A Woman's Work Is Never Done

Elizabeth Andrews was one of the most influential female political activists of the early 20th century; she cared desperately for the suffering she saw around her and vowed to change the lot of miners' wives and mothers in the South Wales valleys. First published in 1957, the book highlights their hard, relentless lives as they coped with overcrowded houses, poor sanitation and the tragically high death rate among their children—it is a rare firsthand account of a childhood and family life in the Rhondda at the end of the 19th century. It describes the pioneering work that led to Andrews becoming the Labour Party's first Women's Organiser for Wales from 1919 to 1947. In this new edition, her newspaper articles on poverty and its impact on mining families are included to give further insight into the struggles of women and the working class for a better life.