When
Tessa Blackstone moved in to 2 Gower Street, London, she was delighted to
discover that a previous tenant had been Millicent Garrett Fawcett, the suffragist
leader who dedicated her life to securing women’s right to vote. But Tessa could
not find a recent biography of this impressive woman, as the historical
narrative favoured the militant suffragettes over the suffragists, who
campaigned within the law and disapproved of violence. Some years later, Tessa
resolved to fix the omission herself and began to uncover Millicent’s life
story.



Growing
up in a large family in Suffolk, Millicent and her sisters challenged Victorian
views about the role of women in their pursuit of education, employment and
enfranchisement. Getting married at twenty did not deter Millicent from
becoming a writer and feminist campaigner. Her husband Henry Fawcett, a blind
academic and Liberal politician, shared her views and encouraged her. She was
devastated by his early death, but her grit and determination kept her going.
Over many decades, she battled against indifference and prejudice and was
successful in not only winning women the vote but also fighting for improvements
in their educational opportunities and employment prospects.



Brimming
with charming anecdotes about Millicent’s life from cradle to grave, this is
the definitive biography of an extraordinary activist and campaigner who
changed Britain’s political landscape for ever.