PRIZE OF THE WEEK

Some choice selections from this, well, riot of women are: Merle Thornton, who chained herself to a bar to protest sexist drinking rules; Australia’s fearless mermaid and silent movie star Annette Kellerman; and Lores Bonney, who flew her plane from Brisbane to Wangaratta on Boxing Day, 1931.

There’s plenty more too, from First Nations bushrangers to martial-arts-using suffragettes and incredibly brave wartime nurses.

Definitely some bedtime stories for rebellious girls.

Author Eliza Reilly, who hosted the 2018 comedy web series Sheilas, uses a firecracker voice to document the incredible lives and exploits of these women.

Her admiration for these women shines through, even as she passes judgment on the ladies and the people around them as she writes, swearing and embellishing all the way.

Sometimes her voice grates on the reading experience and comes across as a touch too abrasive, and I wanted to know the whole experience rather than one through what I felt was a biased lens.

That being said, this is an absolute cracker of a book; Reilly has pulled out really quite a variety of women from across history that most really haven’t heard of.

I’m pretty sure there’s some saying about well-behaved women never making the history books — but apparently these women haven’t either, so it’s definitely nice to finally listen to their stories and hear their names.

Even those who would describe themselves as history buffs would find something new or learn about a new ‘badass sheila’ in here.

I give it 10/10, would rebel again.

Sheilas: Badass Women of Australian History by Eliza Reilly is published by Pan Macmillan, RRP $34.99

HOW TO ENTER

For a chance to win this book, send your name, address, daytime phone number and the answer to this question: What animal features on page 7 of today’s Country News? to: Country Life ‘Sheilas’ Competition, PO Box 8000, Shepparton, 3632, by Friday, April 15.

WINNER

Congratulations to Roe Cumming who won a copy of The Christie Affair.