02 Apr Book Review Strait Lace Rosemary Hayward #StraitLace #HistoricalFiction #WomenInHistory #Suffragettes #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @cathiedunn

FEATURED AUTHOR: ROSEMARY HAYWARD

I’m delighted to welcome Rosemary Hayward as the featured author in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour, being held between March 13th –  April 3rd, 2025. Rosemary Hayward is the author of the Historical Fiction, Strait Lace, published by Loxley Hall Books on March 8^th, 2025 (400 pages).

Below are highlights of Strait Lace, Rosemary Hayward’s author bio, and my review of her book that covers the momentous suffragist movement in early twentieth century England.

Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2025/01/blog-tour-strait-lace-by-rosemary-hayward.html

HIGHLIGHTS: STRAIT LACE

Strait Lace
by Rosemary Hayward

Blurb:

It is 1905. Edwardian England. Harriet Loxley, the daughter of a vicar and niece to a prominent Nottingham lace manufacturer, spends her days playing cricket with her brother, scouring the countryside for botanical specimens, and never missing an opportunity to argue the case for political power for women. Given the chance to visit the House of Commons, Harriet witnesses the failure of a historic bill for women’s voting rights. She also meets the formidable Pankhurst women.

When Harriet gets the chance to study biology at Bedford College, London, she finds her opportunity to be at the heart of the fight. From marching in the street, to speaking to hostile crowds, to hurling stones through windows, just how far will Harriet go?

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/mKkLMP

AUTHOR BIO: ROSEMARY HAYWARD

Rosemary Hayward is the author of Margaret Leaving, a historical mystery uncovering little known events that occurred in the immediate aftermath to World War II. She is also the creator of Your Next Book, a deeply nerdy monthly newsletter describing a book picked from her bookshelf, or Kindle.

She is British by birth but now lives part of the year in California and part in southern Spain.

Author Links:

Website     Facebook      LinkedIn     Instagram     Threads

Pinterest     Book Bub     Amazon Author Page     Goodreads

BOOK REVIEW: STRAIT LACE

Harriet Loxley, a daughter of a cleric and a niece of a prominent lace manufacturer, receives an invitation from a member of parliament, whom her brother works for, to attend the upcoming debate on the women’s suffrage bill in the House of Commons. Little did she know how the momentous experience and meeting other suffragists would change her life.

The historical fiction novel Strait Lace by Rosemary Hayward takes you back in time to 1905 England when women could not vote or work once married, expected to bear and raise children. With financial aid set up by her uncle in a trust, Harriet has the opportunity to study biology at Bedford College, London. However, she would have to give up her studies and not pursue a career if she ever married her supportive partner. Harriet is drawn into the suffragist movement with the promise that women could vote and correct social inequities. Learning oratory skills from her cleric father, she speaks publicly to hostile crowds. She takes the next steps to gain attention to her cause by protesting, being arrested and jailed, and going on a hunger strike.The ramifications of these acts negatively impact her family and she must reconsider how far she will go to gain the right for women to vote. 

Strait Lace is an eye-opening story of a courageous woman who sacrifices almost everything to win the right for women to vote. Harriet is an engaging character who must make difficult decisions that could result in life-altering consequences. One choice she must wrestle with is whether to marry the man she loves. She could lose her position at Bedford College and be unable to pursue a career. Other social issues highlighted in the book include: 1) only property owners could vote, 2) health issues such as unfaithful husbands sexually transmitting infections to their wives, and 3) protesters suffering at the hands of police and being abused in prisons. One of the most heart-wrenching scenes is when a tube is forced down Harriet’s throat to force-feed her during her hunger strike.

Author Rosemary Hayward vividly describes the Edwardian time period and societal expectations. The story works best when the plot and sub-plots focus on women’s suffrage or other social inequities. Subplots of family competition, jealousy, and vengeance sometimes detracted from the overall theme and culminated in a disheartening ending.

For readers who want to learn more the women’s suffrage movement in early 1900’s England, Strait Lace is a compelling story about one woman’s sacrifice so that others could win the right to vote and fulfill their dreams.