- Book Synopsis
- A Waterstones Best History Book 2024'Compulsively readable' - Times Literary Supplement'An outstanding work' - Philippa Gregory'A powerful narrative told with frankness and sensitivity' - Helen Fry, historian and author of Women In Intelligence'A woman, a dog and a walnut tree, the more they are beaten, the better they'll be.'So went the proverb quoted by a prominent MP in the Houses of Parliament in 1853. His words - intended ironically in a debate about a rise in attacks on women - summed up the prevailing attitude of the day, in which violence against women was waved away as a part and parcel of modern living - a chilling seam of misogyny that had polluted both parliament and the law. But were things about to change?In this vivid and essential work of historical non-fiction, Kate Morgan explores the legal campaigns, test cases and individual injustices of the Victorian and Edwardian eras which fundamentally re-shaped the status of women under British law. These are seen through the untold stories of women whose cases became cornerstones of our modern legal system and shine a light on the historical inequalities of the law.We hear of the uniquely abusive marriage which culminated in the dramatic story of the 'Clitheroe wife abduction'; of the domestic tragedies which changed the law on domestic violence; the controversies surrounding the Contagious Diseases Act and the women who campaigned to abolish it; and the real courtroom stories behind notorious murder cases such as the 'Camden Town Murder'.Exploring the 19th- and early 20th Century legal history that influenced the modern-day stances on issues such as domestic abuse, sexual violence and divorce, The Walnut Treelifts the lid on the shocking history of women under British law - and what it means for women today.
- About The Author
- Kate Morgan qualified as a solicitor in 2008. She worked as a senior in-house lawyer in the water industry for a number of years. Kate's first book, Murder: The Biography, was published in April 2021.
- Product Details
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- ISBN
- 9780008559618
- Format
- Paperback
- Publisher
- Mudlark, (13 February 2025)
- Number of Pages
- 320
- Weight
- 230 grams
- Language
- English
- Dimensions
- 198 x 129 x 25 mm
- Categories: