Out of the Shadows
Six Visionary Victorian Women in Search of a Public Voice
by Emily Midorikawa
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Pub Date May 11 2021 | Archive Date May 11 2021
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Description
Out of the Shadows tells the stories of the enterprising women whose supposedly clairvoyant gifts granted them fame, fortune, and, most important, influence, as they crossed rigid boundaries of gender and class as easily as they passed between the realms of the living and the dead. The Fox sisters inspired some of the era's best-known political activists and set off a transatlantic séance craze. While in the throes of a trance, Emma Hardinge Britten delivered powerful speeches to crowds of thousands. Victoria Woodhull claimed guidance from the spirit world as she took on the millionaires of Wall Street before becoming America's first female presidential candidate. And Georgina Weldon narrowly escaped the asylum before becoming a celebrity campaigner against archaic lunacy laws.
Drawing on diaries, letters, rarely seen memoirs and texts, Emily Midorikawa illuminates a radical history of female influence that has been confined to the dark until now.
Advance Praise
"In Out of the Shadows: Six Visionary Victorian Women in Search of a Public Voice, Emily Midorikawa unveils the triumphant, tragic and deeply unconventional lives of six of the Victorian era’s best known spirit mediums. Midorikawa roots her story in both the history of spiritualism and the powerlessness of Victorian women like the Fox sisters—Leah, Maggie and Kate—who were left to grasp for influence in seemingly manipulative ways . . . Midorikawa breathes life into these long-ago women in ways that make them feel contemporary despite their extraordinary circumstances and distance in time . . . By the book’s end, it no longer matters whether you believe these six remarkable spirit mediums were hoaxes or not; you’ll certainly believe in them. —BookPage (starred review)
"This enjoyable group biography presents Maggie and Kate, along with Leah Fox (their sister), Emma Hardinge Britten, Victoria Woodhull, and Georgina Weldon, as examples of Spiritualism’s role in first-wave feminism . . . Brisk and entertaining, this biography should draw the attention of readers interested in the social effects of the Spiritualist movement, or in 19th-century women’s history." —Library Journal
“[Emily] Midorikawa (A Secret Sisterhood, 2017) presents the stories of six female spiritualists and the incredible impact that they had on society and politics . . . The author does an excellent job of characterizing the social milieu and constraints that these women were subject to . . . This well-researched book offers insight into a unique niche of women’s history, and would be a worthy addition to most libraries.” —Booklist
"Drawing on archival material and contemporary accounts of the women’s personal and professional entanglements, Midorikawa briskly recounts their eventful lives, accomplishing the goal inherent in the book’s title. A well-researched, fresh contribution to women’s history." —Kirkus Reviews
"Entertaining and informative . . . Midorikawa doesn’t stint on the drama, detailing money troubles, sisterly discord, poor marital choices, and fraud accusations as she builds a persuasive case for the Spiritualist movement’s considerable influence on 'the journey toward female empowerment.' Women’s history buffs will be enthralled." —Publishers Weekly
"If you've been bored or frustrated by superficial groupings of women described as 'badass,' 'daring,' or 'fearless,' only to discover the text is basically linked Wikipedia articles, congratulations, you found what you were looking for all along: An actual scholar who quotes salacious diary entries and intimate letters alongside essential context and cutting analysis. I'm now an Emily Midorikawa completist, and I'm quite certain you'll soon be, too." —Alexis Coe, New York Times bestselling author of You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington
"Astonishing, gripping, and almost eerily timely. Midorikawa’s tender, elegant prose is a joy to read and her fascination with her subjects irresistible." —Julie Myerson, author of The Stopped Heart
"In this fast-paced, engaging book, Emily Midorikawa shows that, for six nineteenth-century women, communicating with the dead was the best way of claiming a public voice. No stereotype of Victorian ladyhood survives. From Wall Street to presidential campaigns, from the courtroom to the stage, these women captivated their audiences and made serious claims about society in the process. Midorikawa tells their stories with sensitivity and grace, moving between the personal, the political, and the phantasmagoric with a sure step and a keen eye for detail." —Dr. Mo Moulton, author of The Mutual Admiration Society: How Dorothy L. Sayers and Her Oxford Circle Remade the World for Women
“I was captivated by Midorikawa’s vivid portraits of Victorian-era women who used their Spiritualism to rise from obscurity and poverty to astonishing, often dizzying, social and political influence. Out of the Shadows brings to the fore the forgotten histories of these bold, radical, ambitious and complicated women, who campaigned for women’s equal rights and suffrage, and even to become America’s first female president—all while channeling the voices and guidance of the dead. Meticulously researched, engrossing, poignant and often very humorous, Out of the Shadows does a huge service to feminist history.” —Susan Barker, author of The Incarnations
“Public speaking was a disreputable occupation for Victorian-era women—unless they were communicating with the dead, a skill that turned out to be much in demand and often quite lucrative. Emily Midorikawa's account of six women who were adept at working psychic miracles offers a fascinating new view of fame, belief, and feminism.” —Laura Shapiro, author of What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women and the Food that Tells Their Stories
"This book is a treasure—a little known history about forgotten movers and shakers, women who influenced our country in unimaginable, and unseen (to say the least) ways. Reader: you need this book! Take it home with you and learn about a potent part of our history that you didn't know you needed to know. Written with seamless clarity, Midorikawa has produced another true gem. I LOVE THIS BOOK." —Mira Ptacin, author of The In-Betweens: The Spiritualists, Mediums, and Legends of Camp Etna
Available Editions
| EDITION | Hardcover |
| ISBN | 9781640092303 |
| PRICE | $27.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 352 |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Tanja F, Reviewer
'Out of the Shadows' is a series of short biographies of Victorian women who used the Spiritualist movement to spearhead another dimension to the suffragist campaign. Detailed accounts of these women's lives on the cusp of two worlds- the mundane and supernatural provided the backdrop and context to which these ladies were able to advocate for women's rights.
It was incredibly compelling to learn about the suffragist movement from a psychical perspective. By communicating with spirits they were able to give themselves a voice and a platform that gained momentum for both the spiritualism and women's liberation movements. Even though some of these women did have men as their backers, it did seem as though the women knew exactly what they were doing by advocating for their rights via a supernatural ability that ironically involved the invisible...a realm that Victorian women were all too familiar with. I believe there was some ambiguity in each biography as to whether their spirit contact abilities were real? The uncertainty about this does make me question whether these ladies were psychic or fraudsters? Does their work to enfranchise women lose its credibility if it was promoted using fraudulent paranormal abilities?
Overall an illuminating look at a piece of history that has been kept in the shadows that will surely shed some light on the power of women's voices...otherworldly or not.
elizabeth s, Reviewer
Author Emily Midorikawa has written a terrific book - Out of the Shadows - about Victorian-era women who used a unique way of gaining independence - spiritualism. Surely some of these women were complete scammers but their stories are so interesting and them women are great examples of creative and hardworking people who made their way in the world. The writing is fantastic - searched out the author's other book, ''A Secret Sisterhood' and will read whatever she publishes in the future. Great view of women's history!
Brenda C, Reviewer
Six astonishing women in Europe and North America with varying spiritualism gifts and skill sets took the Victorian era by storm in their own ways. Sceptics and believers alike were drawn to the ambitious women, often paying unheard of amounts of money to see the women "perform" on stage or in hotel/private rooms. Crowds measured in the hundreds to watch the table rapping, spiritual healing and calling on departed spirits and at times crowds became unruly and aggressive as spiritualism really divided. These women, so very different in personality, were all drawn to making money (usually out of necessity) and notoriety. Some used their fame to influence in other ways such as speaking and changing laws. Despite criticism and accusations of trickery and quackery the women forged ahead. However, several grieving people found solace through these women.
Some ladies were more successful in life than others. A few died broken. While all were fascinating to read about, the one which stood out most in my mind is Georgina Weldon who went to great lengths to avoid being forced into an asylum for her spiritualism. Due to this she became an advocate against lunacy laws. Emma Hardinge became a powerful speaker, even delivering a funeral oration on Abraham Lincoln!
I like that the author gave thorough biographies of all these women which gives super context and perspective. The amount of research for this book must have been staggering! You need not be into spiritualism to get something from this book. I read it simply to learn more about history and these unique women.
My sincere thank you to Counterpoint Press for allowing me the privilege of reading this enthralling book!
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