While it is yet Day
Elizabeth Fry was one of the nineteenth century’s most extraordinary women. A pioneering social reformer, she became a celebrity of the era.
This page-turning biography, interwoven with extracts from Elizabeth’s private diaries and letters, brings her vividly to life.
About the book
A bit about Averil
Averil Douglas Opperman grew up in Dublin in a Quaker family and started her career as a journalist at the Irish Times. Since then she has travelled extensively, reporting on everything from parliament to equestrian events for newspapers, magazines and Ireland’s radio station, RTE.
A childhood fascination with Elizabeth Fry inspired Opperman to bring Elizabeth’s incredible story to a twenty-first century readership. This is her first biography.
"I hope the book inspires a new generation and gets people talking about Elizabeth Fry."
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"An engaging biography which breathes life into a woman who remains, for many, in the shadows of history. Excerpts from personal diaries and letters offer us a beautifully written account of Elizabeth Fry; mother, wife and dedicated social reformer. An intriguing blend of history and drama, it invites us to step into Elizabeth's Quaker world to experience her innermost hopes and fears, her moments of supreme triumph and her days of utter despair. Readers cannot fail to be inspired by Mrs Fry's courage and conviction."
Elizabeth Fry was a social reformer and philanthropist, sometimes referred to as the "angel of prisons".
From 2002 to 2016, she was depicted on the Bank of England £5 note.