Wendy Moore (1) (1952–)

They say truth is stranger than fiction, and this read is a wild ride! Wendy Moore is able to illustrate a colourful representation of life in the 1700s for not just the poor Mary Bowes, but for women in general. It’s astounding what her criminal husband got away with though the ending, his comeuppance, was bittersweet **jailed and shamed from society and Mary finally free, but he found another victim to torment for the last years of his life**

This is my first historical non-fiction that show more I’ve read and it’s made me feel so encouraged to try some more out. I was concerned about being bogged down with dates and facts, but Wendy’s writing style is very informative and conversational; reading this felt like having a chat with your favourite quirky school teacher who made lessons fun. show less

Absolutely fascinating biography of both Thomas Day, his many love-interests and his brilliant social circle. I'm not sure what is more disturbing to me about Thomas Day's attempt to adopt an orphan child to raise up to be his wife -- that his society found this behavior eccentric but acceptable (to a degree anyway) or that so much of what we currently accept as educational theory grew out of the same ground. That's fairly inarticulate, but I really appreciated the wonderful depiction of an show more historical era that I'm fairly unfamiliar with, the straightforward narrative, and the somehow non-intrusive reality check offered by the author at regular intervals (remember, he's looking for someone to live in a miserable hovel and cater to his every whim, who wouldn't want that?). Ultimately, I think Thomas Day was a misguided sadist, but I'm fascinated that he was also an influential anti-slavery advocate and a man beloved by his friends for his virtuous life.
I'm glad that Moore took the time to flesh out Sabrina's story, and acknowledge her -- this is equally her story, and that is always apparent. show less

This is a horrifying tale set in the late 1700s of a wealthy, intelligent heiress tricked into marriage with one of the worst human beings who ever lived. "Wedlock" is truly the correct title for this book as it envokes the image of being chained, locked, stuck in marriage. Mary Eleanor has a loveless first marriage, but her marriage to Andrew Stoney (he takes her last name as stipulated in her very smart father's will) is truly horrific. Stoney physically and mentally abuses Mary: punching, show more kicking, burning, starving, isolating, etc. It's truly sickening. And then there's the fact that a woman had no legal protection from this sort of behavior. It was a husband's right to treat his wife as he chose. "Luckily" Stoney's behavior is so egregious that finally, after a decade of abuse, Mary Eleanor finds a friend in some servants who help her escape. Lengthy legal battles over the divorce, Mary's estate, and the children ensue over decades.

This is a fascinating look at the horrific lack of legal rights that women had in the 1700s. It's very well written and in places reads like a novel. It will turn your stomach to read about this woman's life, but I am glad I read this book. Can't say I enjoyed it because of the subject, but it's worth reading. It will make you very grateful to live when and where we do! show less

Fascinating, and frequently gruesome, story of the man who more or less singlehandedly revolutionized surgery and medicine. John Hunter refused to accept the traditional style of surgery, which was apparently to cut while reading the instructions from classical medical men - Galen and Hippocrates, both of whom worked on theory more than fact. Hunter insisted on observing what was actually going on in the body - which meant graverobbing to get corpses to autopsy, among other things. He also show more dissected every type of animal he could get his hands on, including many exotics brought back by explorers or out of various (mostly private) zoos. According to Wendy Moore, he perceived the same relationships among animals (including Man) that Darwin did some sixty years later - but a combination of religious limitations on publication and the actions of his assistant, who took all his papers and apparently destroyed a good many, kept his discoveries from being known. It's a biography, so it has a sad ending; in this case, the ending is also really annoying, as said assistant did his best to wreck everything Hunter had created. It's an illuminating look at a person and a situation I knew little about. I hope Moore has written and will write more books. show less