In February 1959, Switzerland held a referendum on women's suffrage. The men voted 'no'.In this powerful novella, Clare O'Dea explores that day through the eyes of four very different Swiss women. Vreni is a busy farmer's wife, longing for a break from family life. Her grown-up daughter Margrit is carving out an independent life in Bern, but finds herself trapped in an alarming situation. Esther, a cleaner, is desperate to recover her son who has been taken into care. Beatrice, a hospital administrator, has been throwing herself into the 'yes' campaign. The four women's paths intersect on a day that will leave its mark on all their lives.

Voting Day (Fairlight Moderns)

Literature & Fiction

O’Dea, Clare

Literary

Fairlight Books

Clare O'Dea promises to change the way the world thinks about modern Switzerland - and give Swiss readers much to think about too. In ten chapters O'Dea dismantles the most positive myths of modern Switzerland (The Swiss are Rich/Brilliant/Have the Perfect Democracy) with the same sharp journalistic eye she assesses the negative one (The Swiss are Crooked Bankers/Xenophobic/Helped the Nazis. In fact-based chapters O'Dea presents a Switzerland that will surprise even many Swiss readers.

The Naked Swiss: The Nation Behind 10 Myths

Business & Money

Economics

Bergli

Clare O'Dea promises to change the way the world thinks about modern Switzerland - and give Swiss readers much to think about too. In ten chapters O'Dea dismantles the most positive myths of modern Switzerland (The Swiss are Rich/Brilliant/Have the Perfect Democracy) with the same sharp journalistic eye she assesses the negative one (The Swiss are Crooked Bankers/Xenophobic/Helped the Nazis).  Already excerpted in Switzerland's weekly Die Weltwoche and garnering lavish praise (see below), O'Dea - ten year veteran at Swissinfo, and now Swiss herself - introduces readers to a cast of real Swiss, painting a lively country through many anecdotes. It is a Switzerland of the twenty-first century - a Switzerland of working mothers, banks gone bankrupt, multicultural football teams. It is a book that isn't afraid to address past shame, present national crises and even the Swiss sex life.  In fact-based chapters O'Dea presents a Switzerland that will surprise even many Swiss readers. O'Dea speaks five languages, has visited all 26 cantons, and is the mother of three Swiss children, and her deep knowledge of the country is on display page after page. It promises to be the most important book about Switzerland for international readers for the next several years to come.

History

Europe

Bergli Books

Cross-cultural journalist Clare O’Dea goes in search of the truth behind the 10 clichés that clothe modern Switzerland. Her examination of the facts and real people of this unique nation reveals a complex and dynamic land, whose citizens are often poorly served by the assumptions we make about them, which include: • The Swiss Are Neutral • The Swiss Are Xenophobic • The Swiss Are Rich • The Swiss Are Swiss • The Swiss Are Crooked Bankers • The Swiss Are Boring • The Swiss Are Sexist • The Swiss Helped the Nazis • The Swiss Have the Perfect Democracy • The Swiss Are Brilliant

The Naked Swiss: A Nation Behind 10 Myths

RedCut Sàrl, Helvetiq

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Books by O’Dea, Clare