Margaret Thornton – författare

A follow-up to her successful debut Charleston and set in the world’s most glamorous landscapes, this moving new love story from Margaret Bradham Thornton draws on a metaphor of entanglement theory to ask: when two people collide, are they forever attached no matter where they are? Helen Gibbs, a British journalist on assignment on the west coast of Mexico, meets Christopher Delavaux, an intriguing half-French, half-American lawyer-turned-financier who has come alone to surf. Living lives that never stop moving, from their first encounter in Bermeja to marriage in London and travels to such places as Saint-Tropez, Tangier, and Santa Clara, Helen and Christopher must decide how much they exist for themselves and how much they exist for each other.In an effort to build his firm, Christopher leads a life full of speed and ambition with little time for Helen and even less when he suspects his business partner of illegal activity. Helen, a reluctant voyeur to Christopher’s world of power and position, searches far and wide for reporting work that will “take a bite out of her soul”—refugees in Calais, a mountain climber in Chamonix, an orphaned circus performer in Cuba. A Theory of Love captures the ambivalence at the center of human experience: does one reside in the familiar comforts of solitude or dare to open one’s heart and risk having it broken? Set in some of the most picturesque places in the world, this novel questions what it means to love someone and leaves us wondering—can nothing save us but a fall?

Privatising the Public University: The Case of Law is the first full-length critical study examining the impact of the dramatic reforms that have swept through universities over the last two decades. Drawing on extensive research and interviews in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Canada, Margaret Thornton considers the impact of the market on students, academics and law schools, documenting how both the curriculum and pedagogical methods have changed. If the passing of the idea of the university is rued, concern usually focuses on the humanities and the natural sciences. In this respect, law has been regarded as privileged because of the virtually unstoppable demand for law places and the willingness of students to pay high fees. And, as this book shows, it is commercial and instrumental forms of legal training that are now favoured, whilst the humanistic, critical, theoretical and social justice aspects of legal knowledge have been corroded. Privatising the Public University will be of considerable interest to legal academics; but it will also be invaluable work for anyone interested in the future of higher education, or, more generally, in the corporatization of culture.

Privatising the Public University: The Case of Law is the first full-length critical study examining the impact of the dramatic reforms that have swept through universities over the last two decades. Drawing on extensive research and interviews in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Canada, Margaret Thornton considers the impact of the market on students, academics and law schools, documenting how both the curriculum and pedagogical methods have changed. If the passing of the idea of the university is rued, concern usually focuses on the humanities and the natural sciences. In this respect, law has been regarded as privileged because of the virtually unstoppable demand for law places and the willingness of students to pay high fees. And, as this book shows, it is commercial and instrumental forms of legal training that are now favoured, whilst the humanistic, critical, theoretical and social justice aspects of legal knowledge have been corroded. Privatising the Public University will be of considerable interest to legal academics; but it will also be invaluable work for anyone interested in the future of higher education, or, more generally, in the corporatization of culture.

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and law, expertly written by the world’s leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive policy issues associated with discrete subject areas.This Advanced Introduction overviews the ongoing struggle for gender equality since the nineteenth century. It considers how women have looked to law as a means of facilitating entry into the public sphere, including in higher education, work and professional life.The book examines the feminist assertation that ‘the personal is political’ and addresses issues in the private sphere that have long been on the reform agenda, including marriage, divorce, sexual assault and violence against women. It also considers the current fragmentation of feminism, or ‘postfeminism’; while critics argue the aims of feminism have been achieved, data on sexual harassment and violence against women by intimate partners reveals the continuing elusiveness of gender equality.Key Features:An essential exploration of both modern and historical feminismFocuses on the four key themes of active citizenship, paid work, intimate relations and violence and criminality to clarify how law reform is addressedConsiders the increasing diversity in trends in intimate relationships, such as same sex marriage, the decline in traditional marriage and the consequences of separation.The Advanced Introduction to Feminist Perspectives on Law is highly beneficial to students and scholars of gender law, legal theory, legal philosophy and feminist history.

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and law, expertly written by the world’s leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive policy issues associated with discrete subject areas.This Advanced Introduction overviews the ongoing struggle for gender equality since the nineteenth century. It considers how women have looked to law as a means of facilitating entry into the public sphere, including in higher education, work and professional life.The book examines the feminist assertation that ‘the personal is political’ and addresses issues in the private sphere that have long been on the reform agenda, including marriage, divorce, sexual assault and violence against women. It also considers the current fragmentation of feminism, or ‘postfeminism’; while critics argue the aims of feminism have been achieved, data on sexual harassment and violence against women by intimate partners reveals the continuing elusiveness of gender equality.Key Features:An essential exploration of both modern and historical feminismFocuses on the four key themes of active citizenship, paid work, intimate relations and violence and criminality to clarify how law reform is addressedConsiders the increasing diversity in trends in intimate relationships, such as same sex marriage, the decline in traditional marriage and the consequences of separation.The Advanced Introduction to Feminist Perspectives on Law is highly beneficial to students and scholars of gender law, legal theory, legal philosophy and feminist history.

In the past fifteen years there has been a marked increase in the international scholarship relating to women in law. The lives and careers of women in legal practice and the judiciary have been extensively documented and critiqued, but the central conundrum remains: Does the presence of women make a difference?What has been largely overlooked in the literature is the position of women in the legal academy, although central to the changing culture. To remedy the oversight, an international network of scholars embarked on a comparative study, which resulted in this path-breaking book. The contributors uncover fascinating accounts of the careers of the academic pioneers as well as exploring broader theoretical issues relating to gender and culture. The provocative question as to whether the presence of women makes a difference informs each contribution.

In the past fifteen years there has been a marked increase in the international scholarship relating to women in law. The lives and careers of women in legal practice and the judiciary have been extensively documented and critiqued, but the central conundrum remains: Does the presence of women make a difference?What has been largely overlooked in the literature is the position of women in the legal academy, although central to the changing culture. To remedy the oversight, an international network of scholars embarked on a comparative study, which resulted in this path-breaking book. The contributors uncover fascinating accounts of the careers of the academic pioneers as well as exploring broader theoretical issues relating to gender and culture. The provocative question as to whether the presence of women makes a difference informs each contribution.

One week will change all their lives...Janice Butler is working as a waitress at her mother's Blackpool boarding house when she meets Val Horrocks and Cissie Foster who are visiting from Halifax, and the three form an instant friendship.Romance beckons for all of them, but the events of one evening at a local dance will change all their lives for better and for worse, and all three girls will discover that life doesn't always turn out as one would expect.A charming tale of friendship and romance set in 1950s Blackpool, perfect for fans of Margaret Dickinson and Rosie Archer.

The course of true love never did run smoothVal Walker is looking forward to starting a family, her best friend Cissie is expecting her second child, and newly engaged Janice is looking forward to wedded bliss. But the road to happiness isn't easy. Val struggles to fall pregnant with her longed for first baby, Cissie's husband starts taking an interest in a new female colleague, and Janice is torn between leaving her widowed father and younger brother behind in Blackpool and her new life in Yorkshire. Are the three friends' marriages strong enough to survive, or are they all headed for heartbreak?An enthralling tale of marriage, love and friendship, perfect for fans of Margaret Dickinson and Rosie Harris.

A new decade brings change and challenges for three friends Having been firm friends ever since they met in a Blackpool boarding house, Val, Cissie and Janice are all now happily settled with their families. But the new decade brings changes for all three women: Val finds it hard at times to love her son who is causing problems. Janice and her husband make a decision about their future, but quickly begin to wonder if they have bitten off more than they can chew. And Cissie's contented life as a wife and mother is thrown in jeopardy when she encounters an old flame An engaging 1960s saga of marriage and motherhood, perfect for fans of Lynda Page and Maureen Lee.

Will their new-found freedom come at a price?It's 1970 and Debbie Hargreaves is heading to college in Leeds, where she'll be sharing with three girls she's never met before. Although they're all from very different backgrounds, Debbie soon becomes firm friends with shy Lisa, outspoken Karen and cool, self-assured Fran. At the same time, Fiona is struggling to cope with four young children and her duties as a rector's wife. The arrival of a new childminder should be the answer to her prayers, but Glenda's open flirting with Fiona's husband soon sets tongues wagging. Is Fiona's marriage really under threat?Debbie loves her newfound independence and the male attention she attracts, but in enjoying her new freedom is she neglecting her family and friends, and forgetting her roots?A charming saga of family and friendship, perfect for fans of Margaret Dickinson and Rosie Harris.

Is the past sometimes best left alone?Fiona Norwood is happily married, with a small daughter and another baby on the way. Her life should be complete. But she has a secret in her past, and a part of her cannot forget the baby girl she was forced to give up for adoption when she was seventeen.Meanwhile, Debbie Hargreaves has known ever since she was a little girl that she was adopted. Her parents are kind and loving and she has a happy home life, but there is a part of her that is desperate to find out about her birth mother. Debbie's search will awaken powerful and long-buried emotions, and life for Debbie, Fiona and their friends and relatives will never be quite the same again An enthralling family saga of family and secrets, perfect for fans of Rosie Harris and Pam Evans.

A secret from her past threatens the new life she has builtFiona Norwood, the new rector's wife, has caused quite a stir in the close-knit parish community of Aberthwaite. With her glossy blonde hair, fashionable clothes and lavish use of make-up, she is not what the rural Yorkshire community expected, and her ideas to modernise the parish do not go down well with some of the more traditional members of the congregation.Fiona is at the centre of the gossip and rumour in the community and it is only a matter of time before someone discovers the secret she's been hiding in her past, something she hasn't even told her new husband. The revelations and heartache that ensue have unforeseen consequences for more than one member of the parish.An enchanting saga of marriage and secrets, perfect for fans of Rosie Archer and Margaret Dickinson.

This provocative collection of essays by scholars from the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand explores the uneasy relationship between law and popular culture from a feminist perspective. The essays not only consider the representation of law in popular culture, including film, crime fiction and the media, but also the representation of popular culture in legal texts.Romancing the Tomes shows that while popular culture is bewitched by law, particularly anything to do with sex and crime, law is anxious to resist the unruliness of popular culture. The collection is multidisciplinary, with contributors from a range of areas, including cultural studies, women's studies and legal studies. The essays are complemented by the poems of prize-winning lawyer-poet, MTC Cronin. Romancing the Tomes will appeal to a wide cross-section of academic and general readers. It is suitable for inclusion on undergraduate reading lists for law, history, women's studies, criminology and media studies, as well as any other course with an interest in cultural studies.