Hannie Richards

by Hilary Bailey

The world-wide smuggling activities of Englishwoman Hannie Richards come into conflict, eventually, with her life in Devon with her gentleman-farmer husband and two children, and she begins an exciting new career

Hardcover

First published July 2, 2012

About the author

Hilary Bailey was a British writer, critic and editor.

Reviews

[Kavita · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is very rare for a book to look at the world from the viewpoint of women. In a world that caters exclusively to the male gaze in almost all spheres of life and culture, it is a breath of fresh air when a book talks about women and women's lives as if they are the standard.

The main difference between this book and other feminist fiction is that this book is exclusively about adventure and fun that a few women have in their lives. They have their own exclusive clubs, they earn money and relax in the club away from nagging husbands and cares of everyday life. If it is all a little unrealistic, it easily gives us a peek into the lives of privileged men, the only difference being that they were lucky to have been born as men. These women have their own exclusive women's club, where they don't talk about children, knitting and recipes (as most authors would have us believe are women's sole interests), but instead, discuss their careers and other hobbies.

The book is about Hannie Richards, a dissatisfied housewife, who starts her career as a smuggler and it leads her into strange adventures around the world. She recounts these experiences to her friends at the club and they, in turn, share their own life stories. The twists to some of these tales were unexpectedly feminist and gave me a laugh. Hannie pays for her lack of compliance by getting raped and then losing her home and husband, but the end makes up for everything.

I really enjoyed this book. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's a guilty pleasure for me. I will definitely read and re-read this again and again because it's one of the few books in which I can lose myself and think of a world where women matter without having to actually think about women's issues.

[Misha Herwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannie Richards is a bored housewife with a second career as a smuggler. Published in 1985, this novel is a witty and humorous pastiche of the world of John Buchan. Although some of the details date the book this does not detract from making it a great romp, which beneath the surface also has something serious to say about the position of women in the world.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a bit dated but you have to love Hannie as a character. Somewhat shocking was the scene in Rio which she seemed to recover from rather too easily.
Nevertheless, a good read.