.

- Mary Jones and her fake vagina made of beef is so interesting to me: did she come up with the design herself, or did she know other trans sex workers who gave her tips? What other kinds of apparatus existed?

- In the early 19th century, there were around 200 brothels in New York.

[Vera · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fabulous. Engaging, moving, full of queer joy and defiance while also addressing the complexities of these figures and histories. Persuasive, vitally important research. I enjoyed this so much that I'm now on my second round of listening to the audiobook! The passion for the subject is illuminating and a joy to witness. I particularly loved learning about queer domesticity, a realm of our history that's so often been disregarded or just assumed to not exist at all. Fascinating from start to finish, but if I had to choose a favourite chapter it would be the one about Mary Jones. What a legend. May all of our ruling passions prove too strong for punishment.

The audiobook is a treat, narrated with the same flair and warmth that's familiar to fans of After Dark, but I'll definitely want to make the physical copy a permanent fixture on my shelf as well.

(And may I never have to think of the phrase "lice crackling under your feet" ever again.)

[♡ kitty *:･ﾟ✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review!!

this review is far past the publication date as i unfortunately was not in the mood for a historical book but i’m glad i finally got to it!
i got so excited when i read that the author and i come from the same county in Ireland!! it’s very rare that Kilkenny is mentioned so i was very eager to continue my read after seeing it mentioned :)

i’m not someone who reads history often but i enjoyed this and found it really interesting!! i didn’t even know who Anne Lister was before going into this so it definitely opened my eyes to new things!
the way it was written honestly made it feel fictional at times which kept me engaged! if you have any interest in queer history i definitely recommend checking it out

[Bill Lezynski-Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just could not put this down. A phenomenal read in a time that we need histories and literature similar to this. I can definitely see why some of the Lister fans would be upset reading this, but it honestly tracks with most of what we’ve been presented previously (or maybe it was just my own thoughts that made me think that). Regardless, loved the hidden histories, loved the writing. Fully recommend for anyone wanting to know more about a few random queer histories.

[Winnie Quick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took me a few days to work through but it was absolutely worth the effort. As a history buff in the middle of my own queer (demi) awakening, I thoroughly appreciate how Delaney didn’t shy away from the less than savory instances and how delicately he handled the subjects of enslavement and the power imbalances that sometimes occurred. There’s a story for everyone: gay, bi, lesbian, and trans. Really cool to see how far back documented queer history stretches. I think Miss Jones’s story was my favorite of the few but I’m also a Black woman so there may be a degree of bias. Anyway, I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest review. 4.5 stars. Stepping outside of my queer romance box worked out well for me.

[Anastey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley, Grove Atlantic, and Anthony Delaney for sending me this advanced review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a great book for someone wanting to dig deep into Queer history. I will warn you that it is a bit on the dry side, and often reads like a textbook.

There was an incredible amount of information jam packed into these pages, and the histories for each person were surprisingly detailed. I learned so many things about the past, these people, and the horrible (and mostly deadly) way they were treated. These are our histories that have been purposefully buried and forgotten. It's sad to see so many parallels with what is happening in our current time. History just keep repeating itself.

I highly recommend giving this book a read, and I hope you will learn just as much as I did.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating and engaging book focused on Georgian Era gays, lesbians, and genderqueer Europeans (mainly the UK, France, and the US). This particular era ranging from 1726 to 1836 is kind of "my era" of history, so I was very excited to read about people within my area of interest.

As Delaney summarizes in the epilogue, the four main themes for this book (or at least how the people organized their lives) are home, marriage, community, and the law. AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES.

Our characters:
- London mollyhouses and gay men sent to Newgate Prison
- Lord John Hervey and Stephen Fox's home
- John Chute and Francis Whithed, whose couple name was "The Chuteheds"
- The famous Chevalier d'Eon, trans icon
- The Ladies of Llangollen
- William Beckford and Lord William "Kitty" Courtenay
- Anne Lister
- George Wilson, an American "female husband"
- Mary Jones, aka "Beefsteak Pete" (LOL)

If you venerate the Chevalier d'Eon or Anne Lister, this book will probably piss you off for different reasons. I thought the interpretation of the spy Chevalier was fascinating. Anne Lister is portrayed as someone who actually sucks.

Chapter 5 was an unexpected delight. I love Gothic novels, and I had not expected to see Horace Walpole make an appearance as one of John Chute's friends. Another statement from Chapter 8 inspired me to research other books: "Many, including the art historian Whitney Davis, have drawn a line of queer architectural inheritance between Walpole's Strawberry Hill and Beckford's new house, Fonthill Abbey. By so doing they insist on the inherent queernesses of the Gothic style." I love a book with a good bibliography and footnotes, and I think that this is a good one for further reading. While I knew that Carmilla was queer, I didn't realize that there were possibly queer themes in other Gothic works, so I specifically want to read more about this.

In all, this was a well written and easily accessible history book (is this pop history? not sure) that offers what I think are new perspectives on a few famous people and effectively shows that queer people have always attempted to create a found family.

Thank you to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Monthly Press for the ARC.

[Charlie - disableddaydreamer | itsbarbieparis (looking for mutuals) · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you to netgalley and grove atlantic for this really interesting advance reader copy epup- my review remains my own.

i really loved hearing about stories in queer history that were all new to me and i love how it brought these stores to life. i genuinely loved listening and hearing these types of stories.

queer history loves will love this. i really liked the book take on heteronomality being less about normative and more about what the book calls “heteroregulation”. i felt like someone put words to many things i was thinking and it was as helpful in this context. i got a lot out of this book and hope you will too.

this book comes out october 7, i recommend checking it out!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a copy of this book.

This was a lot more of a difficult read for me than I was expecting, mainly because of the sheer amount of information that was given... But it was interesting regardless! Just a bit difficult to keep my attention at some points of the book.
Would still recommend to anyone who is interested in this subject!

[Randall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Researching queer history is always complicated by intolerance erasing said history as fast as it is written. Queer Enlightenments does an excellent job of connecting primary sources together to create a compelling narrative of the people's lives documented within. I was also impressed with the author's ability to articulate queerness of identity, rather than just repeating the standard phrase "there were no homosexuals, only homosexual acts."

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a huge fan of Anthony’s podcast so couldn’t pass up the audiobook version which he reads. Such a great accent.

Fabulous book. So lovingly researched and written. When the queer present is under attack, it’s even more important that we allies learn more about queer history. We must not progress go backwards.

[Helen Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.7*
A fantastic book, each chapter highlighting a different individual and their story. It is thoughtfully written with a personal touch which is profound and also humourous. I cannot recommend this book enough, it feels particularly poignant in the current political climate

[Sherice Cole-Aikins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have learnt so much reading this. The stories of the people mentioned in this book are so interesting and will stay with me forever. Chevaliere d'Eon had a particularly strange story. I really enjoyed watching Gentleman Jack but this take on Anne Lister was way more interesting. I really liked how Anthony Delaney included some personal experiences and how he personally related to the research he came across. It is so important to remind ourselves of diversity across history.

[Glitter Vamp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Queer Enlightenments succeeds in illuminating the hidden threads of queer experience woven throughout a pivotal era in Western history.

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm just a treasure hunting queer who stumbled across this book in a charity shop and grabbed it before it fell into the wrong hands. First things first just wow, this book is an amazingly in-depth and well researched piece of writing, possibly one of the most well written non-fiction books I've read. it's definitely set to ruffle a few feathers out there in the community, but I personally love how it not only focused on the positive histories but also the more negative aspects and characteristics of some individuals and circumstances. This book was both uplifting and down to earth in all the right ways, queer histories can not and will not be erased, we need more literature like this in the world

[Devon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever wanted to reach back, peeling away the layers of time, to come face-to-face with people who lived outside the constraints of what was expected in society? People who lived and loved and lost hundreds of years ago, yearning for one another, cursing one another, recoiling from expectations and hoping for something better? This might be the book for you.

In Queer Enlightenments by Anthony Delaney, the book focuses on queer people of the Georgian Era. Some will be undoubtedly familiar to those with even a passing interest in queer history—like Anne Lister—and some may be new faces, like Peter Sewally/Mary Jones. What I like about this book is the author doesn’t flinch away from showing it all, warts included. There is a huge swathe of the internet that looks at Anne Lister as a saint, so it’s refreshing that he’s reminded us that she is human after-all, and with humanity comes some not-so-great traits, like intently seeking money.

Right off the bat the book teaches me things I didn’t know, such as heterosexual originally was designated to mean “an abnormal or perverted toward the opposite sex” or “morbid sexual passion for one of the opposite sex”. I also like the author’s coining of “heteroregulation” to be used over heteronormative, given that just because a law tries to legislate sexuality out of existence doesn’t make it abnormal.

I didn’t know that there was an act of Parliament (Marriage Duty Act, 1695) essentially forcing men to marry by twenty-five or face annual taxation (unless they received alms). That seems incredibly cruel to a modern person’s ears; I understand love didn’t factor into marriage at the time, but putting laws in place to better ensure marriage could possibly produce more abuse from men who never wanted to be wedded or have children.

Some of the chapters are really hard to read because it is about men being incarcerated simply for seeking love and sex from other men. They’re subjected to brutal living conditions, illnesses, and even execution, and one can’t help but feel wretched to consider their fates. Poor Gabriel Lawrence, for example, only thirty years old and consigned to death.

It’s wild how they were smashing two people’s names together to form a portmanteau even back then, like with Francis Whithed and John Chute (Chuteheds).

There was much to love but also something I didn’t enjoy: the chapter on the Chevalier d’Eon. It reads to me as someone forced to be a woman because of misogyny and to simply punish the person for stepping out of line, and it feels wrong to celebrate the circumstances as an example and icon of trans history. It’s wild, too, because I read a recent book that mentioned the chevalier and it didn’t dive into the history much at all and just accepted it as a person flitting between two genders.

This book is broken up so that the chapters never get overly long, even when some of the people are better known and thus have more to discuss. I recommend for anyone seeking history about queer people across the spectrum (sexuality and gender), even if it overturns some established figures.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Paloma Caballero · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Queer Enlightenments” is a work for those who want to know a little more about the moments that made the queer community what it is today. Anthon Delaney offers us a collection of wonderful and necessary stories about queer figures who broke the mold and completely redefined the cultural landscape in which they operated. This book is a compilation of exceptional stories that demonstrate the power of struggle, of unity, of community, of respecting oneself and one’s ideals.

Delaney presents a narrative that interweaves moments and figures that were disruptive and changed the collective perception of the community by bringing it into the public eye. He also analyzes various topics and their backgrounds, such as a possible record of the asexual spectrum in pre-revolutionary France or the origin of the word “mother” in queer slang and its meaning.

The book contextualizes the revolutionary actions of these figures within their own cultural frameworks, demonstrating how they influenced the present. Each chapter is also a mini-class in queer history, addressing important topics such as gathering places, marriage, the role of women as creators of safe spaces for the community, and much more.

In short, it’s a book of tragic, funny, and breathtaking stories that keep you on the edge of your seat. Although everything narrated in the pages is documented, the lives of many of these characters are so incredible that they seem straight out of a fiction novel. I definitely recommend it if you want to learn more about queer history and enjoy nonfiction books.

 







spanish
"Queer enlightements" es una obra para quienes quieran saber un poquito más sobre los momento que convirtieron a la comunidad queer en lo que es hoy. Anthon Delaney nos ofrece una colección relatos maravillosos y necesarias sobre personajes queer que rompieron moldes y redefinieron completamente el paisaje cultural en el que se movían. Este libro es una recopilación de historias excepcionales que nos demuestran el poder de la lucha, de la unión, de la comunidad, de respetarse a su mismo y sus ideales.
Delaney presenta una narrativa que entrelaza momentos y personajes que fueron disruptivos e hicieron un cambio en la percepción colectiva sobre la comunidad al ponerla en el ojo público. Donde además hace un análisis sobre temas diversos y sus antecedentes, como lo es un posible registro de espectro asexual en Francia prerrevolucionaria o el origen de la palabra “mother” en el argot queer y su significado.
El libro contextualiza los actos revolucionarios de estos personajes dentro de sus propios marcos culturales, demostrando la forma en que influyeron en el presente. Cada capítulo es también una pequeña clase de historia queer dónde nos habla de temas importantes como los lugares de reunión, el matrimonio, el papel de las mujeres como creadoras de espacios seguros para la comunidad y mucho más.
En resumen, es un libro de historias trágicas, divertidas e impresionantes que te mantienen siempre en vilo. A pesar de que todo lo que se narra en las páginas está documentado, las vidas de muchos de estos personajes es tan increíble que pareciera sacada de una novela de ficción. Definitivamente se los recomiendo si quieren saber más de historia queer y les gustan los libros de no ficción

[Nick Artrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never trust a Venetian twink sent to you by Voltaire

I requested and received an eARC of Queer Enlightenments: Hidden History of Lovers, Lawbreakers, and Homemakers by Anthony Delaney via NetGalley. I'm always excited to immerse myself in history, especially queer history, so I was very pleased to see this title! Unfolding between 1726 and 1836, this book explores the lives of tradesmen, sex workers, and aristocrats who pursued sexual freedom during the Georgian period. This book interrogates the resistance, joy, and sorrows of queer people who lived extraordinary lives in a bygone era.

Queer Enlightenments is full of fascinating stories, a few familiar faces, and some new ones (for me) as well. The text opens with the story of Gabriel Lawrence and the raid of Mother Clap’s Molly House, which I knew about it in vague terms but without any of the particulars, and immediately sunk its claws into me. It’s difficult not to allow one’s imagination to run wild imagining the sort of bawdy jokes that patrons must have told Mother Clap or the despicable conditions those persecuted in relation faced in confinement at Newgate Prison. A personal favorite from the book was the story of the Ladies of Llangollen, Miss Butler and Miss Ponsonby. The ferocity with which they loved and fought for the ability to determine the shape of their own lives was moving. The chapter dealing with Anne Lister offers a fresh perspective of the popular figure and respectfully challenges the rose-tinted glasses through which we’re tempted to view her.

Delaney succeeds at capturing humanity in history, careful not to place any individual on a pedestal or level them with any sort of judgment. I had such a wonderful time reading this book, and found my historical horizons broadened. The final chapter, dealing with Peter Sewally/Mary Jones, was a story that I’d never encountered before but was a delight to read. This is history written in a way that is both entertaining and accessible. Delaney recognizes the dangers and difficulties the individuals faced, but he also builds plenty of space to revel in their joys and triumphs as well!

*There’s a terrific discussion in the author’s note where Delaney advocates for the use of “heteroregulation” rather than “heteronormative” that I found compelling, make sure to read this bit!

[TJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a voracious reader of queer historical romances with a graduate degree focused in 18th century history, I was intrigued by this new release by Anthony Delaney. I picked up this book hoping to learn something new as history of sexuality was not my focus in school (...I know a lot about funerals, lol). Goal achieved. My review below is my thoughts as a casual reader -- it's been a very long time since I've read Foucault, so I'll leave any academic take to other reviewers!

In Queer Enlightenments, Delaney dives into the archives to explore the lives and experiences of a select group of queer individuals in 18th century (and early 19th century) western Europe. Through legal documents, diaries, and correspondences, Delaney attempts to bring his subjects back to life to show their resilience, determination to create a home life outside of their societal norm, and how they navigated a world with restrictive laws. Unfortunately, I felt that Delaney often took too much liberty in interpreting his sources. The reader is often asked to accept that a chapter's subject must have surely thought X or that their wife of course felt Y. That's all fine, but then the reader is asked to use these imaginings as proof of some point or another. Delaney does provide excerpts here and there from documents and letters used to support the imaginings, but often I found that I interpreted the excerpt quite differently to what was presented.

While I enjoyed the book overall, more attention could have been paid to the flow and scope. On more than one occasion the book veers off topic to explore some tangentially related topic (prison life, the Grand Tour, duels...) and struggles to smoothly transition back to the point.

Despite the 3/5 stars, I would recommend this book to others -- especially those interested in queer history or who are seeking a more complete picture of the 18th century and all those who lived before us. Although Delaney is only able to explore a small handful of people for this book, he opens up a window into the lives and communities of people traditional history often overlooks. I am glad this book exists and the world is better for it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

[Lizzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent addition to any queer history shelf!

There are many familiar names in this book, and many more that may be unfamiliar. That being said, Delaney avoids simply creating a who’s-who of 18th Century queer people. Instead, he has cherry-picked a cross-section of stories, including people from different class backgrounds, different racial backgrounds, and across the whole of what we now call the LGBTQ+ community. Through these people’s stories, we get a sense of what life might have been like for others who didn’t make it into the historical record.

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The figures I am most familiar with from this book (which I imagine would be the same for many other readers) are the Ladies of Llangollen, and Anne Lister and Ann Walker. In both of these cases, featuring well-known queer historical figures, Delaney is interested in looking beyond what is best known about them, and telling a more complete and more nuanced story. By contrast, someone I have never heard of, is George Wilson, a married man who was assigned female at birth, and who entered the public eye very much by accident after an unfortunate run-in with the police. In all of these instances, Delaney makes sure to remind us that for every well-known headliner, there are many, many more people simply living their lives without fanfare, leaving little to no trace on the historical record.

Delaney also gives us a strong sense of the kinds of communities that existed at this time. Some are as we might expect, such as the molly houses of Georgian London. Others, not so much, as aristocrats build their own communities, relationships, and sometimes marriages, outside of what was considered the norm.

Across the whole book, Delaney strikes an excellent balance, giving us plenty of detail and information about individuals, but also making sure they’re all seen as being part of a wider community. It’s a timely reminder that queer people have always existed, often more openly than we give them credit for.

I received a free copy for an honest review.

[Hari Conner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of people just don’t know anything about pre-20thC queer history, and as someone who’s not an academic but is extremely interested, it’s really exciting to have a solid new book on the topic for anyone in the same boat.

The chapters cover different historical figures across a refreshing range of backgrounds, gender expressions, and particularly class in this period. I liked how it paints context around each figure and includes a few evocative details, as well as a decent nod of recognition to their places in society and the colonial past, and how that affected the trajectory of their lives.

The audiobook (bought on libro.fm) is particularly good - read by the author who’s an actor and podcaster alongside being a historian, and who just has a lovely and very engaging voice. The performance also lends a real warmth and weight to the more personal parts, and bittersweet experiences of connection to our queer ancestors that really resonated with me or hit emotionally.

INSIDE BASEBALL SECTION: On a couple of figures already well-known to me, the author presents some new evidence to support ideas framed as dramatically divisive. Personally I didn't find ‘Anne Lister sucked’ and ‘WAS the Chevalier d’Eon even a trans woman icon’ to be especially at odds with my existing impressions, so the tone didn't quite land - as it might if you've never heard of them - though that probably just comes with me not being a historian. Overall I think the author is very good at acknowledging that this doesn't preclude their histories being important, and generally allowing historical figures nuance instead of squashing them into straightforward ‘queer heroes’ boxes - while still making the whole book feel hopeful and important in these difficult times.

WHO’S IT FOR: It’s not impenetrably academic, but there is a lot of information and it might be too in-depth for a really casual reader - read a sample if you’re not sure. But I’d very highly recommend the audio in particular to anyone with an interest in queer history, or just history in general - understanding the nuances of our shared past feels so vital.

[ech0reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for giving me an ARC.

This was a really fascinating read. Focused on the period from 1726 and 1836, Queer Enlightenments explores same-sex relationships and gender non-conformity through the lives of the working class, tradesmen, and aristocrats. I especially liked the focus on how different cultural marriages took place between queer couples, to show their devotion and their love for each other.

At times this was a difficult read. It's harrowing to read about men imprisoned for sodomy, forced to live out their end days in squallor and horrificly unsanitary conditions, and humiliated by both prison guards and other inmates, until their eventual execution. But then there's hopeful stories. Stories of queer couples enjoying domesticity, getting married, and using their home as a place to simply exist as themselves. The concept of home is a recurring theme of importance in these queer individuals' lives as it offered a chance to live together and exist as married couples.

Unfortunately, the narratives of strangers and law-makers being obsessed with finding out an individuals sex are uncomfortably close to home in the current climate. But I hope we can learn from them and choose empathy and kindness, as I wish others had been shown before us.

Queer Enlightenment shows the importance of home and community for individuals. A place to seek out comfort and belonging. It's hard to read about how queer people have suffered in the past, but it's an important reminder of how far we've come and how vital it is to honour the memory of those who came before us.

[Amelia Storck · Rating 5 out of 5]

History of Lovers, Lawbreakers, and Homemakers is a revelatory, deeply humane work of restorative history that reshapes our understanding of queer life long before Stonewall. Anthony Delaney brings to light a vibrant, complex, and often overlooked eighteenth-century world one populated by lovers, rebels, survivors, and everyday people who carved out joy and community despite the dangers surrounding them.

Delaney’s narrative is richly immersive, unfolding across taverns, courts, alleyways, coffee houses, and intimate domestic spaces where queer lives were both nurtured and threatened. Each of the eleven stories is meticulously reconstructed from archival material court transcripts, newspapers, personal accounts and transformed into living, breathing portraits of people who dared to exist authentically in an age that sought to erase them.

From Mother Clap’s bustling Holborn gathering place, to the audacious exploits of the Chevalier d’Eon, to the Welsh utopia created by two determined women, Delaney captures the spirit of defiance and tenderness that defined queer life in the long eighteenth century. He also uncovers stories steeped in injustice such as the trial of the so called “Man-Monster”and restores dignity, agency, and humanity to those who have long been misrepresented.

Vivid, affecting, and brilliantly researched, History of Lovers, Lawbreakers, and Homemakers is an essential contribution to queer historiography. It expands the conversation, challenges assumptions, and offers a resonant reminder: queer people have always lived, loved, resisted, and shaped the world in extraordinary ways.