Couldwomenbefeministwithoutfeminism?Couldtheyfosterfeministactivismwithoutamovementoranideology?Couldtheyrecraftwaysofbeingfemalewithoutaplan?FeministLivesadoptsawoman-centredapproachtoexplorethesequestionsandtounderstandhowBritishwomenchartedanewwayofbeingfemaleinthethreedecadesbeforetheWomen’sLiberationMovement.Byfocusingonthe’transition’generationofwomenwhowereborninthelong1940sandwhogrewtomaturityinthe1950s,60s,and70s,thebookdemonstratesthatitwastheywhodevelopedtheaspirationalmodelofwomanhoodthatthenemergedafter1970asthenormamongstwomenintheglobalnorth.Indoingso,FeministLivesseekstofill’thefeministhistorygap’,counteringanarrativethathasfortoolongneglectedthisgenerationofwomenasfustyandfailing,andasjustnotfeministenough.Usingwomen’svoicesasthebook’sevidentialandemotionalcoreastheydescribethemselves,theirrelationships,theirfeelingsandactions,thisvolumeanalysesthemodesbywhichwomenconstructedamodernself,builtuponnewwaysofliving,feeling,andbeing.
