Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
The forgotten story of how ordinary families managed financially in the Victorian era--and struggled to survive despite increasing national prosperity
The Victorian era saw remarkable economic growth and a rise in real wages. But not everyone shared in the nation's prosperity. Many families continued to live in grinding poverty with women and children usually faring worst.
In this incisive account, Emma Griffin unlocks the homes of Victorian England to examine the lives--and finances--of the people who lived there. Griffin looks at how the family economy was frequently torn apart by rising prosperity and reveals the hardships experienced by those who got left behind. For women and their children, economic security was determined not merely by wage levels, but by more personal factors such as having (and keeping) a wage-earning husband and persuading him to spend his earnings on the family rather than himself. Drawing on a collection of over six hundred working-class autobiographies, including more than two hundred written by women, Griffin sheds new light on life in Victorian Britain.
Synopsis
The overlooked story of how ordinary women and their husbands managed financially in the Victorian era - and why so many struggled despite increasing national prosperity
Nineteenth century Britain saw remarkable economic growth and a rise in real wages. But not everyone shared in the nation's wealth. Unable to earn a sufficient income themselves, working-class women were reliant on the 'breadwinner wage' of their husbands. When income failed, or was denied or squandered by errant men, families could be plunged into desperate poverty from which there was no escape.
Emma Griffin unlocks the homes of Victorian England to examine the lives - and finances - of the people who lived there. Drawing on over 600 working-class autobiographies, including more than 200 written by women, Bread Winner changes our understanding of daily life in Victorian Britain.
Synopsis
"A powerful story of social realities, pressures, and the fracturing of traditional structures."--Ruth Goodman, Wall Street Journal Nineteenth century Britain saw remarkable economic growth and a rise in real wages. But not everyone shared in the nation's wealth. Unable to earn a sufficient income themselves, working-class women were reliant on the 'breadwinner wage' of their husbands. When income failed, or was denied or squandered by errant men, families could be plunged into desperate poverty from which there was no escape.
Emma Griffin unlocks the homes of Victorian England to examine the lives - and finances - of the people who lived there. Drawing on over 600 working-class autobiographies, including more than 200 written by women, Bread Winner changes our understanding of daily life in Victorian Britain.
Synopsis
The forgotten story of how ordinary families managed financially in the Victorian era--and struggled to survive despite increasing national prosperity "A powerful story of social realities, pressures, and the fracturing of traditional structures."--Ruth Goodman, Wall Street Journal
"Deeply researched and sensitive."--Simon Heffer, Daily Telegraph, "Best History Books of 2020"
Nineteenth century Britain saw remarkable economic growth and a rise in real wages. But not everyone shared in the nation's wealth. Unable to earn a sufficient income themselves, working-class women were reliant on the 'breadwinner wage' of their husbands. When income failed, or was denied or squandered by errant men, families could be plunged into desperate poverty from which there was no escape.
Emma Griffin unlocks the homes of Victorian England to examine the lives - and finances - of the people who lived there. Drawing on over 600 working-class autobiographies, including more than 200 written by women, Bread Winner changes our understanding of daily life in Victorian Britain.