In the latest East London History Society newsletter, Rosemary Tayor has written a very postive review of ‘Minnie Lansbury: suffragette, socialist, rebel councillor’. She writes:
This book is a long overdue acknowledgement of the crucial role played by a woman, once revered in the East End but since reduced to barely a footnote in the history books. …Minnie Lansbury’s experiences and struggles are directly relevant to today’s labour movement, and to today’s campaigns against anti-Semitism and for women’s equality. …This is indeed a labour of love, and Janine’s admiration for Minnie shines through on every page. Crucially, this is not a rehash of previous works. The author has meticulously scoured the records in the archives, tracked down and interviewed descendants of the Glassman family, and uncovered some hitherto unknown facts in the life and times of Minnie. On a personal note, the icing on the cake for me was the definitive answer to the mystery of the ‘Russian Jewels’ about which I had made mention in my research, but did not follow through. I commend the author for her dogged persistence in working through the mystery and for uncovering the facts of this ‘stranger than fiction’ episode in the Glassman and Lansbury family history! …Well worth a read, and a truly commendable effort on the part of the author to bring to the forefront the remarkable achievements of a truly remarkable woman.
