The Devon Farm Through Women's Eyes - Jacqueline Sarsby (Hardback) 01-05-2026

Women’s experience was diverse; it was not the same for the wife or daughter of a smallholder with two fields as for the woman on a farm of 200 or 400 acres, and in this book they describe both in their own words. When it comes to recall, some women had crystal clear memories, others somewhat less distinct. Inevitably you will hear more from the ones whose memories were sharp, who could still see in their mind’s eye a person they knew long ago, in a bowler hat or carrying a little switch, or could still hear their teacher scolding, or savour the sweet smell of apples stored in an attic room. Some women remembered their lives painfully, others with pleasure. Some have since passed away, but all of them allowed me to tape-record their memories, so their words and voices are not lost. Most of them I photographed so you will picture them as they were when I recorded them.