Kate Summerscale

Joe Carstairs was renowned in the 1920′s as an “invert” who dressed as a man, displaying tattoos and smoking cheroots. In 1934 she bought an island in the West Indies and created her own kingdom, founding and ruling a colony of 500 black Bahamians. And though she entertained acresses, duchesses and priests, she reserved the greatest love for her boats, her cars and the enigmatic doll Lord Tod Wadley.