The accomplished lady : a history of genteel pursuits c. 1660-1860

by Noel Riley

460 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was excellent! It's not often you can find an academic book you can sit and read cover to cover in one go. But I really loved this. First was a discussion on the place of women within society, a look at the women who over came that and the different ways women found to entertain themselves and allow themselves to have a creative outlet. It was fascinating and entertaining with lavish illustrations. It looked at women's education, writing, arts, crafts and all kinds of things you had no idea women did during that time period. The book focuses on the upper classes, but it was still great to see all the things these women could accomplish with time and money on their side, even when society was against them. I would very highly recommend this book to people interested in women's history, gender studies and art history.