Sandra Banks - linguist, lawyer and litterateur - throws open the window on 19th century France
Sandra was born to an English mother and German father in Cheltenham, a docile town for one later noted as “not docile” in a school report. But she did well, advancing effortlessly to study French at the University of Lausanne, capping teenage
Sandra Banks - linguist, lawyer and litterateur - throws open the window on 19th century France
Sandra was born to an English mother and German father in Cheltenham, a docile town for one later noted as “not docile” in a school report. But she did well, advancing effortlessly to study French at the University of Lausanne, capping teenage years travelling solo throughout much of Europe.
After her children reached school age she embarked on a second degree in linguistics, French and law at the University of Surrey, spending terms in universities in Quebec and Bordeaux.
And thus she broke free from misogynistic constraints inhibiting female careers and became a lawyer specialising in public law and development. She wrote a definitive book on this subject and advised on the development of many major infrastructure projects including the now famous Elizabeth Line.
She’s always been a Francophile with a passion for the century separating the rule of the first Emperor Napoleon to the rule of the second Emperor Emperor. She’s acquired a deep knowledge of the minds and moods of its key players. Her book of historical fiction provides absorbing insights into this era. It turns history into a gripping story that enthrals; it’s also written with a lawyer’s mastery of fact and narrative.