Synopses & Reviews
Born into one of Swansea’s most distinguished families, Amy Dillwyn (1845–1935) was a Welsh novelist who tackled complex class issues in her works. Following the deaths of her brother in 1890 and her father in 1892, Dillwyn inherited her father’s bankrupt business and, employing an aggressive management style, restored it to prosperity. In this biography, based largely on Dillwyn’s diaries, David Painting sheds light on this extraordinary woman of exceptional spirit and personality, revealing her to be not just a pioneering female British industrialist and novelist but also an ardent proponent of social justice.
Review
“[A] thoroughly readable and entertaining account of a quite remarkable Victorian gentlewoman.”
Welsh History Review
Review
“Dillwyn’s was a fascinating life.” Victorian Studies
Review
“One of the most remarkable women in Welsh history.” Western Mail
Review
“This reissue of David Paintings 1987 biography of a remarkable Victorian woman is in itself remarkable for being a document of its time. . . . Amy Dillwyn evokes with significant skill the ethos of the age that bred the woman, and in its detailed familial, social, and political discussions can still count as a ‘touchstone for subsequent exploration of her life and work.” Clare Morgan
Synopsis
This is a new edition of David Painting's biography of Amy Dillwyn, first published in 1987. This is a very accessible biography of a remarkable woman, Amy Dillwyn (1845 - 1935); who was born into one of Swansea's most distinguished families, and became a leading industrialist and also novelist. Based largely on her diaries, it traces the life of a woman of exceptional spirit and personality who inherited her father's bankrupt business but learnt to make her way in a man's world.
About the Author
David Painting was law librarian at Swansea University, UK, and honorary librarian of the Royal Institution of South Wales.