Writer and fellow podcaster, Madeleine Cleary, dropped in to talk about her debut novel, ‘The Butterfly Women’.

Topics discussed included:

The origins of ‘The Butterfly Women’ - including Madeleine’s great-great-great grandmother’s story.

A pervasive attitude of ‘women remembering their place’ - and how it had impacted all women from all classes (i.e. the gilded cage, was still a cage).

The importance of capturing the agency that sex workers had in the era.

The problems with ‘primary’ sources of the time written (almost exclusively) by (misogynistic) men.

Investigators apathy - how history can oftentimes repeat itself, even 160+ years later.

Accepting when your novel isn’t working and the willingness to start all over again - Madeleine’s journey to writing ‘The Butterfly Women’.

And a whole bunch more!

Thanks heaps to Madeleine for discussing all things ‘The Butterfly Women’ with me - get your copy now!