Taylor's Reviews > Real Women Of The Regency: Romance, Affairs, Fashion, Authors to Actresses & Women Leaders

4.5 stars! Up front, I just wanna say that I wish this book was longer. I would read entire textbook of these women’s stories. ​

ANYWAYS. In Real Women of the Regency, Leah Gail covers well-known Regency figures ranging from Mary Shelley and Jane Austen to Sarah Siddons to Anne Lister. Readers are likely familiar with these women from various media or other readings, but it is always nice to learn a little more about them. What I really appreciated about this book is that Gail doesn’t stop there and goes on to cover facets of the era that aren’t so commonly depicted, from the lives of several women of color to stories of the (generally unacknowledged) LGBTQ community of the time. I learned a LOT that I didn’t already know, which is why I wish this book was a lot longer and/or had a lot more footnotes. I really liked Gail’s tone and commitment to showing all aspects of the period, not just the ones we usually see. I liked what I read, but was left wanting even more detail.

I love books like this because not only do they offer a nice diversion from fiction, but they also serve to give that fiction much-needed historical context.

Thank you to the author and Travelling Pages Tours for the review copy!