Download Swell: A Waterbiography AudioBook Free
These days, going swimming may appear like the most egalitarian of pastimes, available to a person with a swimsuit - but this wasn't always the situation. Inside the 19th century, going swimming was entirely the domain of men, and usage of pools was an extravagance limited by school. Women were (scarcely) allowed to swim in the ocean, as long as no men were around, but even into the 20th century they could be arrested and fined if they dared dive into a lake. It wasn't before 1930s that women were finally, and reluctantly, granted equal access. This is actually the story of the women who made that possible, a many thanks to the fearless 'going swimming suffragettes' who had taken on the status quo, fought for identical access, and received. Part social history, part memoir, Swell uncovers a world of secret swimming in the face of these exclusions and shines a light on the 'going swimming suffragettes'. It celebrates some amazing accomplishments, some ridiculous outfits and some fantastic swimmers who challenged the stereotypes of what women can handle. It's also the storyplot of how Jenny eventually had become an enthusiastic swimmer herself. Swell is a joyful hymn to the activity and an exploration of why going swimming attracts so a lot of women. Ultimately it is just a book focused on our brilliant going swimming foremothers who collectively managed to get possible for any woman to plunge within alacrity, everywhere we choose.
