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Roaring Girls

The forgotten feminists of British history

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Roaring Girls

By: Holly Kyte
Narrated by: Helen Keeley
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About this listen

‘Extraordinary’ Woman&Home

A Roaring Girl was loud when she should be quiet, disruptive when she should be submissive, sexual when she should be pure, ‘masculine’ when she should be ‘feminine’.

Meet the unsung heroines of British history who refused to play by the rules.

Roaring Girls tells the game-changing life stories of eight formidable women whose grit, determination and radical unconventionality saw them defy the odds to forge their own paths.

From the notorious cross-dressing thief Mary Frith in the seventeenth century to rebel slave Mary Prince and adventurer, industrialist and LGBT trailblazer Anne Lister in the nineteenth, these diverse characters redefined what a woman could be and what she could do in pre-twentieth-century Britain.

Bold, inspiring and powerfully written, Roaring Girls tells the electrifying histories of women who, despite every effort to suppress them, dared to be extraordinary.

 Activists Literary History & Criticism Politics & Activism Women

Critic reviews

'An extraordinary, vivacious account of eight remarkable invisible women whose stories were crying out to be heard.’ Paula Byrne

‘Extraordinary’ Woman&Home

‘Brilliant…Gung-ho girl power’ Simple Things magazine

‘Terrific!’ Diane Atkinson

‘Joyful, energetic, meticulously researched’ Professor Vivien Gardner, University of Manchester

‘A really fascinating book that delves deep and proves that history is populated by unconventional women who’s stories often go untold.’ RED Online

‘Pulls back the curtain on women’s history to tell eight extraordinary tales of courage and determination over 300 years’. S magazine

‘A bold and thought-provoking read’ CANDIS

‘Roaring Girls is a slice of inspiration from pre-20th century Britain’ Tatler

All stars
Most relevant
Narration a little breathy and saccharine sweet, which is out of step with the subject matter.
Interesting collection of lives, sadly with few happy endings.

Enjoyable if a little breathily narrated

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Loved this book. 8 wonderful women whose lives enthrall in their courageous actions and thinking.

True delight, a compelling listen.

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A wonderful and stirring book full of stories told with great care and precision, and at a confident and rewarding pace. Holly Kyte sheds light on some delightfully eccentric episodes in the lives of these extraordinary and courageous women, moments that moved me close to tears and plenty of twists of fate and turns of phrase that put a big smile on my face. It left me wanting to sail round the world with Hannah Snell or tread the boards with Charlotte Charke! Helen Keeley is a lively and passionate reader with a strong command of the text. Highly recommended listening - never a dull moment.

A beautifully inspiring collection of lives.

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