I have been meaning to write something about this Guardian book review for a couple of days. The book isn’t SF, it is a standard mainstream family drama. But the author credits Margaret Atwood and Charlotte Perkins Gilman amongst her inspiratons? Why? Because it is a feminist novel of course. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox is about the fact that, in the UK, until abut 50 years ago it was possible for a woman to be locked up in a lunatic asylum for life for “transgressive behavior”, meaning things like eloping or wanting a divorce. All it took was one document signed by her husband or father, and a friendly doctor. Obviously that can’t happen now (the government doesn’t want the expense of looking after “lunatics” any more), but we should never forget how far we have come in such a short time. We could lose it all just as quickly if we do forget.