The Headswoman (1898) is a story by Kenneth Grahame. Although less
popular than The Wind in the Willows (1908), which would go on to
become not only a defining work of Edwardian English literature, but one
of the most popular works of children's fiction in the world, The
Headswoman is a humorous story of tradition and bureaucracy that
brilliantly satirizes the ongoing debate around women's suffrage.
In the town of St. Radegonde, following the death of the local
executioner, it has become necessary to make the role available to the
man's only daughter. Although Jeanne would be the first woman to hold
the position, an occurrence sure to be controversial, bureaucratic
tradition demands to be upheld. Rejecting an offer to let her cousin,
Enguerrand, become executioner instead, Jeanne is appointed to the role
and begins her work the very next morning. Eager and capable, Jeanne has
a calming effect on the men sent to her to die. But when a prominent
aristocrat falls in love with the diligent young woman, her newfound
independence and hard-won respect fall prey to the power of romance.
The Headswoman is a satirical story set in the middle ages but aimed
at a contemporary audience. Published during the early stages of the
women's suffrage movement, the story envisions a world in which a woman
is granted the right to fully participate in the formation and
maintenance of authority. With cunning wit and sly references to
nineteenth century life, The Headswoman seems to ask what equality
would look like for women in a system dependent upon its opposite.
With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript,
this edition of Kenneth Grahame's The Headswoman is a classic work of
British literature reimagined for modern readers.
