Until We Win

by Linda Newbery

A hundred years ago, women didn't have the vote. When Lizzy Frost becomes involved with the fledgling Suffragette movement, it expands her horizons in ways she never could have imagined. From time spent in prison for the cause, to new relationships with fellow campaigners, Lizzy's struggle for votes for women sets her heart on fire. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 12+

Genres: Feminism, Historical, Historical Fiction, War, Politics, Coming Of Age

88 pages, Paperback

First published January 5, 2017

About the author

Linda Newbery's latest novel for adults is THE ONE TRUE THING. She has published widely for readers of all ages, and is a Costa Prize category winner with SET IN STONE, a young adult Victorian mystery. She has twice been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, with THE SHELL HOUSE and SISTERLAND.

With friends Adele Geras and Celia Rees, Linda hosts the literary blog WRITERS REVIEW, which features reviews, recommendations, interviews with authors and insights from booksellers.

Linda is an active campaigner on animal and environmental issues and has published a guide to compassionate living: THIS BOOK IS CRUELTY FREE - ANIMALS AND US.

She lives in rural Oxfordshire.

Reviews

[Ms E Lacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative and enjoyable read. The cover art is clever too. An interesting story based on real-life events that sends an fundamental message to younger readers about the importance of voting and standing up for your rights.

[Rach (pagesofpiper) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to read more Suffragette books this year to mark the 100 years since women got the vote. This was a good starter.

[Daisy May Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Until We Win by Linda Newbery is a slender, accessible novella touching upon a key point in suffragette history. It's framed through the perspective of Lizzy, an everygirl who comes across the work of the suffragettes and becomes a passionate supporter of the cause. Believing in Deeds Not Words, she undertakes action until she - like her sisters - is imprisoned. The backdrop to all of this is the build up to World War One, and there's a little introduction and prologue delivered retrospectively by Lizzy where she looks back and talks abut the Summer that was and the years that followed.

Barrington Stoke deliver, in their words, 'super readable' texts and this is a worthy addition to their list. It's deeply accessible, both through format and style, and there's a lot to give somebody here. It's perfectly pitched for those who may feel unable or intimidate by thicker, heavier books and could work as a nice lead-in and confidence booster. I also enjoyed the note from Stewart Easton which explained his reasoning behind the cover design. This sort of thing is so important because it tells you who's 'behind' the book, as it were, but also encourages readers to question and think about the book as a whole. It's never just about the words on the page.

I was impressed at how much Newbery packs into this. I have such a lot of time for her as a writer, and love what she does. I found some of the beats she touches here a little familiar and thus not as startling as they could be, but if you're new to the topic then that may slide you by. I'm also going to take this moment to suggest that you head towards Newbery's kind of remarkable back catalogue. Here's a few I've reviewed.

[Alyce Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm always a big fan of Barrington Stoke collaborations. I think it's brilliant that they make the effort to target teenagers who struggle to read or might be less inclined to pick up more difficult books.
This story is a great way for young people to learn about the suffragette movement. It explains the Cat and Mouse Act and features some cameos from high-profile suffragettes, even going so far as to show our protagonist, Lizzy, in jail for campaigning!
However, it ends on a heavy-handed note which left a sour taste in my mouth.

'What would they say to those men and women who don't even bother to vote, when there's a general election?'

I know that comment is supposed to encourage young people to vote, but the fact of the matter is that voting is a choice. Women have the right to vote thanks to the suffragettes, but it's still their choice as to whether they exercise that right or not. There's a big difference between encouraging and guilt-tripping, and I feel this falls on the latter end of that spectrum...

Overall, this was a great short story with well-explained contextual links that brings the suffragette movement to life. If you're interested in the history of feminism, this is as good a place as any to start!

[Olivia Norman · Rating 3 out of 5]

An oversimplified account of a young girl pulled in by the appeal of the suffragette movement. Perfect for young readers just getting to know about the movement, but I am concerned with the lack of emotional depth in the book. Seems like it missed an opportunity for young people to particularly relate to the suffering and dedication of the suffragettes.

[Eve L-A Witherington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in the times of the suffragette movement we meet Lizzy whom works hard at her job, likes cycling and becomes a Votes For Women campaigner as she meets Julia and Elsie as well as encountering a few famous names too!



As she and her fellow supporters get into trouble with the police, land in prison and pay for their deeds, we see how they become strong women in wartime England as they get set to put themselves to use in their own roles separate from the men.



This was a short but historically rich book with pillars from the time mentioned throughout. Raising awareness of a time we should all be thankful for helping us be able to vote now. Suffragette movement fiction is becoming big now and I'm so glad!

[Natallia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book to read to get a general idea about the time period of the suffragettes. Though this was a short read I thought it was ideal for anyone who isn't much of an avid reader or for child age. Even for myself an avid reader I enjoyed this book to come out of a reading slump.
The book itself I thought it did really well in including key figures being mentioned during this time period of the suffragette movement; in a clear and simple way for the targetted audience. For me, it was engaging to follow the character of Lizzie to demonstrate some of the thought processes in deciding to join this group, clearly with the goal to gain votes for women. Again this was done in a nice simple way for the books target audience to come to understand this point in history.

[Annika Samuelsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utspelar sig i England 1914, innan Första världskriget startat.
Lizzy bor i en lite by. Det händer inte mycket där och livet har sin gång och allt är precis som det alltid har varit. Lizzy har ett jobb på en försäkringsbyrå i närmaste staden och hon har varje vecka sedan hon började där lagt undan pengar så hon äntligen har kunnat köpa sig sin cykel. Nu är inte Lizzy längre berorende av bussar eller att någon hämtar henne. Hon kan komma och gå utan hjälp, det är frihet!

En av delägarna på firman vill att Lizzy ska gå en kurs i stenografi. Hon tar sin cykel och åker iväg för att gå på kursen som var på en torsdagskväll...men Lizzy kommer aldrig till kursen. Istället fastnar hon på ett cafe och följer med ett par kvinnor till sitt första Suffragettmöte. Det mötet förändrar Lizzys liv.

[Emma Ekblom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I whished it to be longer, to be honest. But it was a good first read of 2024.

"Men make the moral code and they expect women to accept it. They have decided that it is entirely right and proper for men to fight for their liberties and their rights, but that it is not right and proper for women to fight for theirs."
- Emmeline Pankhurst.

It's a different world now. Women got the vote, of course, but not all women, not till 1928.
1928!
What would they have thought of that, those brave women who faced prison and hunger strike, again and again? That it would take so long until we won?
And what would they say to those men and women who don't even bother to vote.
Those suffragettes were fighting for a better world, a fairer one, for all of us. And I fought too, in my small way. I was there.
I'm proud of that.
- lizzy

[Kelly Carnegie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable and informative short read that will make details of the suffragette movement accessible for young people. I did feel that, on occasions, it slipped from the fictional story to simply quoting facts. That said, I enjoyed Lizzy's journey and would love to know more about her later life.

[Vishna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for young and struggling readers. The dyslexia friendly font and layout makes it easy to read. Although simply presented, the book looks at a thought provoking time in history as well as the emotional journey of a young woman finding herself

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good.

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative and enjoyable read. The cover art is clever too. An interesting story based on real-life events that sends an important message to younger readers about the importance of voting.

[Sarah the reading addict · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an amazing insight into the excitement and scary things the suffragettes struggled through. A book about friendships, starvation, abuse and pride. Wonderful book and I read in so quick

[Claire Turnbull · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant as an easy read children’s book, an accessible introduction to women’s suffrage!

[Eli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fint och lättläst om rösträtten!

[sonataiscool · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative novella about women’s rights :)

[Lucia · Rating 3 out of 5]

An inspiring yet sweet and easy read. Would highly recommend for young girls and teenagers.

[Meira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice quick read

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must for feminists and human rights activists. It puts you back in time just for a while but is enjoyable nonetheless

[Miriam Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A surprising short book for the amount of story it contains, Until We Win is aimed at younger readers and I believe it would make an excellent teaching tool to guide children into an important part of British history. The text on the page is deliberately spaced to provide an accessible reading experience for all readers. I found the plot easy to follow and believable. Linda Newbery uses protagonist Lizzy to show the different types of trials women at that time faced; from being treated as second-class citizens at home and by members of society, to the empowerment they felt at rallies and being inspired by the speeches and actions of other like-minded women, to the hardships of prison and self-imposed hunger strikes.

[LoLo · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a simplified reading style which works well for younger kids or those that find reading difficult. While ordinarily I'd want my book to be a lot more detailed, the author did a fantastic job of conveying the lack of women's rights - domestic abuse, unequal share of workforce, and being descriminated against at work, and the hardships endured by Suffragettes when arrested. Newbery has done a great job of condensing a big issue into manageable, identifiable segments for younger readers getting an introduction into the Suffrage movement.

[Beatrice · Rating 2 out of 5]

Matnyttig men ganska platt suffragetthistoria.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

An accessible and quick read. A very useful introduction to the Suffragettes for younger readers. A fab story told in a very engaging way.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This could have been my granmother's story... Telling younger generations what it was like to be a suffragette, what they fought for and how important it is to use our right to vote.