Mistress Suffragette

Mistress Suffragette by Diana Forbes

I received a copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

Penelope Stanton is born into a family of good standing and reputation. Unfortunately, due to the Panic of the 1890’s, her father’s business suffers a loss thrusting the whole family into dire financial circumstances, which does not bode well for their place in society. This also coincides with Penelope’s fiancé, Sam, conveniently calling off the engagement between the two of them. She is left with the threat of no dowry and being the older sister her prospescts appear as dismal as her situation. Her younger sister Lydia is flirtatious and flighty with every chance of marrying young but where does that leave Penelope? Isn’t that every girls desire, to meet the man of their dreams at one of the many arranged balls, but Penelope wants something more…could she find that in Mr. Edgar Daggers? A popular wellbred man, who for reasons beyond her knowledge insists on her being at the receiving end of his sexual advances, but as he is a married man, the liaison could ruin a young womans honour.

This is a wonderful tale written as a fictional memoir from the viewpoint of the protagonist, Penelope. Included are tangible facts surrounding the depression plus details of the suffrage movement. The author includes witty anecdotes and blends in very real dilemmas faced by women of the era. Society, ever expecting a certain level of decorum, as women begin to understand that they are capable of so much more and not solely to be used by men.

“ Women aren’t toys. Women should protect themselves from men who treat them badly .”
Penelope makes an unusual friend in Verdana, a suffrage leader, enthused by women’s dress reform and sets an example that there is more to life than lace and frills. Penelope’s character evolves throughout the book into a determined young woman, learning independence and the empowerment that accompanies it. She makes mistakes, as we all do, but by the end of the book she has definitely learned by them.

In this debut novel by Diana Forbes, we are taken to an era where women’s right aren’t exactly a thing and they have dance cards instead of voter’s cards. The United States is on the verge of an economic crisis. The Stanton family of Rhode Island has been greatly impacted by the economic downturn. Penelope Stanton’s father has suffered losses in his business, and this is a bad look for her family. During this time in history it seems that a woman’s value was found in her viability as a marriage prospect. Penelope does not seem particularly sold on this idea. When she is pursued aggressively by a married man her lust sweeps her up a bit and causes inner conflicts. But she is not one to fall in line and ends up in joining the burgeoning women’s suffragette movement. During this time, she meets people who shape her life and help provide clarity to her on what really matters.
This is a lovely and romantic piece of historical fiction. It is witty in its dialogue and the honesty with which we experience life through the eyes of the lead character. There are a lot of interesting historical points that lead me to further research and left me with a much better understanding of this time in our nation’s history. It’s crazy to think that not long ago not only could women not vote, they had to earn their right to wear PANTS! Whoa!
It’s no wonder this book is award-winning. Forbes has done her research and knows her stuff, but she also does an excellent job in creating dynamic and intriguing characters and character relationships. Her writing is fluid with a great plot that has an excellent combination of humor, honesty, history, and romance. I look forward to reading more from this author.

This book is based in the time of the Panic of 1893. Diana took the time to do her research along with the stories passed down through her family creating a fictionalized diary by Penelope. She is a young girl where her mother is searching for a suitor for her as Penelope’s dads company is facing repercussions from the Panic. At the Memorial Day Ball Penelope meets Edgar Daggers, a successful, charming, married man where heat fizzles between the two throughout the story. With different obstacles that Penelope faces she decides to go on her own path and she meets Verdana. This is where I found the story coming alive with the fight for the Women’s Movement. Penelope’s passion and desires that don’t always coincide together. The movement starts with women’s clothing and rolls into the fight to “be independent-financially independent-from men” where they focus on “women working and getting paid for it; about being able to hold on to [their] wages and [their] property. And about knowing the applicable laws. [By getting] women to stand on their own financially […] the rest would follow.” Diana does an excellent job tying up all loose ends, ending with a nice bow.

I found it shocking to read about how badly treated women were and how they had no rights to their own life. Even when you know this was the case back then it’s still hard to imagine, but Mistress Suffragette highlights the struggles really well. I really felt like I was on this journey with Penelope. The writing drew me in and I felt an emotional connection to Penelope from early on in the book. Absolutely fantastic read, and one I recommend.

Mistress Suffragette follows Penelope as she becomes and revolutionary woman within the suffragette movement. The book starts with Penelope’s family facing financial trouble and a possible arrange marry of sorts, until Penelope takes a stand and control of her own future. A very entertaining and educational book. I enjoyed it a lot.

This was a lovely book to read over the weekend. A great book about strong women, the suffragettes and also self-discovery and romance. I really liked the development of Penelope throughout the story and her desire to be true to herself and make her our path in life. It was also brilliant to learn so much about the suffragette movement. A book well worth reading for anyone that enjoys historical fiction and a little bit of romance.

I always enjoy books with historical detail and this was no exception. It’s great to understand the suffragette movement on a personal level while being entertained with stories of drama and romance and even a slight comical edge in parts. The author came up up with great characters that really displayed the traits and spirit of suffragettes in an emotionally connecting way. Throughly enjoyed.

Historical fiction / romance is not typically my genre, but I really enjoyed this book. I also learned a lot about the suffrage movement.
This novel begins in 1893 with 17 year old Penelope Stanton bristling against her mother’s wishes that she immediately find a suitor which will help their family out of financial ruin. Penelope doesn’t want any of the suitors, that is, until she meets the darkly handsome – and married – Edgar Daggers. Recently dropped by Sam Haven, Penelope feels that she is unattractive to men until Mr. Daggers takes an interest in her.
Knowing that it is wrong to pursue a relationship with a married man, and wanting to escape the financial responsibility of bailing out her father who lost money in the Panic, Penelope runs off to Boston with her best friend, Lucinda. Lucinda is very much in support of the Women’s Suffrage Movement, and Penelope reluctantly becomes involved. She finds that she is very good at speaking and writing about the cause.
Due to her involvement in the cause, Penelope is introduced to Verdana, and becomes her assistant. Then, she accidentally meets Stone Aldrich, a painter, and eventually Quincy Aldrich, and Amy Adams Buchanan Van Buren, a benefactor of the movement.
All of these people influence and mold Penelope’s opinions and life. Penelope becomes stronger and bolder as the novel develops. She comes into her own, and while love eludes her, and often finds her in the worst scenarios, she eventually stands on her own as a strong woman with a man who truly loves her.
This was a very entertaining tale, while offering a historic and often humorous view of the all-important suffrage movement.
#MistressSuffragette #DianaForbes

This book was so much more than the synopsis suggested. I literally could not put this down and slept in twice from staying up reading late. I had so many emotions whilst reading this I felt like I was on a journey with the protagonist Penelope. it was truly gripped by this storyline hence why I read it in two days (damn you work) Anyway Thank you to Diana Forbes for this brilliant, brilliant read, and I will avidly look out for more of her books in the future.

Manhattan author Diana Forbes is a literary archeologist, a ninth-generation American with ancestors on both sides of the Civil War. She writes historical fiction and is passionate about old New York, ancestry, untold stories, vintage clothing, antique furniture, and vows to master the quadrille in her lifetime! MISTRESS SUFFRAGETTE is her debut novel, but prior to publication the novel won first place in the Missouri Romance Writers of America (RWA) “Gateway to the Best” contest in Women’s Fiction and was a Wisconsin Romance Writers of America (RWA) “Fab Five” finalist in Women’s Fiction. Approaching a first novel from a fresh author is enhanced when the author offers her own notes on the book: ‘The Panic of 1893 was the greatest depression in the United States before the Great Depression. Overnight, banks shuttered, companies failed, and the government floundered. People lost their livelihoods. Family fortunes, meticulously amassed over generations, vanished faster than wisps of smoke. 1893 was also a watershed year for this country due to the confluence of the Chicago Exposition and a surge of new interest in the American Women’s Suffrage Movement. In 1893, Colorado adopted woman’s suffrage. With the Progressive Movement now in full bloom, women from all classes and backgrounds started to enter public life. Certain real-life events were moved back in time in my novel so that the narrative could all take place during this pivotal year. For example, the women’s suffrage parade in New York City actually occurred later while the newspaper-burning incident never happened’ etc.’ She brings us into her circle of knowledge and offers a summary of her work that will encourage a large audience. Synopsis: ‘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.’ But the true favor of her blend of history and fiction is evident from page one – ‘Tuesday, May 30, 1893, Newport, Rhode Island Imagine being sent to a party with a gun pointed at your head. You might look bewitching; you might wear a proper pale blue gown, with its gathered skirt and off-the-shoulder neckline. You might sport the perfect pair of ivory silk ballroom slippers. Your fiery hair might be dressed in coils and feminine curls. But inside, underneath the pleats and the padding, knowing about your father’s possible ruin, I bet you’d feel frightened. You might believe this to be your last party. You might sense your short life flash before your eyes— the leisurely days of riding horses till your thighs ached, the long nights of preparing French verb conjugations till your fingers cramped up, or helping the Ladies Auxiliary return stray cats to their owners. Try as you might to shut your eyes to the hard facts, to the sudden unmooring of your destiny, you’d know that when friends asked how you were faring, you wouldn’t say much, hoping you might get by with some idle pleasantries or banalities about the weather. So you can imagine how it was for me as our carriage crunched up the driveway to the first party of the season: the Memorial Day Ball.’ Writing of this quality is rare and it serves as a very welcome debut for Diana Forbes who is writing about subjects that could not be more current!