A Woman of Courage (Tania Blanchard, HarperCollins)

Set in the late 1800s in Ebberfield, northern England, Tania Blanchard’s A Woman of Courage is an engrossing historical fiction work about the suffragette movement. Recent teaching graduate Hannah Todd dreams of a life of purpose. From her first moment on the page, as she returns to her family’s rural village, it’s clear she’s dedicated to selflessly bettering other people’s lives. Along with her loyal friends, she campaigns for women’s right to vote, joining the nationwide movement in London and fighting prejudice and narrowmindedness within the community. As they fight for this step towards equality, we see a course of retribution, brutality and bullying that Hannah must overcome as she questions how far she’s willing to go. Blanchard’s previous novels have focused on stories from her relatives, and A Woman of Courage owes its genesis to her husband’s ancestors. Fans of Blanchard’s work will rejoice in this new novel, the first of her books to be set in the late 19th century. The characters immediately feel like familiar friends, and the themes of feminist empowerment and passion-led political change are still relevant today. Hannah’s story reminds us that true change isn’t instant or glamorous; it demands gradual courage and persistence, born of necessity. A Woman of Courage is a captivating and uplifting novel about passion, love, loss and self-discovery, and will appeal to fans of Kirsty Manning, Fiona McIntosh and Di Morrissey.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Anna Loder is a lifelong booklover and runs a podcast and virtual bookclubs. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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