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The former first lady of France, Valerie Trierweiler has been in the UK to give her side of the very public break-up with President Francois Hollande, following  allegations he was having an affair. She denies that she wrote her book, , to revenge herself after the President was photographed on the back of a scooter at his mistress’ apartment. Her book has prompted a scathing response by many politicians in France, unused to revelations about the private lives of the country’s political elite being made public. 

Jane hears about the campaign to stop parents who’ve abused their children continuing to disrupt their lives even after they’ve been convicted.

She’s the most famous female politician in the world, but while Hillary Clinton could be poised to win the White House in 2016, the political representation of women in national and state legislatures lags far behind. At under 20 per cent, fewer women sit in the US Senate and House of Representatives than do here in the UK parliament. And some fear that things could be going backwards. Sue Carroll is Professor of Political Science at Rutgers University and senior scholar at the where she has been both a pioneer in the field and trained women politicians. Last week she was awarded the Political Studies Association’s lifetime achievement award and delivered its annual lecture at the London School of Economics on how to get more women to run for election. And she offered Woman’s Hour her views on the obstacles that Hillary will face this time round if she runs again for the presidency and just why things have been so slow to change in US politics. She begins with her reflections on how things look after last month’s mid-terms elections.   

A major new exhibition called 'Silent Partners' at the in Cambridge explores the untold story of the mannequin.

Those of a certain age will be familiar with the TV series a Little House on the Prairie. It was based on a series of children's books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The Annotated Autobiography Pioneer Girl has just been published, and  goes back to her original manuscripts . Jane talks to Nancy Tystad Koupal,  the editor-in-chief and director of the Pioneer Girl Project and to author who’s a huge fan about the enduring appeal of the original  books.