Sara Read – författare

Maids, Wives, Widows is a lively exploration of the everyday lives of women in early modern England, from 1540-1740. The book uncovers details of how women filled their days, what they liked to eat and drink, what jobs they held, and how they raised their children. With chapters devoted to beauty regimes, fashion, and literature, the book also examines the cultural as well as the domestic aspect of early modern women's lives. Further, the book answers questions such as how women understood and dealt with their monthly periods and what it was like to give birth in a time before modern obstetric care was available.
The book also highlights key moments in women's history such as the publication in 1671, of the first midwifery guide by an English woman, Jane Sharp. The turmoil caused by the Civil Wars of the 1640s gave rise to a number of religious sects in which women participated to a surprising extent and some of their stories are included in this book. Also scrutinised are cases of notorious criminals such as murderer Sarah Malcolm and confidence trickster Mary Toft who pretended to give birth to rabbits.

Overall the book describes the experiences of women over a two hundred year period noting the changes and continuities of daily life during this fascinating era.

“Laugh out loud funny and poignant. I loved it!”—LORI FOSTER, New York Times bestselling authorJohanna is not a thief—and she is definitely not sorry.In the back room at an elite gallery party, 40-something soccer mom Johanna Porter stands face to face with her younger self. The girl in the portrait, La Rosa Blanca, is fierce and fearless, and Johanna sees the great painter she almost was before her lover, the powerful artist Nestor Pinedo, torched her career.When she cuts the million-dollar masterpiece out of its frame, rolls it up and walks out, it’s not a theft. It’s a rescue.Hiding out in a shack on the Chesapeake Bay with La Rosa Blanca looking on, Johanna tries to paint again, but encounters only the cringe-worthy atrophy of her talent. When she reluctantly goes sailing with the injured surgeon two houses away, and chemistry flares between the struggling misanthropes, Johanna realizes that to fulfill the promise of her younger self, she’s got to quit playing it safe.Battling novice-thief paranoia, impostor syndrome and mom guilt, she can stay one step ahead of the law. But it will take an act of desperation to become the woman La Rosa Blanca was meant to be.“Vivid, visceral, and sexy—I loved it.”—JEN DEVON, author of Bend Toward the SunDon’t miss Sara Read’s next captivating book, Principles of Emotion, a smart, poignant STEMinist novel perfect for fans of Lessons in Chemistry

A smart, poignant novel perfect for fans of Lessons in Chemistry“An incredible STEMinist read.”—The Honey PopMathematical genius Dr. Meg Brightwood has just completed her life’s work—a proof of a problem so impenetrable it’s nicknamed the Impossible Theorem. Reclusive and burdened by anxiety, Meg has long since been dismissed by academia. Now everyone wants to get their hands on what she alone possesses—especially her own mathematician father.Having grown up a prodigy in a field plagued by sexism and plagiarism, Meg opts for a public presentation so there will be no doubt of her authorship. But a panic attack obliterates her plans. In defeat, she goes home and locks away the only manuscript of her proof.Then chance sends her the unlikeliest of allies: Isaac Wells—carpenter, high school dropout, in trouble with the law. And the one love of Meg’s life. Fifteen years ago, they did little more than hold hands. Now, they find a tenuous space where they can love and be loved for who they are as adults.But when Meg goes to retrieve her proof, she finds it missing. Her fight for the achievement of the century will test the limits of her brilliance and the endurance of two vulnerable hearts.“Beguiling.”—Publishers Weekly“Poignant and compelling… A delightfully mathematical take on the opposites-attract paradigm.”—Kirkus“Lessons in Chemistry meets advanced mathematics in Sara Read’s heartwarming, STEMinist novel.”—The Nerd Daily, “Swoonworthy 2024 Romance Book Releases You Need”