My Reading Radar 2/8/2014

I came across this one while searching for suffragette stories. It's on my wishlist for sure:

Suffragette Autumn Women's Spring by Ian Porter.

This is the story of two Titanic survivors; a young crewwoman, Ruby, and an East End man, Nashey. 

The story begins in spectacular, if shocking fashion, aboard the Titanic as it’s sinking. An important scene, which Ruby later realises was the genesis of her becoming a Suffragette, takes place in a lifeboat. Ruby and Nashey are left traumatised and horrified – not just by the disaster itself, but by the failures of the ship’s officers. Ruby is also profoundly affected by the misplaced trust in, and subservience to, these men.

Readers are then taken to New York, and on to Halifax, Nova Scotia, before the novel unfolds in Suffragette London, 1912-1914. Much of the story takes place within the militant struggle for Votes for Women, into which both main characters become drawn through different avenues. Ruby gets involved in Mrs Pankhurst’s WSPU, which sees her imprisoned, hunger-striking and being force-fed. Nashey is initially interested in social change rather than the vote – but a different Pankhurst working down in the East End impresses upon him that the former will follow the latter.

Through the five p’s – publicity stunts, protests, political speeches, prison torture and police tactics – we see the lengths to which the women and government went to ensure they would prevail. A main character then questions the direction the movement is taking. But out of this apparent Suffragette autumn comes a women’s spring…

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Spotted on NG. (Sure do like the AU cover better, the pink one) On my wishlist.

The Pink Suit by Nicole Mary Kelby. I not only love the suit, but I've long been interested in a historical novel featuring Jaqueline. 

A novel based on the true story behind Jacqueline Kennedy's iconic pink suit.

On November 22, 1963, the First Lady accompanied her husband to Dallas, Texas, dressed in a pink Chanel-style suit that was his favorite. Much of her wardrobe, including the pink suit, came from the New York boutique Chez Ninon, where a young seamstress, an Irish immigrant named Kate, worked behind the scenes to meticulously craft the memorable outfits.

While the two women never met, Kate knew every tuck and pleat of the First Lady's polished, perfect image. When the pink suit Kate created becomes iconic for all the wrong reasons, her already fragile world--divided between the excess and artistry of Chez Ninon and the traditional values of her insular neighborhood--threatens to rip apart.

The Pink Suit is the unforgettable story of an ordinary young woman with extraordinary access to glamour and fashion, living in an America on the brink of transformation.