Heroines of History

You need not go back four thousand years for heroines. The world is filled with them today. They do not belong to any nation, nor to any religion, nor exclusively to any race. Wherever woman is found, they are found.

Robert Green Ingersoll

A while ago I bought a book called Bygone Badass Broads: 52 Forgotten Women Who Changed the World, I’d read something about it in a magazine and started following the author, Mackenzie Lee’s twitter feed of the same name. Bygone Badass Broads features 52 remarkable and forgotten trailblazing women from all over the world. With tales of heroism and cunning, in-depth bios and witty storytelling.

Bygone Badass Broads gives new life to these historic female pioneers. Starting in the fifth century BC and continuing to the present, the book takes a closer look at bold and inspiring women who dared to step outside the traditional gender roles of their time. Coupled with fabulous illustrations and Lee’s humorous and conversational storytelling style, this book is an outright celebration of the badass women who paved the way for the rest of us.

I was going to highlight a few of the women in the book however, I’m not going to as I would instead encourage everyone to go and read this book and I don’t want to spoil it for you. The book did inspire me to go and read a few other books about Remarkable Women in History, here’s the summary of a few.

Andrée’s War: How One Young Woman Outwitted the Nazis by Francelle Bradford White

The daughter of Andrée Griotteray reveals what her mum was far too modest to share in her book Andrée's War. At 19 years of age, Griotteray worked in a passport department in occupied Paris. She joined her brother's underground intelligence and communication network, and stole and forged documents to help the persecuted escape France. Working side by side with Nazis, she risked her life every day, and was eventually betrayed and arrested. This fascinating and brilliantly written account is the first time her story has been made available in English, and it's a real page turner.

Marie Curie and Her Daughters: The Private Lives of Science's First Family by Shelley Emling

Marie Curie and Her Daughters is a biography that tells the story not only the quite well-known Madame Curie, but also her two daughters, Irène and Eve. The three of them broke barriers in chemistry and physics, saved lives by introducing x-rays during World War 1, and travelled extensively on speaking tours to educate the public on new developments. This book includes actual letters written by the Curies, and it's a fascinating journey for anyone interested in science or women's history.

The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict

Like some other women in my list, Mileva Maric was a ground-breaking scientist, overshadowed by a much more famous husband. But the wife of Albert Einstein was a genius in her own right, who may have, (definitely did!!), had a critical role in his most famous work: the theory of relativity. The Other Einstein brings her story to life, along with the barriers faced by women in science.

The Engineer’s Wife by Tracey Enerson Wood

The Engineer's Wife is based on the true story of Emily Warren Roebling, whose life was transformed when she was asked to complete her husband's greatest work, the Brooklyn Bridge, a project of unthinkable scale. In this historical fiction novel, she journeys into the bowels of the East River, suffragette riots, the halls of Manhattan's elite, and the heady, freewheeling temptations of her new friend P.T. Barnum. And yes, she completes the bridge and becomes the first person to walk across it.

The Heart is a Burial Ground by Tamara Colchester

Anyone who loves a scandal could hardly resist reading The Heart Is A Burial Ground, about Caressa Crosby. This novel explores the notorious American blue-blooded publisher, whose love affairs, wild parties, and drug use were shocking, even for the Roaring '20s. She defied laws by dating a black man, published the most controversial authors, and somewhere along the way invented the bra. This multi-generational look at women who knew no boundaries is hugely entertaining and riveting.

A Black Women's History of the United States by Daina Ramey Berry and Kali Nicole Gross

Hear the many voices of black women, from the enslaved, to religious leaders, artists and activists, in A Black Women's History of the United States. Be enchanted by their determination and grit, and humbled by their bravery in the face of oppression. It tells of the remarkable struggle women overcame at a time of abject poverty, for us non-American’s it’s also a fabulous potted history of the United States. This not-to-be missed non-fiction book reveals women who were instrumental in developing our country, and celebrates their spirit and courage.

I can highly recommend all these books but, start with Bygone Badass Broads, you’ll love it!

What’s on this week?