Uncontrollable Women: Radicals, Reformers & Revolutionaries.
by Nan Sloane
IB Tauris £17.46 

THE publishing world seems to have suddenly discovered “invisible women” and resolved to champion trailblazers to whom our society owes a long overdue debt.

The concept of “herstory” has been around for a while, coined by some feminist researchers and authors criticising male domination in “his story.” It’s a wry joke, of course; writers do understand the neologism. But the challenge is well founded. Where have these wonderful women been, all our lives?

Nan Sloane has done a grand job here. Producing non-fiction, which also moves along with a graceful narrative arc, is tricky enough. Unearthing these neglected lives demands meticulous research. Writing a page-turner calls for a storyteller’s skill.