On a cold, damp Sunday in February 1959, the men of Switzerland decide whether to grant women the right to vote. But what about Swiss women on that day?
Vreni is a hardworking farmer’s wife with grown-up children and abandoned dreams. Her daughter Margrit seems to have found success as an office girl in Bern but suddenly finds herself trapped in a difficult situation. Esther, a Yenish woman who was taken from her family as a child, works as a hospital cleaner. Now that her own son Ruedi has been taken into care, the future looks bleak. Esther’s boss Beatrice has made a good career as the hospital administrator. She dreads the prospect of a no vote after putting her heart and soul into the yes campaign.
A compelling story of four unforgettable characters whose paths are connected on this voting day by the fate of a ten-year-old foster child.
Clare O'Dea
Originally from Dublin, Clare O'Dea has lived in Switzerland since 2003. She is the author of two non-fiction books, The Naked Irish & The Naked Swiss. Voting Day is her first novel.
1950s Frauen Frauenstimmrecht Schweiz Swiss history Women's vote