We often hear that gaining the vote was the first major legal change for women in this country; the subject is now included as a part of our national curriculum. We have undoubtedly come a long way; women today lead very different lives to ones they led in the past. But how did we get here? Do you know what actually happened between the time when a wife was expected to be submissive to her husband, treated as a second-class citizen and confined to her domestic sphere, and the liberating time when women finally achieved the financial and legal independence that could be so easily taken for granted? This had to be achieved before the vote was even won! Western women today have the privilege of a relatively equal footing, but all around us, we hear stories of women in other cultures who are in the process of obtaining this freedom, or who are still desperately fighting for it. We have been there – the parallels are obvious, we only have to look back. Changing the Rules looks at how children were conditioned to play their future parts in the marriage game and how Victorian women went on to challenge the rules of play. By listening to the women’s voices and by sharing their own, often shocking experiences, you will learn to appreciate just how difficult their task was, and why we should not undervalue their achievement. This fascinating look back into women’s history will appeal to those with an interest in the Victorian period, as well as readers wishing to learn more about the struggles that women faced.

Jennifer C. Kelsey was a special needs teacher for fifteen years. She then studied at Birkbeck College and developed a passion for women’s history. She now writes and lectures on the subject.