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Days of Bread and Roses
A heart-warming story of female friendship in the tumultuous days of the Suffragette movement...Sophia Seddon and Grace Thompson are poles apart - the one a member of the notorious Seddons of Plover Street, the other the vicar's spoilt only child. But their childhood friendship is revived when they find themselves fighting a common women’s rights. And the ties of friendship prove stronger and more enduring than those of background or family, even in the face of danger.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 27, 2022
I know little about the Suffragettes beyond women chaining themselves to railings, being jailed, hunger strikes and force feeding. This book shows two sides of the Suffrage movement. The Cotton Town girls of the title, mill workers in the north of England, struggling with daily life but still striving to make things better for their communities, contrasting with the High Society world of the Pankhurst's glittering environment. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and would recommend it to all women, as a reminder of the difficulties our predecessors went through to put us on an even political footing with men.
May 20, 2021
This book was just.. ok. A slow burner and I felt that it was a bit rushed throughout.. I’ll still read more Leah Fleming, but this one just didn’t hit the mark!
October 15, 2018
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Visit the locations in the novel - Visit Bolton in the 1910s
This is the story of women, their friendships and the ongoing battle in trying to get the right to vote. This was a tough time for women and the fight was one which had many ups and downs. Although the fight was a public one, the real struggle, the every day struggle was behind closed doors and between ordinary women and this is what the novel captures so well.
Do you know the role of Northern mill workers in the struggle and their opinion of what was going on in the wider world? The story of a rich girl and a poor one brought together in the cause as with Sophia and Grace in the novel ? The stories of Londoners are more well known perhaps but the women in the north were only separated by geography not ideology or determination.
These are the kind of stories with historical interest which really fascinate me. What ordinary people went through and how everyday life was affected, how friendships reflected differences of opinion etc. Some of the women in the story went on hunger strike and were the support in other ways behind those who were at the thick of the protests. Imagine living in a small village far from the ‘action’ yet feeling so determined to play your part, you’d join forces with like-minded women to have your voices heard? Such passionate opinions could put pressure on a friendship and this novel looks at that and the wider historical context in general.
It’s a really nice way to commemorate the cause but the way women can come together and support each other. The suffragette story is well known in many ways but this is a behind the scenes story which is always more fascinating to me.
Leah Fleming always manages to put her Northern sparkle on any story she writes of and sprinkles of Northern language, jokes and warm-hearted humour make it a novel to enjoy
This was previously published as The Bread and Roses Society I understand, so check you haven’t read that first! Otherwise, read this.
Visit the locations in the novel - Visit Bolton in the 1910s
This is the story of women, their friendships and the ongoing battle in trying to get the right to vote. This was a tough time for women and the fight was one which had many ups and downs. Although the fight was a public one, the real struggle, the every day struggle was behind closed doors and between ordinary women and this is what the novel captures so well.
Do you know the role of Northern mill workers in the struggle and their opinion of what was going on in the wider world? The story of a rich girl and a poor one brought together in the cause as with Sophia and Grace in the novel ? The stories of Londoners are more well known perhaps but the women in the north were only separated by geography not ideology or determination.
These are the kind of stories with historical interest which really fascinate me. What ordinary people went through and how everyday life was affected, how friendships reflected differences of opinion etc. Some of the women in the story went on hunger strike and were the support in other ways behind those who were at the thick of the protests. Imagine living in a small village far from the ‘action’ yet feeling so determined to play your part, you’d join forces with like-minded women to have your voices heard? Such passionate opinions could put pressure on a friendship and this novel looks at that and the wider historical context in general.
It’s a really nice way to commemorate the cause but the way women can come together and support each other. The suffragette story is well known in many ways but this is a behind the scenes story which is always more fascinating to me.
Leah Fleming always manages to put her Northern sparkle on any story she writes of and sprinkles of Northern language, jokes and warm-hearted humour make it a novel to enjoy
This was previously published as The Bread and Roses Society I understand, so check you haven’t read that first! Otherwise, read this.
May 24, 2024
This was a really interesting read set in the late 1800s through to the early 1900s and the struggle for women to get the vote. Featuring snippets about Suffragettes and the Panks as well as from both sides of the story of women from different classes
April 26, 2019
I’ve read about 3 of Leah Fleming’s books now and find them easy to read.
I particularly like the fact that everything doesn’t turn out in the best possible way every time - because that’s unrealistic. However, to say that this is fiction I got sucked into the drama of Suffrage struggle and a couple of times was almost nervous with apprehension. It’s interesting to read the movement from a ‘northern’ perspective. It’s very easy to overlook the impact the women of the north made because the focus of most stories of the era is in and around London.
I’m lucky enough to have been in the crypt in Westminster where Emily Davison hid on the night of the 1911 Census.
This is actually the first time I’ve ever regarded the green, white and purple movement with a little contempt. Which made for some uncomfortable shifting in my seat!
I particularly like the fact that everything doesn’t turn out in the best possible way every time - because that’s unrealistic. However, to say that this is fiction I got sucked into the drama of Suffrage struggle and a couple of times was almost nervous with apprehension. It’s interesting to read the movement from a ‘northern’ perspective. It’s very easy to overlook the impact the women of the north made because the focus of most stories of the era is in and around London.
I’m lucky enough to have been in the crypt in Westminster where Emily Davison hid on the night of the 1911 Census.
This is actually the first time I’ve ever regarded the green, white and purple movement with a little contempt. Which made for some uncomfortable shifting in my seat!
December 3, 2018
A story set around the time of the suffragette movement and was both heartbreaking and inspiring. The author evoked the time period well. There was a great set of characters representing the different types of women involved in the struggle and the effect they had on the community and each other. The story included scenes that I have read about before, such as the hunger strikes and forced feeding and secret meetings and riots, but it still added my knowledge and personal experience.
April 6, 2019
I'm halfway through this book but have given up on it, which is rare for me. I am extremely interested in the history of the Suffragette movement, and very familiar with the area it's set in, so I really wanted to love this. However, the characters are two-dimensional and stereotyped, the dialogue stereotyped and confusing, and the writing is so unpolished it reads like a rough first draft. The premise has so much potential, but it's been wasted on this dull plod.
November 24, 2019
A positive and historic novel about friendship during the suffragette movement. Two girls meet in unlikely circumstances with quite different backgrounds. Although they can't maintain the friendship in the short term, life brings them back together during the social unrest of the last century. Worth reading for the reminder of women's struggles.
November 25, 2024
A good glimpse into the history of how women got the right to vote.. however, I felt very disoriented in many places where conversation was happening, and also some events took place, and I was a little surprised when they happened as to how & why.
The last parts of the book gave me the depth I longed for, for the most part, in the story, and I am happy that it was fast-paced.
The last parts of the book gave me the depth I longed for, for the most part, in the story, and I am happy that it was fast-paced.
January 5, 2020
I didn't know much (if anything) about the English women's suffrage movement, so it was interesting to learn a little about the competing factions through the lens of this novel. The author definitely has a viewpoint that's not subtle, and it's an easy read.
January 12, 2020
I really enjoyed this book, gave an insight into the lives or real people during to fight for our vote but I would have liked just a little more detail. That said it was a good read and the final pages rounded it off nicely
September 25, 2022
Such an intriguing read and insight into the fight for women's rights in the UK. I didn't realise there was such division amongst the suffragettes and how much class played a part in that. Highly recommended!
October 9, 2025
Gutted to say I’m going off this author. I used to like her books, but I don’t know what it was about this one and the last couple I’ve tried. This felt very all over the place, huge chunks of time were skipped over, seemed very rushed, characters weren’t well enough fleshed out.
November 8, 2018
This was not her best book. Perhaps the suffragette movement doesn't interest me enough but i found myself skipping pages.
April 13, 2019
Readable but not my favourite historical fiction. It didn't quite hut the mark for me.
May 6, 2019
3.5
This is a fast and easy read. I felt like this had a bit more substance than some historical fiction books. There was also no romance which was refreshing!
This is a fast and easy read. I felt like this had a bit more substance than some historical fiction books. There was also no romance which was refreshing!
June 28, 2019
En sida av Sufragettrörelsen jag inte läst om tidigare, det här är mer än en vänskapsberättelse över klassgränserna. Rekommenderad läsning.
December 5, 2019
Really enjoyed this book
May 28, 2020
I usually love this authors books but this was an early one reprinted and didn’t grab me as much.
August 20, 2025
I enjoyed this book, it was a quick read.
November 10, 2018
I really enjoyed this look at the suffragette movement and very much enjoyed the look at Edwardian England
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February 5, 2019Lovely bit of easy reading with good historical learning too. I nearly gave up on it about a quarter of the way in but I am so glad I didn't as I really enjoyed the rest of it
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews