The Convert

First published in 1907 The Convert was based on Elizabeth Robins' hugely successful play, Votes for Women! which advocated militancy as the only means of achieving female suffrage. The story centres on Vida Levering, a society beauty who turns personal tragedy into political triumph by throwing her considerable intellect and energy behind the campaign. She also uses a guilty secret to gain the support of her ex-lover, the rising Tory politician Geoffrey Stonor. In this powerful novel, Robins shows the militants as noble women who care passionately about their cause, challenging the popular myth of bitter troublemakers. Many of the scenes are taken directly from actual suffrage meetings, including verbatim quotes from the hostile men who turned out to heckle them and rousing speeches by the suffragettes who stood up for their principles, at great personal risk. The Convert blends history, fiction and propaganda to intoxicating effect and is both funny and poignant. The compelling characters leap off the page and it's impossible not to be roused by their spirit and integrity. This new edition includes: * Introduction * Biography of Elizabeth Robins * Chronology of events in the suffrage campaign * Explanatory footnotes * Extensive bibliography * Contemporary reviews of The Convert and Votes for Women!