Book description
In the spring of 1895 the life of Constance Wilde changed irrevocably. Up until the conviction of her husband, Oscar, for homosexual crimes, she had held a privileged position in society. Part of a gilded couple, she was a popular children's author, a fashion icon, and a leading campaigner for…
Why read it?
2 authors picked Constance as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Born Constance Lloyd and buried as Constance Holland, she is most widely known as Constance Wilde, wife of playwright and martyr Oscar Wilde.
For all that is written about Oscar and the trouble he found exploring his homosexuality in the 1890s, this fresh perspective on the obscured wife is invaluable. A daughter, sister, and mother, Constance was also an author, an activist, and (as suits the one name she never changed) a faithful friend.
Drawing on hundreds of unpublished letters, this book demystifies a woman overshadowed. Know the important work she did to free women of the confines and fatal…
From L.A.'s list on The best books about women dealing with domestic mysteries.
Franny Moyle’s biography of Constance Wilde reveals her subject to be much more than the long-suffering spouse of a more famous husband. Instead, in Constance we meet a fascinating woman, very much in tune with intellectual concerns of the day: an enthusiast for ‘rational dress,’ campaigner for women’s rights, and member of the secretive society the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, dedicated to the study of the occult. I was fascinated to learn that she was also a writer, and worked closely with her husband Oscar on several literary projects. Moyle more than convinced this reader that Constance is…
From Emily's list on The best books that sing the praises of unsung women.
If you love Constance...
December on 5C4
Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!
On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…
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