An easy read about the life of a suffragette. This is humorous in places. But I found it bit slow.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

The late 1920s, and Mattie is still fairly well-known as having been one of the suffragettes. There's still a chance of the law being changed soon, too, so that universal suffrage is finally possible. But while she's long known the male world isn't ready for that, neither, she soon discovers, is the female side of things, so she sets up an improving group of support and wilderness training on Hampstead Heath. Lo and behold an old colleague has set up her own, too, but this is much more like Mussolini's fascists. The two rival groups are the kind of thing to possibly cause conflict within families, as children choose different sides, but Mattie is to find the whole idea brings up secrets related to her own family…

This is clearly a charged novel with modern topics. As the loonie left struggle to convince people giving the vote to politically naive fifteen-year-olds would ever be a good idea, so the world would have to hope for a host of Matties to come along and make the teens more astute – or perhaps "woke", it pains me to say. The two sides here aren't exact counterparts of the modern left and right, although of course the team we concentrate on has a hippyish, raggle-taggle lack of uniform(ity), while the other lot will clearly either be made money or yuppies in a few generations, even if their costume is the one that's subsidised.

But that modern subject doesn't completely imbue the style, which can be rather high-falutin' at times. The rarefied way of speaking Mattie and the woman who lives with her share, and which people are quick to pick up on, almost leaches across to the narrator, and you get a staid period piece as a result. So no, that woman is never a lesbian, even if people and readers can tell a mile away.

That doesn't mean, however, that the approach of the book is against it – the author is strong enough to have characters find each other hilarious and for us to also find them funny, a rare situation. I did find it a touch too long, but then again it wasn't really the book I thought it would be. In being sold as a book about the post-suffrage world, it's actually about family, and when it might be right or wrong to just let young adults be. Ultimately it's as politically charged as that summary of the Levellers movement – that they only wanted everyone to be levelled UP, and in intelligence at least that's what Mattie stands for. And surely few can disagree with that. Three and a half stars, in the finish.

A lovely book, telling of suffragettes between the wars, when the fight seemed to be over.
Mattie is larger than life, but (to use another cliche) with a heart of gold, always meaning well, but getting things very wrong on occasion. And The Flea is much like most of us - just getting on with things, and being what seems to be the supporting cast, until it’s her time to shine.
A surprisingly gentle book, considering the topics.

A warm, witty, charming, sensitively written book. I genuinely connected with the characters, and was fairly heartbroken by the end - in the best way. A refreshing angle on the suffragette movement - looking at what came after the years that are generally the most well-remembered. Absolutely raced through it and very sad that it's over.

It's only over the last ten or so years that I've really come to understand what the Suffragette movement did for me, and for all women in the UK. I mean that not only what they did as they did it, but what my life might have been like had they not succeeded in getting women the vote.  Britain was woefully late in accepting women as voters (although not as bad as some), but in context, many men had not had the vote very long either.  

What Lissa Evans adds to the general picture gleaned from tv and film presentations, is the thought of what happens when the fight is won.  Is it really won?  Does the permission to vote embrace other areas of equality?  Are subtle means employed to ensure that women do not know enough to make an informed choice?

Her protagonist, the redoubtable Matilda Simpkins, sees women who don't know enough about anything to realise that they have the vote, let alone use it.  Her memories of the activities her group undertook, and the earnest young women and the camaraderie they shared, seems hollow in the face of 'modern' indifference.  So she attempts to engage young women, of all backgrounds, to enlighten them about the possibilities, about fair play, and on that basis help them decide what contribution they could make to their world.

It's a very engaging story, and one where you occasionally cringe over Mattie's naivety, then marvel at her ingenuity and integrity. I liked her a lot, even with her exasperating habits. It could be a story about anyone who has given herself up for a cause in her youth, only to look back and wonder whether she really made a difference.

There are occasional passages where I felt the story lost its way a little, but it soon recovered. I now find myself musing on it, even after reading three more books, and that means it should get that fifth star after all.

Thank you to Net-Galley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book.

This book follows the life of a suffragette after the first world war when, at least some suffrage has been achieved. Its premise is that the MC Mattie has now to find other things to engage her body and soul. It is an easy read and has a humourous streak within it. The characterisation is reasonably well done. It just didn't light the fire in my mind. There are lots of historical novels out there and to me this was enjoyable but did not stand out from the crowd.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.

A lovely read. I liked the characters and really warmed to Mattie. I liked the historical/social aspect of the book, even though it’s not something I’d usually read.

However, I did find the book a bit slow going at times.

I'm in two minds about Old Baggage by Lissa Evans. On the one hand it's a fascinating exploration of what happens after a huge goal has been reached and how the fulfilment of a lifetime's ambition might not, in fact, be completely joyful. On the other hand, it is very slow. I think Part One could have been edited without any of the story or the impact being lost. But if you are happy to spend time with it, this is an excellent novel.

This story seemed to be an interesting idea, I like history and suffragettes are an interesting topic. It took a bit time to get used to the style of the story, somehow this starting in media res was quite unusual. But that is true for the whole story. It has in a way no real beginning and no real ending, you are just watching a small part of a very full und rich life and at the end you are thankful to be able to follow this strong character at least at the small part of her way. As a conlucion I must say I liked the book mostly because of this unusual arrangement and Mattie will be a part of my experience thank to her ability to live the way she wanted but also to be able to admit that one can make mistakes on the way.

Fascinating look at the history of the very brave and heroic Women's movement through the suffragette years and beyond. I have to admit to looking at the translation of some of the words used and I consider myself well read. The story of Mattie and her very loyal friend/assistant throughout this time held me gripped and in admiration of the courage and determination of them and their colleagues. Well worth a read even if only to remind us the struggles to get us what we now treat as a right. The ending was a little disappointing and confusing though, even read the last few pages twice to see if I had missed anything

Being a huge supporter of the Suffragette movement and all that they achieved, I loved this book. It made me laugh and cry with its delightful heroine and her memories of what she and her sisters suffered for their cause. I hope it will be a huge success and that many women, young and old, who have never felt compelled to use their hard won vote, might be inspired to do so in the future.

Mattie is an ex-suffragette, one who is looking for new battles to fight. She is a captivating creation, a force of nature but one perilously close to being spent. This is the story of how she finds a new purpose, and everything that falls out from that. It's funny and engaging, pointed and angry. A very good read (and if you want more of Mattie, you can find her a decade or so later in Lissa Evans's previous book, Crooked Heart)

It's apposite, to use a Mattie word, that this book has been published one hundred years after some women got the vote.

Mattie is a woman of some means, living in Hampstead in 1928.  Her glory days were as a militant suffragette and she's still giving talks on that subject, aided by her friend and lodger, Florrie Lee ('The Flea').  Unfortunately, the Great War got in the way and Mattie was left directionless and feeling a little let down by the cause.

However, fate intervenes, and Ida enters Mattie's household as her housekeeper and newest project.  Mattie is soon setting up a healthy outdoorsy club for girls of all backgrounds and it is pretty successful - until compared with The Empire League, a rival group set up by the Cellinis.  Mrs Cellini was an erstwhile suffragette (although, The Flea doesn't remember her doing very much except wafting about looking glamorous) and this new group is obviously modelled on the far-right groups beginning to crop up around Europe.  To further complicate Mattie's intentions, a girl named Inez, begins to attend Mattie's group and she seems to have a strong link to Mattie's past...

To some extent, this is a lighthearted look at the activities of women of a certain class after the war.  Dig a little deeper, though, and you'll find a book teeming with things to say about injustice, about the role of women, and the pull of family, whether they're related by blood or by a common cause.

Oh to have the confidence of Mattie but a shame that it blinds her to some nuances of life and emotions. The situation for women in Britain 90 years ago is lovingly described, covering different echelons of society. On the whole men do not fare well in this story. Well worth reading. Some of Mattie's wit mad me laugh out loud.

What a wonderful book, and very timely publication in this, the centenary year of the first 'votes for women'. But what came after that struggle? Starting in 1928 the book deals with the next generation of young women , those who would be able to vote on attaining 30 (under the current law) and those who wouldn't. What do they aspire to? Who would they vote for? Do they even care? A very well written story has been developed from these ideas. I enjoyed the language used and had to make use of kindle's dictionary on several occasions, one advantage of digital reading, and always something I am pleased to have to do in often lacklustre modern writing. Mattie and Florrie are a great double act and the supporting cast are very well drawn and interesting too. A satisfying ending too. I highly recommend this book.

Mattie Simpkin's life concerns women's suffrage; now she has decided to set up a girls' outdoor group on Hampstead Heath. We follow the Amazons and their activities, alongside following various of Mattie's friends and acquaintances. I enjoyed this book, the characters are colourful and intriguing, and the politics and history of suffragism that infuses the book is interesting. I was a bit surprised by the ending, it seemed a little out of the blue.

I loved Crooked Heart by Evans and getting to know more about the stories told by Mattie in this later book was like meeting up with old friends after a long gap. Evans manages to make every character sing as you read the book and the details and full rounding of all the characters is a real highlight of the book. I also very much like the what came next for the suffragettes after the limited vote was granted.

This is a very loud book! Matty Simpkin bounds onto the page and makes herself heard wherever she is and whatever she is doing. Mattie and her friend Florrie Lee (known as The Flea) live near Hampstead Heath in The Mousehole, so called because the house was once a refuge for suffragettes released under the Cat & Mouse Act.

Both Mattie and The Flea were members of the WSPU before the Great War. In 1918 an act was passed giving the vote to property-owning females over the age of thirty. It is now 1928 and a new bill is about to extend suffrage to all women over 21, even those who are not property owners.

Though still active - giving talks about the movement with The Flea's assistance - Mattie feels she wants to do more. Another former suffragette has started up an organisation for boys and girls which Mattie considers to be verging on the fascistic - uniforms and marching are involved. She determines to start her own group - a more freethinking outfit to be called The Amazons. Mattie wants to encourage young women and girls to be fit, healthy and knowledgeable so as to be able to use their votes wisely.

She recruits Ida, a former cloakroom attendant who has been dismissed, and puts notices up for more members. The group becomes successful, with The Amazons gallivanting all over the Heath learning physical skills while ingesting Mattie's teaching on a wide range of subjects.

However, when Inez joins things start to go wrong. Mattie knew Inez's dead mother, Violetta, and comes to believe that the girl's father may not be who she believes he is. She favours Inez again and again, thereby putting the other girls' noses out of joint. On one disastrous summer's day Mattie acts against her own better judgement and loses the respect of the Amazons and, ultimately, her friendship with The Flea.

Beautifully written, vibrant, witty and sad, this book explores the disappointments of nepotism and the way a fond memory of someone may not be the whole truth.

Oh what an absolutely delightful book! Wasn't sure what it was going to be like as I'm definitely male and this book was about females and suffragettes at that! I was won over within a very few pages. With humour like - ‘This is my husband, Richard,’ said Jacko. He was tall, with rigidly handsome features, and a complexion scoured by the Antipodean sun; the general impression was that of a classical statue carved out of brisket. - how could I not be? The language and tone of the book kept me fascinated and smiling to the very last word and, in a funny way, sad when it ended. However, whilst it lasted, I loved it and have happily recommended it to whoever comes within earshot.

It is 1928 and Miss Matilda Simpkin has had quite an eventful life. She was a militant Suffragette and tragically lost both her brothers in the war. Now Mattie is in her middle-age, lives with her companion in a comfortable little house next to Hampstead Heath and gives lectures about the glory days of the Suffragette movement. But her life is lacking focus and energy and she decides to start an outdoor youth club on the Heath to mold and prepare the next generation of young women for the good fight.
At first her shambolic and high-spirited group of girls, the Amazons, turn out to be a roaring success but soon unresolved memories and traumas from Mattie’s past threaten to derail everything she holds dear.

I couldn’t help but warm to larger-than-life Mattie, “a woman not easily ignored”, who in spite of all her life experience is not above making her own petty mistakes.
I enjoyed this warm-hearted novel about friendship, disappointments and forgiveness. It’s funny, sad, bitter-sweet with a heart-breaking and very satisfying ending.