Publisher's Synopsis
These days, swimming may seem like the most egalitarian of pastimes, but this wasn't always the case. Even into the twentieth century, women could be arrested and fined if they dared to dive into a lake. It wasn't until the 1930s that they were finally, and reluctantly, granted equal access. But this didn't happen by accident or benevolence, and SWELL is the story of the women who forced the doors open. It's the story of how swimming can be a barometer for women's equality; a thank-you to the fearless 'swimming suffragettes' who took on the status quo - and won. It's a story of famous women, stars and Olympians, and it's about ordinary women's relationship with water too. It's also the story of how Jenny Landreth eventually came to be a keen swimmer herself.
