Nevertheless, She Persisted by Jon Walter is a quick, interesting look into the lives of two quite ordinary, yet very different women.

Its publication is quite timely as 2018 marks the centenary of some women in Ireland and Britain getting the right to vote. It took until 1928 for women to get equal voting rights to men in Britain and Northern Ireland, while women in the Republic of Ireland acquired full suffrage in 1922.

In this novel, we follow Clara, a prison warden who deals with jailed suffragettes every day in work, who claims to disagree with what they stand for yet who wants to continue working and earning her own money, on her own terms without having to give everything up for marriage.

On the other hand, we have Clara's younger sister Nancy who is by nature quite timid and shy yet decides on a whim to join the cause for women's rights.

Personally, I much preferred reading Nancy's chapters to Clara's. I found her growth and enlightenment away from her father's home to be a most wondrous thing. I found Clara to be quite selfish. She was happy to reap the benefits of the suffrage movement without pledging her support. With Clara, it wasn't a case of "Deeds Not Words", it was a case of neither deeds nor words as she refused to even commit verbally to the cause.

While I did feel that the writing lacked the passion of the women of the time I actually really enjoyed this book and I'm incredibly thankful to Carolyn at @dfb_storyhouse who suggested I read it and who provided me with this beautiful ARC.2 s Bookwormthings444 1 follower

*****I was sent a review copy by the publisher in exchange for an honest review****

The move to Universal Suffrage was a long fight ultimately hastened by the appalling loss of life in the First World War. This book is set in 1914 before the outbreak of war. The main plot focus is on the administration of the “Cat and mouse” Act, which allowed hunger striking suffragettes to be released from prison only to be rearrested as soon as they were well enough to return.

The main protagonists are sisters, Clara and Nancy who are working at Holloway Prison as warders. Nancy falls under the spell of charismatic suffragette Daisy and becomes attached to the more militant side of the movement. The period when Nancy and Daisy are on the run from the authorities moving around the country indulging in a spot of arson, is the most captivating part of the book.

Unfortunately away from the action sequences I felt the characters did not hold together and were being used too much as stereotypes. As a result they were difficult to empathise with due to the absence of emotional depth. This was particularly exposed by the extensive list of issues which crossed the plot; pregnancy and childbirth, rape, incest, domestic violence, lesbianism, bisexuality, adoption, contraception, male/female roles and sexual exploitation. These seemed to happen and then be passed over.

If the women are sketchily drawn the male characters are largely caricatures who fulfil their plot purpose of being a ‘bad thing’, abusers, lechers against which the women must react. Clara’s boyfriend is the kindest and as he flounders in the face of his girlfriend’s reluctance to conform to the societal roles, perhaps the best depiction in the book.

Clara’s reluctance to conform isn’t really explored there was a many a missed opportunity in Clara’s interactions with the other warders to explore their reactions to their position as working women. For the time it was an unusual position to hold, and whilst a couple of the warders make a comment about how perhaps the suffragettes had a point, that is as far as it goes. Nancy’s infatuation with Daisy which is the trigger to her involvement with the suffragettes more than any political or ideological allegiance. However, with little ideological motivation in play, Nancy’s actually drifts into activism, seeking to fulfil her desire for a relationship with Daisy. The sexual involvement distracts from the perennial moral dilemma of does the end justify the means. I am not sure that is the portrayal of the suffragettes which the author is aiming to achieve.

I really wanted to this book more than I did and have pondered long over this review. The conclusion I have come to is that this book really wants to be two or three, which would allow intertwined issues to be explored properly in a background of the suffrage movement. The 326 pages in my review copy are insufficient to cover the history with an emotional coherence. Some 'further reading' at the back would be a good inclusion. If that could be done, I think it would be a book for a truly ‘adult’ audience, as it is, the writing style remains that for the young adult market which is not how the book is being sold.

My thanks to David Fickling Books for making a copy available to me.

1 Aidy Tomlinson185 9

What better a way to celebrate the centenary of (some) women getting the right to vote than by the release of this stunning, thought provoking novel? Anyone who knows me knows how much I to go on about #votesforwomen and the movement of the Suffragettes, and reading Nevertheless She Persisted was an absolute delight.

The story follows two women, Clara and Nancy, who are working in Holloway prison and end up face-to-face with the jailed Suffragettes on a daily basis. Clara doesn’t agree with the what the suffragettes stand for, or their actions, at least so she says. However Clara still wants to keep on working and being independent, without having to give up everything for marriage. Is she really that different from the women she locks up everyday?

Nancy on the other hand is different to her older sister Clara, normally timid and shy, she too finds herself working alongside the women jailed for their part in the campaign for votes for women. Nancy is drawn to one inmate in particular, “Duchess” and before she knows it, she has found herself enticed into the movement.

The book covers a range of themes such as family, poverty, relationships, feminism and the stark inequality between men and women at that time. Sexual, economic, legal and psychological power all rested in the hands of men. Vivid and colourful prose brought the early 20th century alive from the pages, Jon Walter’s has clearly researched this era well, and paints an iconic picture of London and the Suffragette movement around this time.

The characterisation is perfection, each individual multi-dimensional and varied. A lot of characters are not as they first seem, and I changed my opinions on them multiple times as another layer of their personality was peeled back to reveal something even more surprising. Some got under my skin so much that I was infuriated at times by Clara, and found Nancy much more lovable.

This engaging, entertaining and inspiring story is a must read for feminists everywhere, particularly ones who are fans of Historical Fiction.1 Jaffareadstoo2,685

"Deeds not Words" is the rally cry of the suffragette movement and in 1914 two sisters put this motto to the test as they each become caught up in the organisation in very diverse ways. One will take the idea of deeds not words very much to heart, whilst the other, although wanting her independence is not persuaded to join the cause.

Clara and Nancy are two very different young women and yet, they are bound by the secrets they share about growing up in a small terraced house in London. The young women are disadvantaged by the constraints that society and their upbringing have placed on them and both Clara and Nancy have some difficult choices to make before they can become comfortable with the hand that fate has dealt them.

Set partly in the all-female prison of Holloway, where those suffragettes who have been imprisoned for their beliefs are force fed, doesn't make for comfortable reading, and yet, the author has made the situation very plausible without ever over sensationalising the disassociation of the prison warders as they go about the grim task of keeping the women alive.

Nevertheless She Persisted brings this momentous period alive in a very readable way and the author has created in Clara and Nancy two very different personalities and yet, both are totally believable. I enjoyed watching as their characters progressed throughout the story particularly, Nancy whose early start in the novel belied her later strength.

I read the story quickly, not because it's light on content, far from it, it’s all very interesting. I found the parts of the story about the suffragettes very enlightening, and enjoyed seeing how Clara’s and Nancy’s story played out within the wider scope of the novel. The ending I felt, almost lends itself to a continuation, and I would love to know what happens next for both of these young women as they live with the choices they have made, particularly as the country is fast approaching the onset of the First World War.
1 Kaisha (The Writing Garnet)655 184

All can be found on my blog at https://thewritinggarnet.wordpress.com

Ohhhhhhh I was really in my element with this one!! I adore reading books about the Sufraggette Movement both fictionally, and non-fictionally. Jon Walter's book was no exception. The Suffragette Movement is an iconic piece of history, one which is still changing things even to this day. I have a passion for all things history, but (aside from the Victorian era), reading about the Suffragette's is a passion of mine.

'Nevertheless She Persisted' isn't a light-hearted read by any means as it showcases the history behind the Suffragette Movement, as well as the detrimental effects their actions had on both themselves and everyone else, whether they were involved or not. In the 1900's, men were far more superior than women, with the male population getting let off with far less harsher punishments for committing crimes because it was 'typical' thing for them to do. However, should a woman commit a crime, it seemed more of a shocking thing to happen as a woman's 'job' is to 'behave, look pretty, and do as they're told'. Of course it doesn't quite work that and rightly so, women started to make a stand for equality and justice. They started to make a stand for freedom and the ability to be treated as a human in their own right, rather than just a baby making machine or a housewife.

I was aware about the force feeding which the suffragettes endured, but there is one thing reading about it from a historical point of view, and then reading about it in a fictional sense when you feel as though you have gotten to know the characters you're reading about. When I had read history books on this subject, the topic of force feeding was very black and white and unassociated to me on every level, however, whilst reading it happen in Jon Walter's book, I felt an emotional link to Daisy, therefore becoming far more associated to the cause than I had ever dreamed of.

Can you tell that I am passionate about this subject? I'm trying to be careful not to go full blown factual in this review, so I do apologise if I have a smidge. Jon Walter created such memorable and phenomenal characters in Nancy and Daisy. Whilst I appreciate that Nancy's sister, Clara was a large part of the overall storyline, I didn't feel as close to her as I did Nancy. I felt that Nancy's story had more power behind it and was a lot more linked to the Suffragettes than Clara's. I'm not saying that Clara had it easy, because she didn't. She saw things which no doubt hardened her from her very core. She witnessed the other side of the suffragette movement in Holloway prison, which couldn't have been easy at all.

I absolutely loved the historical references throughout the novel, especially as Jon Walter shone the spotlight on the very lady herself, Emmeline Pankhurst. I cannot even begin to imagine the amount of extensive research Jon Walter embarked on before piecing his novel together, but I can assure everyone that it certainly paid off. The fact that a male author has written a novel about a female orientated movement which males during that time were extremely against, gives me great hope for the future. Without sounding patronising, I am in awe of this author for what he has done with this book - he really has done himself and the Suffragettes proud.

A brilliant, eye-opening, thought-provoking, humbling novel which highlights the trials and tribulations of the Suffragette movement both directly, and indirectly. A phenomenal read, one of which I am extremely proud to hold in my hands.  Karen Cole970 131

2018 marks the centenary year of the Representation of the People Act of 1918 which gave the vote to women over the age of 30 who owned a property, were on the local government register or married to a member, or were a graduate in a university constituency (full suffrage which gave women the same voting rights as men didn't come until 1928). Nevertheless She Persisted is a timely novel then, which follows two sisters whose lives are both transformed by the Suffragette movement.
The book opens in 1913 shortly after the death of Emily Davison at Epsom. Clara is already a warden at Holloway Prison and she manages to secure an interview there for her sister, Nancy. Clara is an ambitious young woman who is keen to gain promotion whereas Nancy seems more fragile and finds it difficult to act assertively in front of the prisoners. However, she becomes irrevocably drawn to a Suffragette prisoner, Daisy and as a result finds an inner strength which sees her take extraordinary decisions and become deeply involved in the militant campaign for women's votes. Her journey from a scared and insecure girl to a radical Suffragette is fascinating. Her interest in the movement comes somewhat reluctantly at first; she is a moth drawn to Daisy's irresistible flame. However, when Daisy tells her that deeds not words matter, she begins to assess her life and realises it is not her own and that she does what is expected of her.
Meanwhile Clara's role sees her assisting with the force-feeding of imprisoned Suffragettes on hunger strike. I was aware that women were forcibly fed as hunger striking political prisoners of the time but to actually read of the brutality involved was truly disturbing. Jon Walter's gritty descriptions leave us in no doubt of the painful and invasive nature of the procedure and it comes as little surprise to read that some of the wardens themselves had to disassociate themselves with the act. Although Clara's job means she is in opposition to the Suffragettes, she rallies against the constraints of womanhood. She knows she will ultimately have to decide between marriage and her career and is angry that her aspirations to succeed in her job will be thwarted by a society that means that married women aren't permitted to work. As another suffragette, Mrs Birnstingl remarks to Nancy, "Our mission is not to tear down our institutions, Miss Cooper, but to change them for the better," and it is clear that the fiercely progressive Clara would reap the benefits of emancipation for women.
Nevertheless She Persisted doesn't tell the whole story of the Suffragette movement, nor does it pretend to. Ending just before the outbreak of the First World War, it serves as a poignant window into the lives of women at the time, constrained by a society that placed them on such a pedestal that meant their crimes were more harshly punished for being against their virtuous nature and yet didn't consider them worthy of the right to vote. It is a moving and sympathetic account of the courage of the women who were prepared to break the rules and take a stand against oppression to highlight their cause. I highly recommend the powerful and moving Nevertheless She Persisted and I'd love to read more about Clara and Nancy - with WW1 looming it would be fascinating to see how the changing roles of women then affects them both. The Literary Shed222 17


On one level, Jon Walter's book is an engaging tale of two sisters, Clara and Nancy, from a challenging working-class background, and the impact that the burgeoning women’s movement in London has on their lives. It’s very readable and Walter writes fluidly. That said, I wanted more. It left me wanting more.

I found it very one tone, that is, lacking in extreme high or low notes. And by that, I mean this was a movement on a huge scale, one that, at the time, was vilified by men, particularly those in power, by the press – and, yes, by other women. It had very vocal and able supporters – Virginia Woolf included, who wrote several fine essays that were published in the papers at the time. It was also a movement that was seeking the seemingly impossible, that women could have the right to vote, the right to have some control over their own lives, and this at a time when not even all men had that. And that’s something that the 1918 act achieved, the right to vote for all men – and a selection of women who met very specific criteria, some 8.5 million potentially. So, by those very facts this was a movement in which anyone involved had to be passionate about and committed to achieving their ends – Emmeline Pankhurst’s were almost religious in their zeal. And one also has to remember, if this were to happen now, the actions of violent civil disobedience committed by suffragettes would be considered domestic terrorism: that’s how serious it was. That passion, that zeal doesn’t come across in Walter’s book. Instead there’s a feeling almost of acceptance, even by the characters who are caught up in the movement. And terrible things happen to some of Walter’s characters. Yet, I didn’t get a sense of extreme desperation, frustration, violent passion, hate, of a belief in the cause so strong that the means truly justified the ends. When you read material contemporary to the time, speeches, letters, and so on, by prominent suffragettes, some of those emotions certainly seep through.

… So, for the above reasons, I wanted more. Others, I'm sure, will disagree.

This is a version of a review originally published on The Literary Shed: http://www.theliteraryshed.co.uk/read... étenduedemots95

I d it and d the descriptions that sets us readers in the beginning of the XXth century quite well. I enjoyed the sisters’ different ways of behaving. However, I am not sure how I feel about the open ending. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review Josie JaffreyAuthor 41 books161

Click here to watch The Gin Book Club's video review: https://www.theginbookclub.com/single... Meg128 3

This book was a good book about the time set it was written about with the suffragettes. I love the relationship between Nancy and Clara and the problems that they face in the 1910s. KathVBtn537 24

Two sisters working in Holloway prison at time when suffragettes are taking more and more direct action and being arrested for it. Liz Owen577 1 follower

Interesting view of suffragettes and the lives of women before WW1, but somehow the story felt a bit "thin." Hannah20

Well I persisted Sara Eames1,423 12

This started off really well but was let down by the ending. Too many loose ends and no real resolution for either sister spoils what had the potential to be a good story. Amy114

Weak storyline, with a confusing plot. Sharlene Rowan256 6

Great read very insightful in to the troubles of the lady campaigners .. however end was a little flat just seemed to stop Sarah534 20

Reviewed for Booktime magazine March/April 2019book-group-booktime- historical Kirsty 3,540 345

I wanted to love this book and while I didn't love it I hoped I did enjoy it enough. I d seeing the insight into the suffragette movement.historical historical-edwardian historical-suffragettes ...more Leo4,506 479

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