Worlds from words Book

Although I didn't read this book cover to cover it is an erudite look at the prevailing attitude to women after the Great War - superfluous women as they were often referred to. Part One looks at this attitude and the reasons behind it, also the flapper, the disfranchised female and a famous press of the times - Rothermere Press.
I was particularly interested in Part Two which deals with the best-seller novels of the times i.e. Sex Novels: A New Kind of Best-seller. Melman discusses four novels in depth - If Winter Comes, The Green Hat, The Constant Nymph and The Sheik of Araby. Very interesting insights into the success of these books but be warned there are spoilers. Despite reading the spoilers I definitely want to read The Constant Nymph.
Part Three deals with what Melman calls the Story Press - the Girls' Weeklies, The Mill Girl as emblem of working class virtues, and The Emigrant: Romance and the Empire. A well written guide to a fascinating part of our history.