Bibliograph

Courting, an intimate history of love and the law, Alecia Simmonds

Type

Label

Courting, an intimate history of love and the law, Alecia Simmonds

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references and index

resource.biographical

contains biographical information

Illustrations

portraitsillustrations

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Courting

Nature of contents

bibliography

Responsibility statement

Alecia Simmonds

Sub title

an intimate history of love and the law

Summary

Until well into the twentieth century, heartbroken men and women in Australia had a legal redress for their suffering: jilted lovers could claim compensation for "breach of promise to marry". Hundreds of people, mostly from the working classes, came before the courts, and their stories give us a tantalising insight into the romantic landscape of the past -- where couples met, how they courted, and what happened when flirtations turned sour. In packed courtrooms and breathless newspaper reports, love letters were read as contracts and private gifts and gossip scrutinised as evidence. In "Courting", Alecia Simmonds brings these stories vividly to life, revealing the entangled histories of love and the law. Challenging our preconceptions about how previous generations loved and lost, and provoking questions about the ethics of love today, Courting is a fascinating journey into the most intimate corners of the past

Target audience

adult

Creator