Major new exploration of the women who revolutionized American and British life, by the renowned feminist historian

From the 1880s to the 1920s, a profound social awakening among women extended the possibilities of change far beyond the struggle for the vote. Amid the growth of globalized trade, mass production, immigration and urban slums, American and British women broke with custom and prejudice. Taking off corsets, forming free unions, living communally, buying ethically, joining trade unions, doing social work in settlements, these “dreamers of a new day” conceived new ways of arranging daily life from childcare to industrial relations.

In the process they challenged ideas about sexuality, mothering, housework, the economy and citizenship. Forming broad coalitions and movements with strong transatlantic links, both radicals and reformers were overturning assumptions about “everyday life” long before it came to be theorized in the 1960s. Drawing on a wealth of research, Sheila Rowbotham has written a groundbreaking new history that shows how women created much of the fabric of modern life. These innovative dreamers raised questions that remain at the forefront of our twentyfirst- century lives.

Praise for Dreamers of a New Day:

“As the 21st century falters forward with faith wars and economic collapse, women need to be at the forefront of reimagining our world. This book is a timely reminder that we have been here before” — Jeanette Winterson, Times

“Rowbotham has a marvellous gift for explication and an eye for the illuminating quotation… readers of this ambitious and eloquent book will agree with Rowbotham’s tough-minded conclusion: that in women’s ongoing effort to reconcile the personal and the political, ‘there is no automatic accretion of improvement,’ but the need to reinvent utopia in every era.” — Elaine Showalter, Daily Telegraph

Praise for Edward Carpenter:

“Exhaustively researched and resonant in detail.” — Fiona MacCarthy, Guardian

“One of the best political biographies for many years. It is not just a book about the past; it’s bursting with ideas that remain relevant to the future of humanity.” — Peter Tatchell, Observer Books of the Year

“A powerful and entertaining biography. It reads beautifully.” — Jeanette Winterson, The Times

“Immensely valuable.” — Colm Tóibín, London Review of Books

“Magnificent ... definitive.” — Tristram Hunt, Observer

Sheila Rowbotham is Professor of Gender and Labour History at the University of Manchester, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Her many books include, most recently, the James Tait Black–shortlisted Edward Carpenter: A Life of Liberty and Love. She has written for, among other newspapers, the Guardian, The Times, the Independent, the New Statesman, and the New York Times.