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Does She Dare?
A challenging story of women’s struggle for equality.
When 16-year-old Lizzie Parsons starts to meet women involved in the suffragist cause, she has no idea of the dramatic changes that lie ahead. As the women’s rights campaign fights on, Lizzie must also face her own personal battle with a violent, abusive father.
Beautifully judged and sensitively written, this is a novel that speaks powerfully to a contemporary readership by placing domestic and sexual abuse, an issue as relevant now as in 1912, at the heart of the story. As Lizzie begins to realise, it is both deeds and words that will win for women.
Bernard Ashley’s great gift is to turn what seems to be low-key realism
into something much stronger and more resonant. It has something to
do with empathy, compassion, an undimmed thirst for democracy and justice
— Philip Pullman
When 16-year-old Lizzie Parsons starts to meet women involved in the suffragist cause, she has no idea of the dramatic changes that lie ahead. As the women’s rights campaign fights on, Lizzie must also face her own personal battle with a violent, abusive father.
Beautifully judged and sensitively written, this is a novel that speaks powerfully to a contemporary readership by placing domestic and sexual abuse, an issue as relevant now as in 1912, at the heart of the story. As Lizzie begins to realise, it is both deeds and words that will win for women.
Bernard Ashley’s great gift is to turn what seems to be low-key realism
into something much stronger and more resonant. It has something to
do with empathy, compassion, an undimmed thirst for democracy and justice
— Philip Pullman
272 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2017
About the author
Bernard Ashley
111 books14 followersBernard Ashley lives in Charlton, south east London, only a street or so from where he was born. He was educated at the Roan School, Blackheath and Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School, Rochester. After National Service in the RAF Bernard trained to teach at Trent Park College of Education, specializing in Drama. He followed this with an Advanced Diploma at the Cambridge Institute and has been awarded honorary Doctorates in Education by the University of Greenwich and in letters by the University of Leicester. During his career as a teacher he worked in Kent, Hertfordshire, Newham and Greenwich, with thirty years of headships in the last three.
He is now writing full time. His first novel, The Trouble with Donovan Croft (recently re-issued by OUP), was published in 1974 and won the 'Other' Award, an alternative to the Carnegie Medal (for which he has been shortlisted three times). Nineteen further novels have followed, gaining him a reputation as a 'gritty' writer in sympathy with the under dog. In Margaret Meek's view he gets inside children's heads, who say that this is what it's like for them.
Of Tiger Without Teeth Philip Pullman wrote in The Guardian:
'A commonplace setting, an everyday situation, ordinary characters. Bernard Ashley's great gift is to turn what seems to be low-key realism into something much stronger and more resonant. It has something to do with empathy, compassion, an undimmed thirst for decency and justice. In a way, Ashley is doing what ‘Play for Today’ used to do when TV was a medium that connected honestly with its own time, and what so few artists do now: using realism in the service of moral concern.'
Johnnie's Blitz (Barn Owl), drew on his wartime experiences as a child in and around London; while Little Soldier (Orchard) sums up his writing: a pacy plot with an emotional turning point, a theme that concerns him, and characters that grip as real people. It was shortlisted for the 'Guardian' young fiction prize and for the Carnegie Medal. His latest novel is Flashpoint - a thriller, the third of the Ben Maddox stories.
Bernard’s picture books include Double the Love (Carol Thompson illustrating) from Orchard, Growing Good (Bloomsbury), Cleversticks, and A Present for Paul (Harper Collins). Tamarind published The Bush, illustrated by Lynne Willey. His popular stories for young readers include Dinner Ladies Don't Count (Puffin), Justin and the Demon Drop Kick, and I'm Trying to Tell You (both Happy Cat).
Television work has included Running Scared (from which he wrote the novel), The Country Boy (BBC) and his adaptation of his own Dodgem which won the Royal Television Society award as the best children's entertainment of its year.
Stage plays are The Old Woman Who Lived in A Cola Can (Edinburgh Festival and tour), The Secret of Theodore Brown (Unicorn Theatre for Children in the West End), and Little Soldier (published by Heinemann).
A strong family man, Bernard is married to Iris Ashley, a former London headteacher, and they have three sons. Their eldest, Chris, also a headteacher, co-wrote with Bernard the TV series Three Seven Eleven (Granada), and his latest "Wasim" books were published in 2007 by Frances Lincoln. David is a London headteacher and an expert on children's reading; and Jonathan is an actor, writer and director whose writing for theatre includes Stiffs; and who was writer and voice director in Los Angeles and London on Primal and Ghosthunter for Playstation 2.
Bernard and Iris have four grandchildren, Paul, Carl, Rosie and Luke.
He is now writing full time. His first novel, The Trouble with Donovan Croft (recently re-issued by OUP), was published in 1974 and won the 'Other' Award, an alternative to the Carnegie Medal (for which he has been shortlisted three times). Nineteen further novels have followed, gaining him a reputation as a 'gritty' writer in sympathy with the under dog. In Margaret Meek's view he gets inside children's heads, who say that this is what it's like for them.
Of Tiger Without Teeth Philip Pullman wrote in The Guardian:
'A commonplace setting, an everyday situation, ordinary characters. Bernard Ashley's great gift is to turn what seems to be low-key realism into something much stronger and more resonant. It has something to do with empathy, compassion, an undimmed thirst for decency and justice. In a way, Ashley is doing what ‘Play for Today’ used to do when TV was a medium that connected honestly with its own time, and what so few artists do now: using realism in the service of moral concern.'
Johnnie's Blitz (Barn Owl), drew on his wartime experiences as a child in and around London; while Little Soldier (Orchard) sums up his writing: a pacy plot with an emotional turning point, a theme that concerns him, and characters that grip as real people. It was shortlisted for the 'Guardian' young fiction prize and for the Carnegie Medal. His latest novel is Flashpoint - a thriller, the third of the Ben Maddox stories.
Bernard’s picture books include Double the Love (Carol Thompson illustrating) from Orchard, Growing Good (Bloomsbury), Cleversticks, and A Present for Paul (Harper Collins). Tamarind published The Bush, illustrated by Lynne Willey. His popular stories for young readers include Dinner Ladies Don't Count (Puffin), Justin and the Demon Drop Kick, and I'm Trying to Tell You (both Happy Cat).
Television work has included Running Scared (from which he wrote the novel), The Country Boy (BBC) and his adaptation of his own Dodgem which won the Royal Television Society award as the best children's entertainment of its year.
Stage plays are The Old Woman Who Lived in A Cola Can (Edinburgh Festival and tour), The Secret of Theodore Brown (Unicorn Theatre for Children in the West End), and Little Soldier (published by Heinemann).
A strong family man, Bernard is married to Iris Ashley, a former London headteacher, and they have three sons. Their eldest, Chris, also a headteacher, co-wrote with Bernard the TV series Three Seven Eleven (Granada), and his latest "Wasim" books were published in 2007 by Frances Lincoln. David is a London headteacher and an expert on children's reading; and Jonathan is an actor, writer and director whose writing for theatre includes Stiffs; and who was writer and voice director in Los Angeles and London on Primal and Ghosthunter for Playstation 2.
Bernard and Iris have four grandchildren, Paul, Carl, Rosie and Luke.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 18, 2022
TW: Domestic abuse, misogyny, force feeding
A short but compact tale of standing up for what’s right in the face of danger.
Lizzie becomes heavily involved in the suffragette cause, whilst also desperately trying to protect her mother from her abusive father.
I felt like the characters were stuck in their stereotypical labels (e.g. The stuck-up rich friend, the independent suffragette/teacher, the large bullying shopkeeper etc). However, the book was still an enjoyable read, it captured the essence of the time period and the plot resolved itself neatly.
A short but compact tale of standing up for what’s right in the face of danger.
Lizzie becomes heavily involved in the suffragette cause, whilst also desperately trying to protect her mother from her abusive father.
I felt like the characters were stuck in their stereotypical labels (e.g. The stuck-up rich friend, the independent suffragette/teacher, the large bullying shopkeeper etc). However, the book was still an enjoyable read, it captured the essence of the time period and the plot resolved itself neatly.
February 18, 2023
This was a good book but I didn't connect with it, I think becasue it was in a style I don't often read I wasn't as affected by it as I should have been. Luckily I've never experienced what Lizzie went through and I think Bernard Ashley conveyed those events well.
October 16, 2024
In 1912, Lizzie Parsons is a scholarship girl at a prestigious south London girls' high school. Her teachers are encouraging her to enter a poetry competition on something she feels strongly about - and one of them has given her a copy of the suffragette newspaper Votes for Women to read. Her parents are very proud of their clever daughter. However, at home, Lizzie is worried that mum and dad are not only arguing - her father is hurting mum. Lizzie wonders if she can talk to one of her favourite teachers about it, but what could school do?
This is a story about a young girl learning that politics is not just about Parliament or about the men there, and getting caught up in a campaign for the vote. She is also connecting the struggles outside the home with what is going on inside. How can she help the women in her life - her teacher, her mother? How can they help her?
Recommended.
This is a story about a young girl learning that politics is not just about Parliament or about the men there, and getting caught up in a campaign for the vote. She is also connecting the struggles outside the home with what is going on inside. How can she help the women in her life - her teacher, her mother? How can they help her?
Recommended.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews