The unlikely history of women's empowerment through widowhood
Historically seen as figures of pity and foreboding--poverty stricken
receivers of charity, tragic figures dressed in black, and even
sometimes sexually voracious predators or witches--widows have been
subject to powerful stereotypes that have endured for centuries. But for
many women, widowhood unfolded into a vastly more complex story. From
being property of men and housekeepers--the owners of nothing--they
found themselves suddenly enfranchised, empowered, and free to conduct
themselves however they wished. From suffrage campaigners and
politicians, to entrepreneurs and newly self-made women, the effect of
widows' might can be seen throughout history. In Widows historians
Maggie Andrews and Janis Lomas pull together the stories of fascinating
women, both famous and unknown, and their exploits after being widowed.
They show how throughout history widows have carried on with everyday
life in the face of poverty or isolation, their struggles for political
power, and the ways that many of them have contributed to improving the
lives of women today.