By Sally Nicholls (author)
"An inspiring tale for young women (and men!) using history to explore the mores of society - and highlight how much society has (or hasn't) changed"
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This inspirational novel about three young Suffragettes from very different backgrounds is at once a riveting character-driven read, and an outstandingly rich account of British social history between 1914 and 1917.
Seventeen-year-old Evelyn is exasperated by the unfairness of a society in which her academically disinterested brother is afforded the expensive privilege of going up to Oxford while her genuine desire to broaden her mind is dismissed as pointless. “These university women lead very sad lives, I'd hoped for better things for you - a husband, and a family, and a home of your own,” her mother poo-poo’s.
But, shirking familial disapproval, Evelyn joins the Suffragette movement and finds herself at the heart of a highly-charged rally, with serious repercussions. Then there’s May, a flamboyant fifteen-year-old who revels in being different and is encouraged to do so by her liberal Quaker mother.
May is also a passionate Suffragette, and passionate, too, about Nell, a working class girl from Poplar. The flowering of their love and lust is brilliantly portrayed, as is the contrast between their respective backgrounds.
Then, the political conflict of WWI heralds personal conflicts for the three young women, not least when Nell’s desire to contribute to the war effort angers pacifist May. The nature and struggles of masculinity are also excellently explored through, for example, Nell’s brother who wrestles with "feeling much less of a man than he should be”.
This novel is the perfect tribute to the incredible women who blazed a trail during the early twentieth century, and its inspirational scope and storytelling excellence cannot be praised enough. I loved it.
Through rallies and marches, in polite drawing rooms and freezing prison cells and the poverty-stricken slums of the East End, three courageous young women join the fight for the vote. Evelyn is seventeen, and though she is rich and clever, she may never be allowed to follow her older brother to university. Enraged that she is expected to marry her childhood sweetheart rather than be educated, she joins the Suffragettes, and vows to pay the ultimate price for women's freedom.
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May is fifteen, and already sworn to the cause, though she and her fellow Suffragists refuse violence. When she meets Nell, a girl who's grown up in hardship, she sees a kindred spirit. Together and in love, the two girls start to dream of a world where all kinds of women have their place.
But the fight for freedom will challenge Evelyn, May and Nell more than they ever could believe. As war looms, just how much are they willing to sacrifice?
Inspiring and infuriating in equal measures, Things A Bright Girl Can Do is an utterly captivating novel. Sally Nicholls deftly weaves history and politics into the narrative with such a lightness of touch, it was impossible to stop reading. Immensely enjoyable -- Louise O'Neill
The politics of the time are skilfully woven into the personal stories of Evelyn, May and Nell, touching feminist, LGBT and social issues... This inspirational novel is very welcome. -- Fiona Noble The Bookseller
The three main characters that lead the story are vividly alive, Nell in particular is utterly compelling! Historical fiction at its best -- Hilary McKay
Things A Bright Girl Can Do doesn't sugarcoat the process of becoming politically active, but it does render it as an absolutely vital experience. Do You Ever Stop to Think blog
Sally Nicholls is a highly acclaimed writer for children, best known for her sensitive portrayal of difficult subjects for a younger age group. Her books have been translated into over 20 languages and her YA novel about the suffrage movement, Things a Bright Girl Can Do was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal.
Sally grew up in Stockton-on-Tees, and after school, travelled the world, working for a period at a Red Cross hospital in Japan. Sally's first novel, Ways to Live Forever , won the Waterstones Children's Book Prize and she has been shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, the Costa Children's Book Award, and the Carnegie Medal, twice.
She lives in Liverpool with her husband and two sons.
Photo credit Joe Ratzer
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Through rallies and marches, in polite drawing rooms and freezing prison cells and the poverty-stricken slums of the East End, three courageous young women join the fight for the vote. Evelyn is seventeen, and though she is rich and clever, she may never be allowed to follow her older brother to university.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Things a Bright Girl Can Do and determined it is suitable for children aged 13-18 years old
Things a Bright Girl Can Do features in the following genres: Books of the Month, Recommendations, Featured Books for Young Adults, Historical Fiction, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, PSHE: Bullying and Discrimination, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), Romance / Relationship Stories, Recommended Children's eBooks, Featured Books for 13+ readers
Paperback, Hardback. £8.09, down from the £8.99 cover price. In Stock.
Things a Bright Girl Can Do was written by Sally Nicholls and published by Andersen Press Ltd
Things a Bright Girl Can Do has 418 pages
£8.09, reduced from £8.99. In Stock.
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