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An Australian Women’s Weekly Great Read
The cost of freedom is sacrifice.
London, 1908. It’s the dawn of a new century and change is in the air.
When 17-year-old Beatrice Taylor stumbles across the offices of the infamous Pankhursts and the Women’s Social and Political Union she begins to realise her future may not be the one she wants.
Her friend Catherine Dawson is too pragmatic to get caught up in the women’s suffrage movement. Despite Oxford refusing to award women degrees she is determined to keep apace with her twin brother and pursue a career in science.
Meanwhile, Ida Bennett, recently promoted to head wardress of DX wing at Holloway Prison, has her work cut out for her. The suffragette inmates are refusing to be treated like criminals—and Ida's not having any of it.
This is the story of three women whose lives become entwined—with the burgeoning women’s movement and with each other. Like Fire-Hearted Suns shows how much things have changed for women—and how much they stay the same.
Author: Melanie Joosten
Paperback Published 6 March 2024 416 pages
‘For those who enjoyed The Dictionary of Lost Words and Lessons in Chemistry, Melanie Joosten's latest novel will fuel appreciation for the women who advocated for gender equality, no matter the cost.’ – Books+Publishing
‘Most of us recall stories of the suffragettes from school – the horrors endured, the courage summoned in the battle for women to win the vote. We take that right for granted now, but like author Melanie Joosten I was captivated by these fearless warriors. Her new novel, Like Fire-Hearted Suns, is essential reading, an extraordinary tale that takes us right into the heart of that vital period in history.’– Australian Women’s Weekly