Victorian Sisters

by Ina Taylor

Traces the lives of the four Macdonald sisters, and examines their contributions to the successes of their influential husbands

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, Victorian

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reverend George Browne Macdonald was born in 1805 in England. He was a Wesleyan Methodist minister. He had eleven children with Hannah Jones, but this book focuses on four of his daughters. Alice Macdonald married John Lockwood Kipling, and gave birth to a son that we would all come to know as Rudyard Kipling. Her son was actually born on the school campus where her husband was a Professor in arts. Georgina Macdonald married a painter, named Edward Burne-Jones. Agnes Macdonald married Edward Poynter, future president of the Royal Academy. She was also a talented pianist in her own right. Louisa Macdonald was a gifted writer, and married Alfred Baldwin. Her son, Stanley, would go on to be Prime Minister.

I had never heard of these women. They all had their own personalities and their own interests. I think we often do not think about the women behind the men or the mothers of famous people. I really enjoyed learning about this ladies and the contributions they made to their families and society. I picked this up, because I thought it was about Queen Victoria, but I am really pleased with my error.

[Bruce · Rating 3 out of 5]

This work is about the daughters of a Methodist preacher, George MacDonald, who was the son of a Methodist preacher. During their youth the family moved every three years and didn't have a lot of money. However, the girls were pretty and intelligent. Two married painters, another a manufacturer and had a son who became Prime Minister and the eldest married an artist/art teacher John Kipling and became the mother of the famous writer. Though intelligent, being women, they could not reach their full potential because of the patriarchy.

[Nancy Schneiter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daughters of a Methodist preacher, the four Macdonald sisters exerted a remarkable influence on English art, literature, and politics through their husbands and sons. Three of these strong-willed women married successful artists: Georgiana, the Pre-Raphaelite Edward Burne-Jones; Agnes, the society painter Edward Poynter, and Alice, sculptor Lockwood Kipling. Alice's marriage caused her to live for 30 years in British India, profoundly influencing her son Rudyard. Louisa became the mother of Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin. Taylor's readable and sometimes poignant account traces the effect of Victorian values on their lives, including the depression and hypochondria arising from devotion to their husband's careers at the expense of their own interests. For general collections.
I've had this book on my self for many years. I love the fact that the sisters had influence in many facets of British society.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this is very well written it does not provide very much information on The Macdonald Sisters during their childhood or young adulthood. It goes from birth to their educations, to their marriages, their accomplishments, etc. I prefer The Macdonald Sisters by A.W. Baldwin who says he is a distant relative of the family and uses excerpts of their mother Hannah Jones's letters to provide wonderful glimpses into the sisters childhood and familial relationships; an area of nineteenth-century Victoriana that is seldom provided.

[Rebecca Hilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the second book I'd read about this family. I thought the book was better than 'Circle of Sisters' but still could have been better. Just missed the point! Still if you want to read about the family this is an interesting version.