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A celebrity decorator with blue hair. A single mother who advised JFK in the Oval Office. A Christian nudist with a passion for almond milk.
A century ago, ten Australian women did something remarkable. Throwing convention to the wind, they headed across the Pacific to make their fortune. In doing so, they reoriented Australia towards the United States years before politicians began to lumber down the same path.
For the artist Mary Cecil Allen, this meant spreading the word about American abstract expressionism. For the naturopath Alice Caporn, it meant evangelising fruit juices and salads. For the swimmer Isabel Letham, it was teaching synchronised swimming. Others imported the latest thinking in dentistry, fashion, design, economics, law, music, medicine and more. They were rebels, they were trailblazers, they were disruptors. Individually, they have extraordinary stories; together, they change the narrative of Australian history.
Author: Yves Rees
Trade Paperback, Published 1 September 2024, 240 pages
‘Thoughtful and curious, critical and kind, Yves Rees’s study of these globetrotting Australian women richly renders their lives and times, as well as contemplating how we reach across time to read them today.’ – Anna Clark, Australian Research Council Future Fellow, University of Technology Sydney
‘Fresh, captivating, and full of fantastic women. Yves has somehow managed to assemble the greatest fantasy dinner party you never knew you needed, whilst also uncovering a fascinating and untold side of our history. A real treat.’ – Zoë Coombs Marr, comedian, performer and actor