This was super-interesting, it is factual, an account of 'ten extraordinary women of the fifties'. The women are; Patience Gray, cookery writer; Nancy Spain, writer and personality; Joan Werner Laurie, magazine editor; Sheila Van Damm, rally-car driver and theatre manager; Alison Smithson, architect; Margery Fish, gardener; Muriel Box, director and Betty Box, producer; Jaquetta Hawkes, archaeologist and Rose Helibron, QC.
The occupations, personalities and personal lives of these women are hugely varied. It is obviously interesting figuring out who these people were but the main fascination I found was in 'how things worked out'. My mum likes reading obituaries because she likes to know what people did with their lives, and that is what is compelling about this book. It is mostly quite sad, the chapter on Nancy Spain, Joan Werner and Sheila Van Damm is heartbreaking but the chapter on Margery Fish I found life affirming.
There is a book by Daniel Miller called The Comfort of Things which is incredible (I urge you to read it if you have any interest in people). I think it is in the foreword to this where he, or someone else, says that the book reveals 'the sadness of lives and the comfort of things' which is a quote that has stuck with me. Her Brilliant Career reveals the sadness of lives and the comfort of work.
