I have read A Strange and Terrible Beauty! One of these days I'm going to read the next two. As for being a predecessor of feminists... hmmm. I'm definitely intrigued now. I may have to read Beauty again and find the next two.

lol, I remember reading your reviews! Who could ignore such recommendations? Haha.

(And as a side note, when you said Gemma Doyle, my first thought was The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi, which was absolutely brilliant and fits in with the theme of strong historical heroines. Thank you for inadvertantly reminding me!)