Round about a Pound a Week (Annotated)

Enriched Edition. Edwardian Poverty, Working Mothers, and Family Budgets in Lambeth's Working-Class HouseholdsBy Mrs. Pember Reeves

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Length6h 16m

About this audiobook

Round about a Pound a Week is a landmark of Edwardian social investigation, examining how working-class families in Lambeth survived on roughly a pound a week. Combining household budgets, interviews, and close observation, the book exposes the brutal arithmetic of rent, food, clothing, childbirth, and infant care. Its style is lucid, restrained, and evidentiary, yet morally urgent, placing it within the tradition of reformist social realism and Fabian social research. Mrs. Pember Reeves—Maud Pember Reeves, New Zealand-born writer, suffragist, socialist, and member of the Fabian Women's Group—was deeply engaged in questions of poverty, women's labour, and social policy. Her political commitments and practical investigative work shaped the book's purpose: to replace sentimental assumptions about the poor with documented realities, especially the burdens borne by mothers managing households under impossible economic constraints. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in social history, feminist economics, public health, or the origins of the welfare state. Reeves offers not merely a record of hardship, but a disciplined argument for structural reform. Readers will find it both historically revealing and disturbingly contemporary in its account of poverty's daily negotiations. This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience. - A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes. - The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists. - A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing. - A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings. - Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life. - Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance. - Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.

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