So you think that the Victorian era is romantic? Aren't those clothes just dreamy and swoon-tastic?
Well, there are lot of things that are swoon-tastic. As the book says, "Ladies, welcome to the 19th century, where there's arsenic in your face cream, a pot of cold pee sits under your bed, and all of your underwear is crotchless. (Why? Shush, dear. A lady doesn't question.) "
Never crass, this book completely explains what it would be like to live as a woman in the Victorian era. Completely with images from Victorian publications, this is an eye-opening look at topic such as "what to wear," "where to relieve yourself," and "what to expect on your wedding night."
This is one of those books where you find yourself laughing, even while you're learning some pretty interesting information. It's also the kind of nonfiction where you find yourself feeling grateful that you live in the current age. There were some things that I knew, but many that I didn't, and which actually gave me a lot of insight on just how tough the women in this era were. The illustrations are funny, although some are a bit sobering, as well. The author has a great writing style which makes some of the things quite funny, but she's got a sharp wit and doesn't shy away from uncomfortable topics. Lest you think the author made up some of the things in the book, it's very well-researched (so there's no avoiding the facts of some of the, well, facts of life in the Victorian age).
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