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English Summary/英文概要：
When Anne Lister, ‘Gentleman Jack,’ and her infamous diaries hit the headlines a few years ago, their popularity spawned a plethora of Gentleman Jack blogs, research and books which have focused primarily on Anne Lister’s romantic relationships with (a huge) number of women, but whilst they are an integral part of the Lister story, there is another woman lurking in the pages of her diaries: The original Lister Sister, Marian.
Marian Lister was Anne’s younger sister and the two women had a complex and fascinating relationship. The evidence reveals Marian to be a complicated woman who both resented, loved and was fiercely protective of her older sister. Forced to live together for a large part of their lives Anne vehemently disapproved of Marian’s desire to escape in order to marry a “carpet maker” feeling him to be unworthy of the sister she herself derided. Marian, for her part, did not understand her elder sister’s relationships with women, but she accepted them, defended her and worried about her excessively even whilst she ranted about Anne’s spending, scheming and selfishness.
When together, the two women bickered constantly with Marian, literally at times screaming in frustration at her headstrong sister. Anne, for her part, complained that Marian was “simple … good for nothing,” yet her approval meant a good deal to her.
Here, for the first time, we look at the complex relationship between the two women, how it developed, its moments of triumph and tragedy, as well as the profound influence it had on each of their lives.
Awards/获奖情况： Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
As a Yorkshire woman, I have always been interested in Anne and Marian Lister. The programme Gentleman Jack gave us an insight into the lifestyles of these interesting women. This book advances this history and provides an in-depth insight into these two interesting women. A well-written book and a recommended read.-NetGalley, Wendy M Rhodes
I really enjoyed this book. I discovered Anne Lister through the wonderful Gentleman Jack tv series and was eager to find out more about her life. This book was meticulously researched and and the reader finds out about Anne and her sister Marian’s lives through letters to each other. Poor Marian, she was discouraged from marrying and having a family but Anne was able to live her life as she pleased! Plenty of hypocrisy but sisters often have difficult relationships. It was interesting to read about the various family dynamics and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.-NetGalley, Fiona McCormick
An interesting read on two very different women connected by sisterhood. The author has done a fine job of posting the important details of not only the letters between the two but other significant people in their lives. She then breaks it down to explain the meaning and/or intent behind them. I found their lives very interesting and not just how they tried to manage their personal lives but other challenges as well which was not easy in a male dominated world. Very interesting women indeed!-NetGalley, Christine Cazeneuve
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