Jeanette Kruger Libri

A story that details the rise of the Young brewing dynasty and places it against the political and social background of Hertford and it's surrounding areas where the brewers were active during the 18th and 19th centuries. Of particular interest, is the surprisingly crucial role played by the women in the family (at a time when women were thought to be mainly inactive in business) in providing capital, premises and the support needed to further the dynasty's interests in a volatile and competitive market.

This story has arisen from the study of an Asylum in Hertfordshire. As the author paged through the Registers of Women "Pauper" Patients, she felt an insistent obligation to give a voice to the women (and men) who lived in this particular asylum (or any closed institution) at this point in time (1899 to 1930). Most families know of some relatives in the near past who were punished for their "differences" by being locked away and only spoken of at the time in hushed tones. It takes brave men and women to defy conventional mores. The adventures of the three women protagonists, Babs, Anne and Catherine, each very different persons, are, above all tales of courage and fortitude.They were more successful in varying degrees in escaping the fate of many in the asylum where many could only escape by death and a quick burial in an unmarked grave. In the end, this is a story of courage triumphing over crushing adversity and of patient forbearance.