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Back The Other Daughter Save as PDF
Chapters (52)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. OCTOBER 2014 London, UK
  4. PART ONE
  5. FEBRUARY 1976 London, UK
  6. JUNE 2016 Montreux, Switzerland
  7. FEBRUARY 1976 London, UK
  8. JUNE 2016 Montreux, Switzerland
  9. MARCH 1976 Lausanne, Switzerland
  10. JUNE 2016 Montreux, Switzerland
  11. MARCH 1976 Lausanne, Switzerland
  12. JUNE 2016 Montreux, Switzerland
  13. MARCH 1976 Lausanne/Bern, Switzerland
  14. JUNE 2016 Lausanne, Switzerland
  15. MARCH 1976 London, UK
  16. JUNE 2016 Montreux, Switzerland
  17. MARCH 1976 London, UK
  18. PART TWO
  19. APRIL 1976 London, UK
  20. JUNE 2016 Montreux, Switzerland
  21. APRIL 1976 Oxfordshire/London, UK
  22. JULY 2016 Montreux, Switzerland
  23. MAY 1976 London, UK
  24. JULY 2016 Montreux, Switzerland
  25. MAY 1976 London, UK
  26. JULY 2016 Montreux, Switzerland
  27. JUNE 1976 London, UK
  28. JULY 2016 Lausanne/Montreux, Switzerland
  29. JUNE 1976 Lausanne, Switzerland
  30. JULY 2016 Thun/Reichenbach, Switzerland
  31. JULY 1976 London, UK
  32. AUGUST 2016 Montreux, Switzerland
  33. PART THREE
  34. AUGUST 1976 London, UK
  35. AUGUST 2016 Lausanne, Switzerland
  36. SEPTEMBER 1976 Lausanne, Switzerland
  37. AUGUST 2016 Montreux, Switzerland
  38. SEPTEMBER 1976 Lausanne, Switzerland
  39. AUGUST 2016 Montreux, Switzerland
  40. SEPTEMBER 1976 Lausanne, Switzerland
  41. AUGUST 2016 Montreux/Lutry, Switzerland
  42. SEPTEMBER 1976 Lausanne, Switzerland
  43. AUGUST 2016 Lutry, Switzerland
  44. SEPTEMBER 1976 Lausanne, Switzerland
  45. AUGUST 2016 Lutry, Switzerland
  46. OCTOBER 1976 London, UK
  47. AUGUST 2016 Vevey, Switzerland
  48. SEPTEMBER 2016 London, UK
  49. Author’s Note
  50. Acknowledgements
  51. More from the Author
  52. About the Author

‘Well, someone has to do it.’ Evelyne drained her glass. ‘And I’m not saying it’s just us at the MFL; there are thousands of women across the country standing up for change.’ She signalled to the waitress and gestured for more drinks. ‘But some people don’t understand – and that includes many women, too, especially the older ones. They think we’re being too militant, too aggressive; that we’re making a fuss unnecessarily and should simply pipe down and get back to our husbands and children where we belong. Putain! They’re simply wrong. There’s so much that should change, so much we should be making a fuss about.’ She shook her head. ‘I have a friend who is about to get married, and because her fiancé is French, she will lose her Swiss citizenship when she marries, unless she specifically asks to retain it. And yet if it was the other way around – a Swiss man marrying a foreigner – he’d automatically keep his nationality.’

Sylvia shook her head. ‘Wow. That’s—’

‘I don’t want more than what men have,’ Evelyne went on. ‘I simply want the freedom to live my life as I please, free from their control, their oppression. And if it can’t happen for me then I want it for all the girls I teach every day, so they can grow up knowing they are as valued in society as the boys.’

‘You’re a teacher?’

‘Primary. You didn’t think this was the day job, did you?’ She laughed, one eyebrow arched. ‘Mon amie, I’m a member of the MFL for love, not for money. For the love of myself, my girls, and even those Hausfrauen who think we’re unfeminine hell-raisers. Because it’s important. And if we end up achieving nothing, well, at least I can hold my head up high knowing I tried.’ She paused and looked at her watch. ‘Speaking of teaching, I must go. I have a pile of prep to do for next week. But listen, what are you doing later? I’m having some friends from the MFL over for food. Come too?’ She scribbled her address on a bar mat. ‘It’s been great to meet you. Sorry if I rambled on a bit. Once you get me started, you know.’

Sylvia agreed to come and then Evelyne was off, a breezy ‘À plus tard!’ as she rushed out the door. A gush of cold air hit Sylvia and then the door slammed shut.

JUNE 2016 Montreux, Switzerland

JESS