A young woman without prospects at a ball in Gilded Age Newport, Rhode Island is a target for a certain kind of “suitor.” At the Memorial Day Ball during the Panic of 1893, impoverished but feisty Penelope Stanton draws the unwanted advances of a villainous millionaire banker who preys on distressed women—the incorrigible Edgar Daggers. Over a series of encounters, he promises Penelope the … financial security she craves, but at what cost? Skilled in the art of flirtation, Edgar is not without his charms, and Penelope is attracted to him against her better judgment. Initially, as Penelope grows into her own in the burgeoning early Women’s Suffrage Movement, Edgar exerts pressure, promising to use his power and access to help her advance. But can he be trusted, or are his words part of an elaborate mind game played between him and his wife? During a glittering age where a woman’s reputation is her most valuable possession, Penelope must decide whether to compromise her principles for love, lust, and the allure of an easier life.
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Mistress Suffragette is the story of a young woman in 1890s named Penelope Stanton, who is forced into independence early on in life after her father loses his wealth in the Panic of 1893. The book has been beautifully written by author Diana Forbes and was such an enjoyable read. Both characters and plot are intriguing and have been created in detail, this book includes humour, romance and historical fiction that is still very current today, Penelope’s character especially will be appealing to women now!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this beautifully written book and will most certainly recommend to family and friends.
Mistress Suffragette is the story of a young woman in 1890s named Penelope Stanton, who is forced into independence early on in life after her father loses his wealth in the Panic of 1893. The book has been beautifully written by author Diana Forbes and was such an enjoyable read. Both characters and plot are intriguing and have been created in detail. This book includes humor, romance and historical fiction that is still very relevant to modern society. Penelope’s character especially, I would imagine, will be appealing to most women now!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this beautifully written book and will most certainly recommend to family and friends.
Miss Suffragette by Diana Forbes is a really interesting and unique piece of period drama writing. It really hits the mark when describing the plight of women in the 19th century when they were considered second class citizens at the mercy of men. Penelope Stanton feels like she has found an element of freedom when the charming and rich Edgar Dagger sets his sights on her. But, there is more to Edgar than meets the eye. Does this seemingly perfect man have an ulterior motive for wanting to join Penelope in the Suffrage movement? What secrets is he keeping?
Forbes’ debut novel is really well-written, with a plot that effortlessly takes you back to another time. Miss Suffragette is not usually the sort of book I would read, but I’m definitely glad I gave it a go.
Mistress Suffragette by Diana Forbes
Book starts with A dedication page and acknowledgements.
Story starts out in Newport, RI in 1890s and we had just visited some of the mansions in the city this spring. They definitely life a different life than the regular folk.
Just hearing of the lighted driveway to the ball.. sounds so joyful.
Liked the locations they travel to and learning of how they were able to ride bicycles with the clothes they also had to wear. Voting is another matter they hope to accomplish, for women.
Unforeseen circumstances brings her mother to Boston and the accidents happen… Within a few weeks time they are summoned home to tend to Lydia who’s come down with pneumonia.
Verdana and Sam travel with them to convince Newport ladies they need to fight for their rights also.
Love how this book makes history fun while telling you about it.
Penelope first thought she’d have to become a mistress to a married man to make any money to send back home to her parents but she knows better now and fights him off.
She is so smart to look for information about subjects she knows nothing of, to research them and when appropriate she brings them up into conversation that makes the others realize she does know what she’s talking about and how women should fight for what they deserve.
Love the new words learned as they travel and all the new locations to me.
Interesting how Louisiana voodoo is included…Like what happens to the fashion industry over the course of the book, very detailed and descriptive.
Bayer heroin aspirin, who knew? Can’t wait to read more from this author.
Didn’t see the ending coming but happy it came out that way…
Best book for me this month out of a few hundred. Ends with an epilogue and a note from the author about writing of the book, about the author, other works from the publisher summarized and table of contents.
I received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
In the midst of the “golden era” of the United States of America (a period after the Civil War and Reconstruction in which the country experienced an unprecedented economic, industrial and demographic expansion, but also great social and economic conflict), the country is entering a serious economic depression that would later be called “The Panic of 1893”. The Stantons, an upper middle class family from Newport, Rhode Island, are urged to marry their daughters to get them out of economic trouble. The banker and predator of distressed damsels Edgar Daggers offers a promising job to Penelope, whom he harasses insistently, despite being a married man. The girl’s parents insist that the deal is the best thing that could have happened to them, but Penelope feels trapped between the illusion of love, the economic pressure and the fear of losing her reputation. Trying to take distance, Penelope gets involved in the Boston Women’s Suffrage Movement, and in it she finds a new goal that’s in direct conflict with her system of values.
This book is the fictionalized diary of a young lady who undertakes the unorthodox path of female suffrage, and whose goals are: to make women “put on their pants”, become financially independent and knowledgeable about the laws that involve them, and get (of course) the right to vote. Penelope’s story is very interesting and the plot is full of romance, history, wisdom (“I’m a pacifist, I said. —You still have to fight for what is right. It’s called leadership.”) and it’s also very funny. As if that were not enough, the book is surprisingly well documented and contextualized: from the artistic moment (the Ashcan painting school), the details of the women’s suffrage movement, the post-fire Boston environment and the technological advances of the time (the typewriter with vertical mechanical action, the bicycle variants) to the weather events of the period, such as the hurricane of 1893.
I highly recommend this book. It is perfectly well written and edited, and both the characters and the plot have been sculpted with great detail and care. Mistress Suffragette is one of those books that are read with pleasure, enjoyed with a smile and that leave a very good “taste in the mouth.”
I love historical fiction so Diana Forbes book was a natural choice for me.
Mistress Suffragette is a story about 17 year-old Penelope who gets involved in the suffrage movement set in Boston, Newport and Manhattan. She decided to run away and leave everything behind her. The reason is her father became bankrupt and Penelope’s family need someone to support them. That’s why her mother is desperate to find a rich husband for Penelope. She refused and ended up in Boston.
The novel is full of fascinating details about the era, culture, and events at that time. Diana Forbes, without doubt wrote an excellent book and I’m eager to see what she comes up with next.
With great attention to detail paid to both setting, and historical accuracy, Forbes entices the reader into the world of Penelope, a suffragette living in Rhode Island, American during the early 19th century. I feel that I know a good deal about what happened with the suffragette movement in England, and votes for women, so it was interesting to read about things from a different perspective. Penelope’s story encapsulates the struggle of a young woman fighting her cause against societal repression, and gender expectation. You don’t need to be a feminist to appreciate that the treatment of women at the time the book is set was appalling, and Forbe’s highlights this from the beginning. I found myself wanting to join forces with Penelope and fight for what was right. An excellent read that had me gripped and emotionally involved.
In Mistress Suffragette I found the 1890s leapt off the page immersing me in Penelope’s world and the engrossing plot. This is a romance story but there is more to it than your standard run-of-the-mill Romance Genre offering. Penelope is a multi-layered character with faults and dreams that drew me in so I really felt for her struggle as the story went along. There was a lot of detail pertinent to the time so it was clear the author must have done a lot of research to pen all of the particulars so clearly and convincingly.
This is a book I was unsure of to begin with, but before long I couldn’t get enough of it. An excellent read.
This book was well researched and well written. I struggled a lot with the main character and her choices, but appreciated and could relate to the growth she exhibited. I think it’s probably a much more realistic retelling of what women were going through in the heart of the suffrage movement.
Mistress Suffragette is a thrilling story about a young girl whom history has given very few choices. After Penelope’s father’s business fails and her fiance leaves her, she finds that she must take care of herself. Edgar Daggers offers her security and passion if she becomes his mistress, but she will have to give up her reputation. I liked following Penelope because of how strong of a person she is. Despite her situation, she takes control of her life. She is also a relatable person with flaws. She lusts over the man she knows she shouldn’t want and is afraid of the changing world. The look at the suffragette movement is also an interesting view of history. The book is exciting, has an in-depth world, and shows the struggle of being a female in history. I very much enjoyed this book and would recommend it to lovers of historical fiction and romance.
Reading this book is really going to take you back to the 1890s, so if you enjoy stories that are not only compelling but also historically accurate, it’s going to be right up your alley. Penelope, the main character, is a young girl who becomes caught up in the customs and beliefs of the 19th century society as her future marriage falls apart before it even has a chance to be registered.
Penelope’s family loses their fortune due to a major economic crisis, and she is no longer a desired bride for her fiancé. Since her chances for another engagement and marriage are extremely low, she immediately becomes a target for flirting and sexual advances from married men who want her as their mistress. Penelope even succumbs to have a relationship with one of them, but she eventually becomes disillusioned and joins suffragette movement to prevent other young girls from suffering a fate like hers and to give them fuller, happier lives.
The main character Penelope is one of the most interesting characters that I have seen!
I have been very interested in different stories that take part in this book and it is
just a mix of real and historical events with some fiction! This author is a genius in doing this mixture and makes you check for real facts that happened in history to realize what was real and not.
The story relates to a wealthy guy that Penelope falls for, there are some negative and dark things within this romance that makes it really intense!
This book is also centered in the suffragette movement and different points of views in society. So much material was developed and I appreciated it so much. It can be dramatic, but light-hearted in most of the parts. You cannot believe sometimes this is the same book, it is also a lovely mixture of how a woman can grow and change for better or not.
Mistress Suffragette by Diana Forbes
Manhattan Novelist Awarded The Garcia Memorial Prize for Best Fiction Book of the Year:
Diana Forbes wins prestigious honor for her debut novel, Mistress Suffragette
AUSTIN, TEXAS – Manhattan novelist Diana Forbes has been awarded The Garcia Memorial Prize for her debut novel, Mistress Suffragette. An annual award presented in conjunction with the national Reader Views Book Awards, The Garcia Memorial Prize is awarded to the best fiction book of the year.
Sex and the Suffrage movement collide in Diana Forbes’s debut novel, Mistress Suffragette. A brilliantly crafted work of historical fiction that unfolds against the backdrop of Manhattan’s Gilded Age, Mistress Suffragette has earned high critical praise. In a Starred review, Kirkus calls Mistress Suffragette “a sprightly, winning historical novel.” San Francisco Review of Books reports “writing of this quality is rare…a very welcome debut.” New Theory Magazine notes: “the plight of the clever main character, Penelope, has a timelessness that every 21st century woman will recognize.”
About Mistress Suffragette: Sheltered but feisty Penelope Stanton, growing up in Gilded Age, Newport, Rhode Island is tarnished by her father’s bankruptcy during the Panic of 1893.Penelope quickly attracts the unwanted advances of a villainous millionaire banker who preys on distressed women. After she flees him to nearby Boston, Penelope, by necessity, becomes a paid public speaker in the early women’s suffrage movement. Now she’s speaking out on women’s issues from Boston to New York. But will her disastrous choices in love unravel everything she’s fighting for? In the glittering age where a woman’s reputation is her most valuable possession, Penelope will be forced to discover her hidden reserves of courage and tenacity—and she’ll have to decide whether to compromise her principles for love.
A mesmerizing tale that blends elements of history, romance, and women’s fiction, Mistress Suffragette is a beautifully-written novel that will stay with readers long after the final page is turned. Meticulously plotted and brimming with multi-dimensional characters that spring to life within the novel’s pages, Mistress Suffragette leads readers on a rich, rewarding journey to a time long past. An extraordinary novel by an extraordinary writer, Mistress Suffragette is a timeless, unforgettable tale.
According to Susan Violante, editor of Reader Views, “We were overwhelmed by both the quantity and quality of entries in this year’s Reader Views Literary Awards. This year’s awards program featured numerous outstanding works of fiction. Mistress Suffragette by Diana Forbes was a true standout. This incredible novel has it all: excellent writing, a mesmerizing storyline, and memorable, realistic characters. Mistress Suffragette is an exemplary work of fiction and it is our honor to recognize this title as recipient of the Garcia Memorial Prize for Fiction.”
Diana Forbes is a 9th generation American, with ancestors on both sides of the Civil War. Diana Forbes lives and writes in Manhattan. When she is not cribbing chapters, Diana Forbes loves to explore the buildings where her 19th century American ancestors lived, loved, survived and thrived. Visit Diana Forbes online at: http://www.DianaForbesNovels.com
Unlike other reviewers I didn’t find Mistress Suffragette particularly funny, but what I did find was an engrossing story from a skilled writer. Penelope is a fascinating character and her family members, and the idiosyncrasies and interactions between them, make for a solid foundation for the book.
Another thing I thought while reading is that this would make a wonderful movie, or even a compelling stage play, so I hope at some point I’ll get to see one or the other. There is no doubt that Forbes will go on and on after releasing such a powerful first novel, and I’ll be in line to read all others she releases from now.
Wow! Penelope is such a great character it was hard to see the story end. Diana Forbes really captures the struggles of this character and time. One of my favorite things of this story is how vivid and real the time period seems. The research Forbes did alone must have been extensive. The story starts off with a sort of romantic tragedy befalling our beloved Penelope: her engagement is called off. This, couple with the social and economical consequences of her family losing their fortune, becomes the catalyst for Penelope’s adventure. The pressure from family, and circumstance, really come to life and push Penelope toward goals that weren’t necessarily hers. She eventually is able to free herself from the fetters of family and starts living her life as a suffragette. Overall, an A+ story written by a skilled writer.
If you are a fan of period drams, then you are sure to love ‘Mistress Suffragette’ by Diana Forbes. Set in the late 19th Century, the story focuses on Penelope Stanton – a poor woman with dreams of financial security and happiness. She catches the eye of millionaire Edgar Dagger, who seems charming at first, but has darkness lurking beneath the surface. He promises her a better life, and to use his power to support the Suffragette movement with which she has become deeply involved. Do Edgar’s action come with good intentions, or is Penelope just plaything for him to manipulate?
‘Mistress Suffragette’ is an accomplished debut novel, which really captures the foreboding atmosphere of ‘The Panic of 1983′, as well as the excitement and defiance of the women’s Suffragette Movement. You will struggle to find period fiction that is better researched and as immersive as Diana Forbes’. She writes with real emotion, bringing her characters to life, and tackles a challenging subject with real honesty. A great read from start to finish.
Mistress Suffragette is a rare blend of compelling writing, humor and and also serious tackling of important issues. The verbal dexterity and precise plot points laid down by Forbes made reading this such an enjoyable experience. Penelope Stanton is a fascinating character and despite the obvious gap in time, someone I feel I can relate to. I’ll look for more by Forbes again, no doubt, but for now this is a book I recommend to others.
Not only was ‘Mistress Suffragette’ a captivating story but I learned a lot of really interesting things about the 1890s. I’d be tempted to think of this book as almost a ‘nonfiction novel’, given the amount of educational material it provides. Young women were seen very much as ornamental and extremely constraining expectations were placed upon them – physically, emotionally and socially. The story begins at a ball, where all these constraints are in full effect.
Escaping the confines of her family, who she feels have betrayed her best interests, the main character, Penelope, finds herself amidst a gathering of Suffragettes, where, finally she finds her voice and has an appreciative audience too. The story largely concerns Penelope’s family life and love life amid the backdrop of women’s dress reform being introduced and Penelope’s newly discovered talent and career in public speaking. 10 out of 10, Diana Forbes!
With the combination of historical facts and significant research, it was fascinating to read this story. With humorous verses, accurate representations, and her prose are of the times. Writings like this story, are incredibly uncommon. The story kept me interested and had me reaching for Google to verify the dates in question. Fact or spun-fiction? How it was written together, was brilliant. The topic itself too is something to note of true American history. To only suggest this book would fall flat, adamant encouragement is what I am prepared to do.