Two eminent historians pull together the stories of fascinating women and their exploits after being widowed, showing how their greatest loss also presented empowerment and independence.

Maggie Andrews is Professor of Cultural History at the University of Worcester, whose wide range of research and publications focus on femininity and domesticity. She is an active member of the Women's History Network and lives in Pershore, Worcestershire. Janis Lomas completed her PhD on war widows at the University of Staffordshire and later worked as a lecturer in women's history at the University of Birmingham. She was a founding member of the Women's History Network and founded the WHN Midlands Region.