The Odd Women

The Odd Women is a boldly political title from the early feminist movement, exploring the gender roles and class constraints of 1890s Victorian London. Rhoda Nunn challenges accepted norms and mores around the role of women in society, drawing a sharp contrast to the middle-class respectability of the Madden sisters' upbringing.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 298 pages
Publication date: 23 January 2025
Publisher: Unnamed Press

The Madden sisters, Alice, Virginia, and Monica, are left with no money and a dim future after their father's death in 1890s Victorian London. They must navigate the gender roles and class constraints of the time, which are particularly challenging for women who have aged out of the possibility of marriage and love. Rhoda Nunn, a childhood friend of the Madden sisters, arrives in London to challenge accepted norms and mores around the role of women in society. Rhoda's strong feminist passion contrasts with the middle-class respectability of the Madden sisters' upbringing, as they watch a new world emerge around them. Gissing's The Odd Women captures the absurdity, brutality, and even comedy of Victorian attitudes towards brilliant women who dared to be odd by conceiving of their role in society beyond their value as wives. The book features a conversational afterword from writers Merve Emre and Adam Dalva.

Weight: 350g
Dimension: 357 x 211 x 40 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781961884243