The Taming of Nan

<p>In 1919 Ethel Carnie Holdsworth published her third novel <em>The Taming of Nan</em>.</p><p>At this point in her career Carnie Holdsworth was an established author with one notable success <em>Helen of Four Gates</em> (1917) to her credit. As was typical of her she did not try to replicate her recent success; instead <em>The Taming of Nan</em> explored new territory addressing the issues of fair compensation for a workplace injury and working-class domestic violence. In addition to addressing these societal problems <em>The Taming of Nan</em>'s central family grouping consists of three original characters that reinterpret accepted working-class tropes: Nan Cherry a working-class virago; her husband Bill a stolid family man; and their daughter Polly a teenaged mill girl who wants nothing more than to have a good time. These characters develop in a context of intergenerational family ties as well as a widespread community whose advice and traditions provide a fertile context for their family drama.</p><p><br></p>