You could never be lonely . , . always conscious of the myriad lives woven and interwoven with your own, breathing, battling, loving, fighting, suffering in the stifling summer dusk It is the late 1950s and the Russians launch the first Sputnik. A group of women sweat in the Jumbuck Woollen Mills in Sydney for breadline wages. The whistle blows grime is washed from faces, hair combed, lipstick applied and the workers emerge, women again, leaving the factory behind them. Out into the evening streets, flashing neon lights and the journey home to families and lovers. Among them are Shirl, nineteen and four months pregnant; Dawnie, beautiful and fiercely chaste; Patty, singing in the dance halls; and Nell, an active Communist Party member. These women have their own dreams: but a common spirit binds them, and with Nell as their leader they will come together for the fight which lies ahead . . . Dorothy Hewett, one of Australia s most famous playwrights, was born in Perth in 1923 and lives in Sydney. This her only novel, never before published in Britain, has been out of print for over twenty years and is soon to be a major film. First published in 1959, Bobbin Up is one of the most important portraits of working-class life in Australia. But more, it is an honest and colourful account of the lives and loves of ordinary women and their men.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
One night in 1958, Sputnik is visible in the Australian night sky. Throughout that night Bobbin Up takes us into the lives of a group of women who work at the Jumbuck Woollen Mills in Sydney. We step into the deplorable working conditions of the factory and immediately feel their frustration at the lack of time or energy or money to live beyond the bare necessities. At the mill, the "unspoken policy" is to create tension and resentment between the day and night shifts. If they're fighting each other they don't complain about the harsh conditions: no hot water, old machinery, no respect from the bosses. Betty has worked at the mill for eighteen years - she has her own routine and doesn't want to be bothered with the troubles of the others. Nell, an active Communist, is awakened by her husband as Sputnik passes overhead. He's been fired and she wonders, now what? The older of two sisters in the mill worries about the younger one: "How can she know right from wrong? I ought to have been a better mother to her." Overnight their lives change. The next day, for "legitimate capitalist" reasons, some women are fired, some are given fewer hours, none can afford less work. Will they rise together against yet another injustice thrust upon them? Based on the author's experience of working in textile mills, the story of these proud women resounds with the truths of life, friendship, and work. -- For great reviews of books for girls, check out Let's Hear It for the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14. -- From 500 Great Books by Women; review by Holly Smith
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
US$ 6.39
From United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Seller: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR004175484
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Neil Williams, Bookseller, Victoria, BC, Canada
Softcover. Condition: Fine in wraps. Reprint. Virago Modern Classics. With a new introduction by the author. 204 pp. Seller Inventory # 4584
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Goldstone Books, Llandybie, United Kingdom
Paperback. Condition: Good. All orders are dispatched within one working day from our UK warehouse. We've been selling books online since 2004! We have over 750,000 books in stock. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied. Seller Inventory # mon0005135141
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Reuseabook, Gloucester, GLOS, United Kingdom
Paperback. Condition: Used; Acceptable. Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. The book is perfectly readable and fit for use, although it shows signs of previous ownership. The spine is likely creased and the cover scuffed or slightly torn. Textbooks will typically have an amount of underlining and/or highlighting, as well as notes. If this book is over 5 years old, then please expect the pages to be yellowing or to have age spots. Aged book. Tanned pages and age spots, however, this will not interfere with reading. Damaged cover. The cover of is slightly damaged for instance a torn or bent corner. Seller Inventory # CHL9713846
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Kennys Bookstore, Olney, MD, U.S.A.
Condition: Very Good. 1985. Paperback. Good clean copy with minor shelf wear. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland. Seller Inventory # KJE0000890
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Kennys Bookshop and Art Galleries Ltd., Galway, GY, Ireland
Condition: Very Good. 1985. Paperback. Good clean copy with minor shelf wear. . . . . Seller Inventory # KJE0000890
Quantity: 1 available