The term suffragette was initially used in a derogatory way to refer to the women involved in the militant suffragette movement, but members of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) decided to appropriate it for themselves. More conservative, nonmilitant women’s suffrage groups, such as the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), preferred the term suffragist.
All the characters in this novel are fictional except for Emmeline Pankhurst, the founder of the WSPU. Her autobiography, My Own Story, sparked my interest in the WSPU, and her conversation with Lilia about marriage is consistent with her history. She did indeed suggest a free union to Richard Pankhurst, but he convinced her to marry him, instead, so her public work would be taken seriously. Her high profile and intimidating presence ensured her relatively good treatment in prison, and she was never actually force-fed, though prison officials did attempt it (she frightened them away).
Although I’ve taken the liberty of compressing the timeline of women’s suffrage in England, the demonstrations, hunger strikes, forcible feeding, and militant activities referred to in the novel are based on actual events that happened during the first decade of the twentieth century. It was common for women as young as Lilia to rise quickly in the ranks of the WSPU. Her deputation to the governor of Walton Gaol and her brutal treatment in that prison are based on the actions of Lady Constance Lytton, who disguised herself as a working-class woman to draw attention to the preferential treatment she received under her own name during her previous prison terms. Her story, published as Prison and Prisoners, is well worth reading for its own sake.
Clergy in the Church of England responded in diverse ways to the women’s suffrage movement. Many church leaders supported the conservative, nonmilitant NUWSS, but only a few supported militant groups such as the WSPU. Randall Davidson, the Archbishop of Canterbury, supported women’s suffrage until the militants began to use violent tactics. One notable supporter was the Bishop of Kensington, who wrote in the Daily Graphic, “The present outbursts of militancy are mainly due to the persistent disregard of the claims of women.” Among the suffragettes there were similarly wide-ranging attitudes towards the church. Some did indeed set fire to and even bomb churches to make a point about male privilege (most of these incidents occurred in 1913 and 1914, later than the scope of this novel), but others, including Constance Lytton, drew on their faith to sustain them during their hunger strikes and forcible feeding in prison.
The first British women gained the right to vote in 1918 (they had to be over thirty and meet a property qualification). By 1928, all British women over twenty-one could vote, finally achieving the same voting rights as men. Lilia would have lived to see the victory for which she had fought so hard.
Acknowledgments
Twenty years ago a scene from an unwritten novel popped into my head. It was a confrontation in a meadow between a quiet boy who didn’t know how to play, and a fiery girl pretending to be Jeanne d’Arc, leading her army of brothers. That scene haunted me for many years before I finally gave in and started writing Paul and Lilia’s story.
It’s impossible to mention everyone who has made me a better writer during those twenty years, but I do want to thank the people who have directly influenced this novel:
Jannay Thiessen, Joyce Pitzel, and Christine Thorpe, who valiantly read to the end of a long early draft and still believed in my writing.
Abby Murphy, beta reader extraordinaire, whose brilliant suggestions shone light into my dark editing cave. My other wonderful beta readers, Kay Henden, Diane McIntyre Rose, and Kay Grimanis, whose comments helped smooth the rough edges and made my final draft sparkle.
Jennifer Delamere, who did double duty as beta reader and travel companion. Thanks for suggesting the Houses of Parliament tour and waiting patiently while I bought every suffragette-themed item in the gift shop, then waited again while I stood in the middle of Parliament Square and stared at steps.
The London Writers Society critique groups, who have helped me hone my craft, even the members who made me cry.
Central Home Church for being a supportive, non-churchy community, especially Jennifer Hryniw for repeatedly embarrassing me with praise for this book.
My amazing agent, Laura Crockett, who creates order out of chaos and whose enthusiasm for this novel has never wavered: we are living proof that when a new author and a new agent take a chance on each other, magic can happen! And to Uwe Stender and the whole TriadaUS team, you’re a model of what a literary agency should be.
Katie McGuire, my insightful editor and fellow grammar nerd, for your patience with my many questions and comments and for understanding my vision. And to the clever and creative design team at Pegasus, thanks for the beautiful cover.
My husband Michael, who was always on Lilia’s side, even when I wasn’t. You knew and loved this book before anyone else did, and I couldn’t have persisted without you.
IMPOSSIBLE SAINTS
Pegasus Books Ltd
148 West 37th Street, 13th Floor
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2018 by Clarissa Harwood
First Pegasus Books hardcover edition January 2018
Interior design by Sabrina Plomitallo-González, Pegasus Books
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher, except by reviewers who may quote brief excerpts in connection with a review in a newspaper, magazine, or electronic publication; nor may any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other, without written permission from the publisher.
ISBN: 978-1-68177-624-8
ISBN: 978-1-68177-694-1 (e-book)
Distributed by W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Impossible Saints Page 33