This book was as much a biography of Julian's mother Ettie as it was of the soldier poet. I discovered I would have preferred it to have been first and foremost about Ettie, which would have also fitted better with Persephone's brand.

A quick, shocking read about the trial of Penguin Vs the State as Penguin set out to publish Lady Chatterley's Lover, a banned book.
What is so shocking is that this trial took place in the 1960s, yet a lot of the censorious attitudes are reminiscent of the Victorian period. The outcome was, of course, fully satisfying.

This book depicts what life is like for single mums with low paid jobs in Britain today. We see injustices faced due to government policy and stigma.
I appreciated Cash's honesty. I know many people- due to my job, family and friends- in similar, precarious situations where they are written off due to backgrounds and not having well-paid jobs.Although Cash's plight, and many others, is shocking, it is also vital for this book to have a platform.

Utterly gripped by this brutal yet compassionate read. Plans had to be put on hold as I eagerly turned every page. There was so much warmth, poignancy, trepidation and understanding here that I think it will feature as one of my all- time favourites ☺️

I liked this book; I didn't love this book.
I liked how sex was dealt with in an uncompromising and direct way. I liked the dream-like quality of some of the stories.
For me, I would have liked a little more. Some of the stories felt too short and even unfinished. This I feel would have made me care more. I enjoyed the two longer pieces which bookended the short stories.

I really wanted to try some alternative reading so borrowed this one from my library.
Unfortunately, I was extremely underwhelmed. The snippets of thoughts was too fleeting and unconnected to the thoughts of other passengers that I found I just didn't care.
My favourite element were the blobs to illustrate the shape and number of the passengers on different days. It wasn't enough, however, to be the book's saving grace.

I was intrigued to read about the success of female aviators- a subject I know little about. It's just a shame Jean Batten herself was unlikeable and the story felt hurried due to Kidman covering so much ground.