3.5 stars.

I have to say, I definitely prefer this ‘How to be a Woman’ guide to Caitlin Moran’s How to be a Woman.

I am unsure of how to rate this book because I am unsure of its authenticity: I can see that others have already given negative reviews because they doubt that the opinions are genuinely coming down from a ‘Victorian Lady’ as the cover claims, but I remain agnostic

Spoiler

Aunt Epp would approve, it seems

, because I feel I want to believe that there have always been people with progressive values but I am not sure about this work in particular.

Spoiler

Her attitude towards sex and gender equality seems especially progressive for the time, in fact more progressive than many people today.

Some of the traditional advice for folksy herbal remedies etc. seems like it might be useful though (though further research might be a good idea), even if the views on morality and general conduct are not confirmed to be genuine. Overall, I’m not entirely swayed one way or the other, but I would at least like to believe it is authentic (though I realise others may see this as naïve).

I agreed with a lot of the book’s content, but there were a few times when I felt like the author was lecturing me

Spoiler

(so what if I’m an atheist who likes Jane Austen?! What are you going to do? Fight me? Well, not really, but I felt a bit miffed with her dismissals at times.)

, so if that is a pet peeve of yours I would not recommend. However, although I didn’t agree with everything, the author expressed herself very eloquently. It’s probably worth noting, on the other hand, that the work isn’t strictly ‘Victorian’ (her life span being 1871-1947), just as a side note.

I end this review with some words of wisdom from Aunt Epp herself (supposedly): remain sceptical, and always keep an open mind and open bowels.