The Washerwoman's Dream

The Washerwoman's Dream: The Extraordinary Life of Winifred Steger 1882-1981 by Hilarie Lindsay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Difficult book to read, difficult to write.
Extraordinary life of a woman of an extraordinary character.
But the essence of this life was neglect, poverty, contempt, extremely hard work, disenchantment with each side of a very long and busy life.
I admire an author for undertaking such a task as she must have known that reading it will be a hard, not rewarding effort.
I am grateful to the author for telling this story, but my reflection is bitter - so many lives look like not worth living.
Brief story of Winifred Steger life here...
Born in 1882 in London to house-painter had relatively normal 9 years of childhood. In 1891 her father decided to migrate to Australia, his wife, mother of Winifred abandoned him and her daughter at he time of ship embarking.
Father of Winifred got allocated an absolutely worthless piece of land in remote Queensland. He did not send his daughter to school and all her time was filled with backbreaking work. When she was barely in her teens father frequently was going for work in towns leaving daughter alone in charge of a farm. When she was 16 she got pregnant with an itinerant shearer. Winifred's father reacted to this with anger and contempt. When a baby was due he delivered his daughter to child's father's household and forced him to marry her. Then left her there. Again she was received by her parents in law with contempt and hostility.
In next 7-8 years she delivered 4 children. She was living separately in a metal shed, her children taken for care in in-laws home. Her husband visited her irregularly not showing any concern about her or their children. At some stage he threatened her with gun so she ran away from home and ended close to Toowoomba where she worked 7 years as a barmaid.
There she met Ali Acka Nuby, who was running a general store. He was a great love of her life. They had 3 children together, she registered them under her first (and only) husband name.
During this relationship Winifred converted to Islam. She realized that this religion imposes many restrictions on women and she tried to moderate them and give women more rights. Her partner started working as a camel driver and Winifred proved to be very useful in sorting out paperwork for camel trains. After some 7 years Ali Nuby traveled to India to visit his family and there he died of cholera. Winifred had no share in her estate as they were never married and the only source of her income was backbreaking work as a washerwoman. Mullah in the local mosque found her a husband - Karum Bux - to provide some stability for her and her children. Again this marriage of convenience was not officially registered. Karum Bux was a very devoted Muslim, very often disappointed, sometimes scared with Winifred's liberated approach to religion. After 2 years of relation he got idea to make a pilgrimage, Hadj, to Mecca, holy place of Islam. Winifred forced him to take her for a trip and during very demanding and dangerous journey she proved that a woman can win a respectful place in Islam. Years later the relation broke, Winifred got a post of governess at the court of royal family of Afghanistan. This job not lasted long due to cruel power struggle in Afghanistan and after few months stay in India she returned to Australia where she started running a mess for miners in Tenant Creek. At the same time she became a regular contributor to newspapers in Adelaide where she published stories from her life. After the end of II world War she moved to Alice Springs where she ran a poultry farm. In her 90-ties she moved to Adelaide where she spent last years of her life in age-care home.

View all my reviews