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Roaring Girls: The Forgotten Feminists of British History
A Roaring Girl was loud when she should be quiet, disruptive when she should be submissive, sexual when she should be pure, ‘masculine’ when she should be ‘feminine’.
Meet the unsung heroines of British history who refused to play by the rules.
Roaring Girls tells the game-changing life stories of eight formidable women whose grit, determination and radical unconventionality saw them defy the odds to forge their own paths.
From the notorious cross-dressing thief Mary Frith in the seventeenth century to rebel slave Mary Prince and adventurer, industrialist and LGBT trailblazer Anne Lister in the nineteenth, these diverse characters redefined what a woman could be and what she could do in pre-twentieth-century Britain.
Bold, inspiring and powerfully written, Roaring Girls tells the electrifying histories of women who, despite every effort to suppress them, dared to be extraordinary.
Meet the unsung heroines of British history who refused to play by the rules.
Roaring Girls tells the game-changing life stories of eight formidable women whose grit, determination and radical unconventionality saw them defy the odds to forge their own paths.
From the notorious cross-dressing thief Mary Frith in the seventeenth century to rebel slave Mary Prince and adventurer, industrialist and LGBT trailblazer Anne Lister in the nineteenth, these diverse characters redefined what a woman could be and what she could do in pre-twentieth-century Britain.
Bold, inspiring and powerfully written, Roaring Girls tells the electrifying histories of women who, despite every effort to suppress them, dared to be extraordinary.
464 pages, Hardcover
Published January 14, 2020
38 people are currently reading
1190 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
September 22, 2022
Eight women who did not subscribe to society's expectations, who fought to be heard or just set out to live their lives as they pleased. I was familiar with most of the women's stories but there were a couple I'd not come across before. A well-written and engaging read.
December 20, 2019
Thanks to HQ Harper Collins for an advance copy of this book. It’s gorgeous and I’m sorry it took me so long to get to reviewing it 👀
Roaring Girls gives us a detailed look at some of the trailblazers of feminism, before feminism as we know it, even existed. Some of these women are proud and unapologetic, some are reluctant and unexpected, but what they all have in common is that they were mostly lost to history.
I really enjoyed getting to know these characters. Kyte’s knowledge and research is evident in her attention to detail. While there was a lot of information, some more relevant than other, I appreciated getting a complete picture of these women, not just a snapshot of their accomplishments.
I would say however that a lot of these stories are similar. There are a couple of queer women and I think only one? woman of colour so it did give a rather narrow lens to look through. Maybe this is due to a lack of knowledge about marginalised women, since they even more so than their white counterparts are lost to history, but to counter that, we could have just had shorter profiles and more women.
The highlight of this book for me is the way that Kyte writes even when she’s mostly sharing info and facts. Her writing has warmth and humour that works wonderfully for this book and for someone like me that doesn’t read a lot of non-fiction, it was accessible and enjoyable and not dry at all. Overall really liked it.
Thanks again to the publisher and Holly Kyte for the opportunity to read this little gem and look forward to more from Kyte in future.
Roaring Girls gives us a detailed look at some of the trailblazers of feminism, before feminism as we know it, even existed. Some of these women are proud and unapologetic, some are reluctant and unexpected, but what they all have in common is that they were mostly lost to history.
I really enjoyed getting to know these characters. Kyte’s knowledge and research is evident in her attention to detail. While there was a lot of information, some more relevant than other, I appreciated getting a complete picture of these women, not just a snapshot of their accomplishments.
I would say however that a lot of these stories are similar. There are a couple of queer women and I think only one? woman of colour so it did give a rather narrow lens to look through. Maybe this is due to a lack of knowledge about marginalised women, since they even more so than their white counterparts are lost to history, but to counter that, we could have just had shorter profiles and more women.
The highlight of this book for me is the way that Kyte writes even when she’s mostly sharing info and facts. Her writing has warmth and humour that works wonderfully for this book and for someone like me that doesn’t read a lot of non-fiction, it was accessible and enjoyable and not dry at all. Overall really liked it.
Thanks again to the publisher and Holly Kyte for the opportunity to read this little gem and look forward to more from Kyte in future.
September 26, 2023
4.5 Stars
A roaring girl is 'a noisy, bawdy or riotous woman or girl, especially one who takes a masculine role' and that is what all of the Roaring Girls in this brilliant book do. They refuse to be put in a box, they refuse to conform, they live their lives their own way, and in every case that means appropriating, to a degree, masculine norms of the time.
This is quite a mixed bag of women from a wide range of backgrounds in the 18th and 19th Century. The author tries very hard to resist calling them feminists or tagging them with any more modern labels, but the fact is, these women really were trailblazers - not that they meant to be in some cases. Some, like Caroline Norton who was instrumental in changing the laws defining access to children, are well documented, and in fact I've read a separate biography of her. Others such as Anne Lister, whose life has been made very public through the recent TV drama Gentleman Jack, have also documented their own lives extensively through their diaries - and wow, Anne Lister is quite an extraordinary, and often unlikeable if always admirable women.
Of the others though, little is known: these are the 'invisible women' that have been ignored until now by history, or women who have been written out of history because they're seen as aberations, because they disrupt the male narrative, because they are exceptions to the rule. There's a pirate and an cross-dressing actress, a scientist and a philosopher. What they have in common is that we know little about them except their non-conformist qualities. What they thought, how they felt, we can only speculate about. This is frustrating, but it also got me thinking, it got my imagination running riot, it made me want to write their history for them.
Their stories matter, as the author concludes, even if we don't know much about them. The 'current enthusiasm for reclaiming women's rightful place in history mustn't be a passing fad. The stories (of these women) seep into our consciousness, shape our cultural understanding, and influence how we define ourselves and our experiences.' Exactly! Time and again when I write my own heroines from history, fictional women of my own invention who fight for the right to live their lives in their own way, it strikes me how hard the have to fight, how much the law and convention was against them. This is a book about real women fighting this fight. These women are fascinating. We may not know much about them, but they deserve a place on the history shelves. Excellent reading.
A roaring girl is 'a noisy, bawdy or riotous woman or girl, especially one who takes a masculine role' and that is what all of the Roaring Girls in this brilliant book do. They refuse to be put in a box, they refuse to conform, they live their lives their own way, and in every case that means appropriating, to a degree, masculine norms of the time.
This is quite a mixed bag of women from a wide range of backgrounds in the 18th and 19th Century. The author tries very hard to resist calling them feminists or tagging them with any more modern labels, but the fact is, these women really were trailblazers - not that they meant to be in some cases. Some, like Caroline Norton who was instrumental in changing the laws defining access to children, are well documented, and in fact I've read a separate biography of her. Others such as Anne Lister, whose life has been made very public through the recent TV drama Gentleman Jack, have also documented their own lives extensively through their diaries - and wow, Anne Lister is quite an extraordinary, and often unlikeable if always admirable women.
Of the others though, little is known: these are the 'invisible women' that have been ignored until now by history, or women who have been written out of history because they're seen as aberations, because they disrupt the male narrative, because they are exceptions to the rule. There's a pirate and an cross-dressing actress, a scientist and a philosopher. What they have in common is that we know little about them except their non-conformist qualities. What they thought, how they felt, we can only speculate about. This is frustrating, but it also got me thinking, it got my imagination running riot, it made me want to write their history for them.
Their stories matter, as the author concludes, even if we don't know much about them. The 'current enthusiasm for reclaiming women's rightful place in history mustn't be a passing fad. The stories (of these women) seep into our consciousness, shape our cultural understanding, and influence how we define ourselves and our experiences.' Exactly! Time and again when I write my own heroines from history, fictional women of my own invention who fight for the right to live their lives in their own way, it strikes me how hard the have to fight, how much the law and convention was against them. This is a book about real women fighting this fight. These women are fascinating. We may not know much about them, but they deserve a place on the history shelves. Excellent reading.
November 17, 2019
Thank you to netgalley.co.uk for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I don't know what I was expecting when I requested to read this book through NetGalley, but I am glad I did. This book taught me about amazing women i didn't know about. I hope this is a book that people will read and enjoy when it's released as I think everyone needs to learn more about these wonderful women who shaped our society and history.
I don't know what I was expecting when I requested to read this book through NetGalley, but I am glad I did. This book taught me about amazing women i didn't know about. I hope this is a book that people will read and enjoy when it's released as I think everyone needs to learn more about these wonderful women who shaped our society and history.
January 26, 2020
I was very much looking forward to this book as it is right up my street. Historical, biographical, informative. But alas I was very disappointed. Firstly I don’t think it downloaded correctly to my Kindle and a lot of content repeated itself, making reading difficult. Also there was far too much information contained about the Women. I got bored and skim read a good chunk of it. The format of the pages were hard going with large chunks of text and hardly any breaks and the chapters were too long. It felt more like a text book (and a chore to read) and less of a non fiction book.
It’s a shame because it is quite evident that the Author has put her heart and soul into it, I just wish it was less heavy going!
I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
It’s a shame because it is quite evident that the Author has put her heart and soul into it, I just wish it was less heavy going!
I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 26, 2019
Thank you to Net Galley for sending me a copy in exchange for a honest review.
This book is an intriguing look into the lives and deeds of 8 seemingly unknown pioneering women who in some form or another, brought feminism to their time period and helped further the cause of equality.
We follow:
Mary Frith
Margaret Cavendish, the Duchess of Newcastle
Mary Astell
Charlotte Charke
Hannah Snell
Mary Prince
Anne Lister (of Gentleman Jack fame)
Caroline Norton
Roaring Girl; (n) a noisy, bawdy or riotous woman or girl, especially one who takes on a masculine role.
Though I felt each segment on each woman was a little small for my liking (I am terribly curious and need as much information as humanly possible to absorb), the author's way of putting across her findings was beautifully done.
After reading this, I am incredibly interested in finding out more about the women I hadn't heard of (sadly most of them) particularly Mary Frith as I found her to be amazingly brilliant in every way.
The beginning chapters explaining the historical position of women throughout the years culturally, politically and financially was really interesting and helpful to get an idea of what these women were facing when trying to live their lives how they wanted and needed to.
If history, feminism, the growth of culture or just learning about some awesome people that's come before us then this is definitely the book for you. It helps to shed a little positivity on how much we've accomplished and makes what we need to conquer a little more possible.
This book is an intriguing look into the lives and deeds of 8 seemingly unknown pioneering women who in some form or another, brought feminism to their time period and helped further the cause of equality.
We follow:
Mary Frith
Margaret Cavendish, the Duchess of Newcastle
Mary Astell
Charlotte Charke
Hannah Snell
Mary Prince
Anne Lister (of Gentleman Jack fame)
Caroline Norton
Roaring Girl; (n) a noisy, bawdy or riotous woman or girl, especially one who takes on a masculine role.
Though I felt each segment on each woman was a little small for my liking (I am terribly curious and need as much information as humanly possible to absorb), the author's way of putting across her findings was beautifully done.
After reading this, I am incredibly interested in finding out more about the women I hadn't heard of (sadly most of them) particularly Mary Frith as I found her to be amazingly brilliant in every way.
The beginning chapters explaining the historical position of women throughout the years culturally, politically and financially was really interesting and helpful to get an idea of what these women were facing when trying to live their lives how they wanted and needed to.
If history, feminism, the growth of culture or just learning about some awesome people that's come before us then this is definitely the book for you. It helps to shed a little positivity on how much we've accomplished and makes what we need to conquer a little more possible.
November 21, 2019
Roaring Girls is an account of the lives of different 'forgotten' women who made an impact on British history. They are figures who lived from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century, some more likely to be known or heard of than others, and they all defied rules or conventions in various ways. Starting with Mary Frith or 'Moll Cutpurse', the titular 'Roaring Girl' of Middleton and Dekker's play, Kyte includes people who fought to change opinion (like Mary Prince, who escaped slavery and had her memoir published in Britain) or live as they wanted (like Anne Lister and Charlotte Charke).
The book is detailed despite only having a small space to cover each of their lives and provides an interesting look at these women. Many people will have heard of at least some of the women in the book (particularly after the TV series about Anne Lister), and the reading experience may be best when you're discovering a new figure tied up with issues or people you've already heard about (such as Caroline Norton's connections with various famous figures and also the fight for women's rights in the law). Obviously there were a lot of different women who Kyte could have chosen to include and some of the people in it (like Anne Lister or Margaret Cavendish) are more well-known than others, but it can introduce a wide audience to previously unknown historical figures and question what they think about gender in previous centuries.
The book is detailed despite only having a small space to cover each of their lives and provides an interesting look at these women. Many people will have heard of at least some of the women in the book (particularly after the TV series about Anne Lister), and the reading experience may be best when you're discovering a new figure tied up with issues or people you've already heard about (such as Caroline Norton's connections with various famous figures and also the fight for women's rights in the law). Obviously there were a lot of different women who Kyte could have chosen to include and some of the people in it (like Anne Lister or Margaret Cavendish) are more well-known than others, but it can introduce a wide audience to previously unknown historical figures and question what they think about gender in previous centuries.
April 25, 2021
I'm not sure I would classify all of the women highlighted in this collection as feminists. Many of them were simply living their lives as they saw fit, and not necessarily to fight any sort of opposition. For example, the author makes a point of stating that the act of cross-dressing during the 16th and 17th centuries was viewed by the general public as crass, vulgar, and downright scandalous. However, those such as Mary Frith and Anne Lister who wore men's clothing on the regular weren't doing it for the attention - they were doing it because it was comfortable to them, and meshed best with their personalities. I think the author tried so hard to get us to believe that certain actions made by the women she wrote about were *so* daring, when they were in fact rather benign.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy this collection. I enjoyed reading about women from history I hadn't heard of before, from a country I don't live in (England, in this case.) I also liked that we were introduced to women of different social classes and races, and it's clear the author did heaps of research, especially for those who were previously only footnotes in history books.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy this collection. I enjoyed reading about women from history I hadn't heard of before, from a country I don't live in (England, in this case.) I also liked that we were introduced to women of different social classes and races, and it's clear the author did heaps of research, especially for those who were previously only footnotes in history books.
November 11, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this dive into the lives of some of the forgotten feminist trailblazers of British history, and cannot actually believe that I had only heard of one of the women before reading this book!
What these women all have in common is the way in which they challenge the conventions of the times in which they lived, and how far they were able to push the boundaries that society had put in place for women. Whether this was by cross-dressing, by adopting male mannerisms or just by daring to do what it was that they wanted to do, each of these women deserve the pages dedicated to them and deserve to be remembered by future generations.
It is so incredibly important that women’s history and women’s stories are taught and discussed, too many women are lost to history because nobody thought their story was important enough, or their accomplishments were overshadowed by a man. This needs to change, and to be fair, it needed to change a few hundred years ago.
What these women all have in common is the way in which they challenge the conventions of the times in which they lived, and how far they were able to push the boundaries that society had put in place for women. Whether this was by cross-dressing, by adopting male mannerisms or just by daring to do what it was that they wanted to do, each of these women deserve the pages dedicated to them and deserve to be remembered by future generations.
It is so incredibly important that women’s history and women’s stories are taught and discussed, too many women are lost to history because nobody thought their story was important enough, or their accomplishments were overshadowed by a man. This needs to change, and to be fair, it needed to change a few hundred years ago.
January 19, 2020
Between the 17th and the 19th Century the lives of women changed and this is a biography of eight women at the forefront of this change. Between them they are the authors of countless works but each had something unique about her that upset convention. From the cross-dressing Moll Cutpurse to the freed slave to the modern businesswoman to the unhappy wife trapped by law, each of these women shines in her own right as a poor-feminist.
Flyte has chosen a disparate group of women but each has an important tale to tell and each in some way led to the laws being changed or society's viewpoint being altered. Whilst most were famous in their lifetimes, their stories have been consigned to history only to be rediscovered here.
Flyte has chosen a disparate group of women but each has an important tale to tell and each in some way led to the laws being changed or society's viewpoint being altered. Whilst most were famous in their lifetimes, their stories have been consigned to history only to be rediscovered here.
October 28, 2022
This isn’t the first book of its kind that I’ve read, but I always enjoy discovering more remarkable women, and learning more about the ones I’ve already heard of.
What I particularly liked about Roaring Girls was that we get to hear the full stories of the lives and legacies of the eight women featured. This is a fairly hefty book, which devotes a reasonably lengthy chapter to each woman (and proves that she deserves it). I also particularly liked the sharp and engaging style of writing, which doesn’t shy away from the humanity of these women.
There are always going to be generalisations in this kind of book, which will irk anyone who knows better, but I think Roaring Girls achieves a good balance between depth and breadth.
What I particularly liked about Roaring Girls was that we get to hear the full stories of the lives and legacies of the eight women featured. This is a fairly hefty book, which devotes a reasonably lengthy chapter to each woman (and proves that she deserves it). I also particularly liked the sharp and engaging style of writing, which doesn’t shy away from the humanity of these women.
There are always going to be generalisations in this kind of book, which will irk anyone who knows better, but I think Roaring Girls achieves a good balance between depth and breadth.
April 17, 2022
I adored this book.
As a history student, I love reading about female figures from the past but I loved reading of these eight marginalised women from history. ‘Bottom-up’ historiography is crucial, and I’m so glad I got to lear about these women.
The eight accounts explore issues that are still taboo or unexplored or wrongfully shamed today, issues such as slavery or transvestism or just basic female rights. It’s awe inspiring to read about women who were so brave and so ahead of their time.
As a history student, I love reading about female figures from the past but I loved reading of these eight marginalised women from history. ‘Bottom-up’ historiography is crucial, and I’m so glad I got to lear about these women.
The eight accounts explore issues that are still taboo or unexplored or wrongfully shamed today, issues such as slavery or transvestism or just basic female rights. It’s awe inspiring to read about women who were so brave and so ahead of their time.
December 2, 2019
This was such a well researched and interesting book. I'd heard of a few of the women, such as Mary Frith ,' mad Madge' and Anne Lister . This was an in-depth analysis of a diverse range of women who chose to turn their back on the rigid convention of their time and the bravery this undertaking took. My only criticism would be that the dialogue becomes a little repetitive at times with a bit more detail than needed .
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
February 16, 2020
Roaring Girls tells the stories of eight women who have largely been forgotten by history. From cross-dressers to campaigners, these women were determined to be heard and live their lives in their own way. So many extraordinary women have been forgotten throughout our history and it's refreshing to learn more about those who made an impact on society.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
February 2, 2021
This was really interesting to listen to. Following the lives of eight unsung British feminist heroes, this book gave a great insight into women who dared to be unconventional in a time before the advent of women's rights. The detailed biographies are testament to the large amount of research Kyte clearly carried out while writing this book. This is a good introduction to eight overlooked pioneers of British feminism, and I will definitely go away and read more about these amazing women.
January 12, 2020
I really enjoyed reading about these eight pre-feminists. It is a little in the 'ripping yarns' genre. Each chapter features one woman's life and covers the eras from James 1 to 1870. Particularly powerful was the slave story, and the original Roaring Girl, Molly Cutpurse was fun to read about. Like others, her end, though was rather hard
November 4, 2020
Big fat DNF.
Interesting topic but it’s just a really heavy read and it feels like it should be a prescribed text book for a Uni degree.
If the stories for each lady had been a little lighter or easier to digest then I would have continued but I’m just not inclined to read on when there are so many other things out there. Sorry...
Interesting topic but it’s just a really heavy read and it feels like it should be a prescribed text book for a Uni degree.
If the stories for each lady had been a little lighter or easier to digest then I would have continued but I’m just not inclined to read on when there are so many other things out there. Sorry...
February 23, 2020
I normally love these kind of books, but this wasn't that engaging. There was too much supposition about their lives (due to sparse historical records) and until Anne Lister and Caroline Norton, the stories weren't interesting enough.
November 30, 2020
I'm not as up-to-date on my non-fiction as I should be, but choosing to read an entirely female author list in 2020 meant that I felt I should brush up on my feminist history too. And most of these names were new to me, which made this informative and enjoyable to start my May reading list with.
December 8, 2020
I absolutely loved this book. It manages to be both fastidiously well-researched - packed full of fascinating details about its subjects and the societies they lived in - but it’s also a real page turner. I finished it in a couple of days and felt very much enriched from the experience.
December 31, 2020
Really loved this book and the wonderful women in it. As the book closes with this paragraph about Caroline Norton I repeat it: ‘ ... every mother .... who faces her very own George Norton .... owes her a great debt of gratitude’.
I could not agree more.
I could not agree more.
April 19, 2024
I loved it, and I really wish I could make everyone read it, because women's rights have come so far and although the fight is far from over, it is extraordinary what so many women achieved in spite of having an entire world set up against them.
October 1, 2024
Really enjoyed reading about these brave women. How did the song from Mary Poppins go?
"We're clearly soldiers in petticoats/ .... Our daughters' daughters will adore us,/ and they'll sing in grateful chorus:/ 'Well done, sister suffragette'! "
"We're clearly soldiers in petticoats/ .... Our daughters' daughters will adore us,/ and they'll sing in grateful chorus:/ 'Well done, sister suffragette'! "
August 15, 2020
I loved this book. Very well researched and bursting with interesting information.
December 16, 2020
Super enjoyable and mindful of how it approached contexts and circumstances - loved!
March 19, 2022
Excellent! Enjoyed Holly's podcast for 'The Critic' magazine discussing her book.
July 23, 2022
The stories of 8 women who defied the conventional views of women's place in society to live their own lives. The last story, of Caroline Norton, was the most moving and distressing for me.
August 15, 2022
'pre-feminism' badass women!! Simple!
March 7, 2023
Interesting, but I did find the pacing/tone skewed to a more academic book despite being aimed at a general audience.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews