What This Book Is About
In early twentieth-century Britain, women could not vote. Members of the Women's Social and Political Union who campaigned for it were assaulted and arrested, so the WSPU turned to Edith Garrud, one of the first women in the West to teach jujitsu, and asked her to train an all-women unit that could protect the movement's leaders. Her students became known as the Bodyguard, or the jujitsuffragettes.
This is their story, told as a nonfiction graphic novel: Clément Xavier writes, Lisa Lugrin draws, Albertine Ralenti colours, and Edward Gauvin translates it from the French original, Jujitsuffragettes, les amazones de Londres. It follows Garrud through the campaign and through her argument with her husband William over whether women should be taught self-defence, and it closes with historical notes and a timeline.
Available at Popular bookstores, Kinokuniya, and the Singapore National Library.
Why We Recommend This Book
Most students meet the suffragettes in a history lesson. Very few learn that some of them trained in jujitsu, and that unexpected angle is what pulls readers into this book.
It also opens a question UWC students meet often: when a peaceful campaign is met with force, what kinds of resistance are justified? The historical notes and timeline at the back give students something to argue from.
Reading Level Guide
Challenging at B1. Build confidence with B1-level books first, then return to this.
Perfect difficulty. Challenging enough to grow, accessible enough to enjoy.
Comfortable read at C1. Great for pleasure reading or thematic exploration.
Other UWC Recommended Books for This Grade
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