Today Women's Liberation Movement is only the latest chapter in a long struggle. Over a half-century ago, Emmeline Pankhurst and her three remarkable daughters led the women of England in their struggle to win the right to vote.

A loving wife and mother, elegant Emmeline Pankhurst hardly seemed destined to be a militant crusader. But her liberal husband helped open her eyes to the powerless plight of women in Victorian society, and urged her to join the movement for women's suffrage. After his death, Emmeline immersed herself in this cause, and drew in her daughters Christabel, who combined aristocratic beauty with razor-like intellect; Sylvia, whose sympathy for poor working-class women transformed her from a shy artist to a fiery radical; and Adela, as tireless as she was loyal.

Together they organized Pankhurst's army, whose numbers grew with every official rebuff and political betrayal. Soon male laughter turned to the use of force, and women were arrested, imprisoned and clubbed in the streets. The Pankhursts responded with ever larger mass demonstrations, hunger strikes and, finally, acts of destruction against property. Before victory was won, the movement was to know heartbreaking setbacks and painful inner dissention over strategy and methods. But even when sister turned against sister and mother against daughter, none lost sight of their final goal. A story of courage and inspiration with relevance for today.

From the dust jacket