All opinions in this post are my own - thanks to The History Press for providing a copy for me to read for the purposes of this review.
There's a really positive trend at the moment towards the study of women's history, and this is vital to our understanding of history as a whole. Women were not always at the forefront of political, social and military events (although sometimes they were!) but they performed other, equally important roles that undoubtably changed how history turned out.
Taking this one step further, Jessica Cox, in her book Confinement: The Hidden History of Maternal Bodies in Nineteenth-Century Britain takes a look at women navigating their role as mothers. She argues that the history of pregnant women has been often skipped over, and hidden from public view, particularly the emotional aspect of the experience. Digging into sources, she has unearthed women's real and often heart-wrenching experiences as they strove to fulfil not only their own urge for motherhood, but also often to provide a longed for heir to the family titles or estates.
This is a wholly important and necessary work. For fans of earlier time periods, it's also a useful read because no doubt our Tudor and Medieval ancestors would have experienced many of the same issues. The book really opened my eyes, and I would whole-heartedly recommend it. One of the 'must-reads' of the year if you're interested in women's history.
Ask for Confinement by Jessica Cox in your local bookshop, or you can find it on (affiliate link): Amazon here.
Liked this? You might also like The Woodville Brides, The Women of Bedlam and my page about the Forgotten Women of History.
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