A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power

 Carter, Jimmy. A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power. 2014. 211p. ISBN 9781476773957. 

Despite the advances made by women's rights in the last quarter century, discrimination and violence of all kinds continues to afflict the female population of the world, stealing their human rights and depriving humanity of its potential. In A Call to Action, former President Jimmy Carter lays out the plight women and girls encounter around the world today, and provides startling examples of this oppression. World leaders have used excuses such as religious texts and strict interpretations of gender norms to repress and exploit their female population. Possible solutions are presented, but it will not be until societies around the globe change their view and recognize women's vital roles that things will get better.

I Feel Bad About My Neck, and other Thoughts on Being a Woman

Ephron, Nora. I Feel Bad About My Neck, and other Thoughts on Being a Woman. 2006. 139p. ISBN 9780307264558.

Nora Ephron brought us famous movies like When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle. A famous writer, Nora started her career as a journalist before transitioning into a writer and director. Over the years, Nora accumulated experiences that became fodder for her movies and books. In I Feel Bad About My Neck, Ephron explores what it means to age as a woman, in often poignant language, but always with a hilarious bent.

Looking back at her life, Ephron considers times that were significant and that an outside influence on her. She talks about her time as John F. Kennedy's intern. She discusses her disappointment at Bill Clinton's presidency. She explores the love she has for her apartment, until rent was raised to $12,000 a month. She talks about her children. Through it all, Ephron showcases the same humor that made her a famous writer and movie director.

Though younger readers will not relate to most of the topics Ephron explores in this book, they will not be able to say they weren't forewarned about some of the pitfalls of aging!

Women Heroes of the American Revolution: 20 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Defiance, and Rescue

Casey, Susan. Women Heroes of the American Revolution: 20 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Defiance, and Rescue. Part of the Women of Action series. 2015. 226p. ISBN 978-1-61374-583-0. Available as an ebook from Overdrive.

For many of us, the American Revolution is a war filled with the courageous actions of a rag-tag army of colonists challenging the best army and navy in the world at the time for their independence. Tales of Paul Revere, George Washington, and the despicable Benedict Arnold are well known, making them household names more than 250 years later. What is not as well known, however, is the role that women played during the Revolutionary War. This book, then, explores the experiences and actions of 20 women who, often using only their wits, were able to strike back at the British and their Tories supporters.

From Penelope Barker, who organized the first political demonstration in the United States, to Mammy Kate, a slave who rescued her owner after he was captured and sentenced to death in Georgia, these women in turn resisted the British occupation, supported Patriots, rescued wounded soldiers and protected them from retribution, spied on British activities, sabotaged the British war effort, even served as soldiers firing cannons or carrying weapons into battle. Several women also achieved legendary status, and though it is unknown if they actually performed the actions told about them, they remain part of the national fabric.

Fans of history will appreciate this critical look into an area of the Revolutionary War most are not familiar with.

This series includes Women Heroes of World War II, and Women Heroes of the American Revolution.

Woman World

 Dhaliwal, Aminder. Woman World. 2018. 259p. ISBN 9781770463356. 

In the early 21st century scientists noticed that there were less men than women. It was soon discovered that a birth defect was severely limiting the number of boys being born. Soon, there were no men left, and out of the ashes of a gendered society rose Woman World, a population of only women in charge of the planet. 

A group of women set out of the capital to build a village. Elders still remember the times when men were around, and can explain some of the cultural norms such as "that's what she said" and the impact of mall cops. Most women, however, are too young to have known any men, to they set about developing their own society in a non-gendered way. The absence of one gender has not eliminated the need for love, friendship and companionship, nor has it prevented heartbreaks and unreciprocated desires. In the end, they are humans trying to survive.

Assembling cartoons first published on Instagram, this graphic novel is entertaining and raises questions of what the world would look like if women were in charge. 

Shit is Real

 Franz, Aisha. Shit is Real. 2018. 288p. ISBN 9781770463158.

Selma's boyfriend has just broken up with her, and she finds herself cast adrift, without much of a plan. She moves into a small apartment, and quickly notices there is a whole in the wall allowing her to view the unit next door. A glamorous woman lives there, but is rarely at home due to her world traveling schedule. That woman's cat, however, often crosses the balconies and comes to visit Selma. 

Suffering from depression and anxiety, Selma has trouble managing her own life. She left her job, and though her friends try to be helpful, it only makes her feel worse. When the woman next door drops the  keycard to her apartment on her way to yet another trip, Selma can't help herself and begins visiting the other apartment. She borrows clothes, does laundry, and feeds the cat. Selma also meets Anders, the man who used to date the woman next door, and she decides that maybe it's worth taking a chance on a new relationship.

Illustrated with simple yet very effective drawings, Selma's loneliness and confused state comes through loud and clear, and the life of a single woman never looks so depressing. Fans of life struggles will appreciate Selma's efforts as she attempts to rebound from her breakup.

Finish the Fight! The Brave and Revolutionary Women Who Fought For the Right to Vote

 Chambers, Veronica. Finish the Fight! The Brave and Revolutionary Women Who Fought For the Right to Vote. 2020. 132p. ISBN 978-0-358-40830-7. Available at 324.6 FIN on the library shelves.

A hundred years ago, in 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed when Tennessee became the 36th state to vote in the affirmative for this amendment. Women gained the right to vote in all elections. This process started much earlier, in the 1800s, to allow women the same rights that white property owner males had. The lofty goals of the Declaration of Independence were far removed from the reality that most women experienced. The struggle that followed was hard and difficult and required a fundamental change in what men thought women were capable of.

Famous suffragists like Alice Paul, Lucy Stone, Lucretia Mott, and Susan B. Anthony moved the process forward, but they couldn't have been successful without hundred of thousands of other women who got involved in the fight for the right to vote and for equality. This book provides a quick summary of eleven strong women most readers are not familiar with, and the invaluable roles they played in promoting the right to vote and ensuring that women had every opportunity to participate in the civic life of the nation. These women were African-American, Latinas, Native Americans, and Asian Americans. All of them were American women who struggled in a world of men to make their mark and help other women achieve the American dream.

Fans of history will appreciate this introduction to women who played major but unacknowledged roles in the suffragist movement, and will gain a better understanding of how the right to vote was gained.

She Came to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman

 Dunbar, Erica Armstrong. She Came to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman. 2019. 157p. ISBN 978-1-982139-59-9. Available at B TUB on the library shelves.

Born into slavery in Maryland, Araminta Ross, who later took the name of Harriet Tubman, lived a hard life. Her mother's slave master had willed her and her family to be free upon reaching 45 years old, but his death and subsequent move meant that his descendants chose to ignore his request. As a result, the family continued to toil away. Atypical of most slave arrangements at the time, Araminta's mother and father managed to stay together, though some of their children were sold as they became of age.

Sent in the master's house at a young age, Araminta was not very good at housekeeping. Transferred to the field, her short stature soon developed muscles that belied her height. Despite the hard work, Araminta loved being outdoors in nature, a love that would serve her well when she finally escaped and arrived in Philadelphia, a free state. 

Araminta took on her grandmother's name, Harriet, and, despite her fears, she returned time and again to the Eastern Shore in Maryland to rescue and free family members, friends, and perfect strangers. She made contacts with leaders of the abolitionist movement, and raised much needed funds for her endeavors. Her personal life continued to be very hard, however, as she had to support not only herself but her older parents as well as many member of her freed family. Nevertheless, Harriet continued to rescue people from the South.

With the start of the Civil War, Harriet sought to get involved again. Able to gain the trust of former slaves and understanding southern mentalities, she was recruited and sent as a spy in South Carolina. First used as a cleaning lady at camp, she soon displayed her leadership skills and conducted several raids against the Confederacy. Despite the price on her head, she continued to serve as a nurse, spy, and camp lady for years, before poor health forced her to return home.

In the later stages of her life, Harriet continued to advocate for African Americans. She founded a home for old people, held the government accountable to provide military benefits for herself and for African-Americans who served in the armed forces, and joined the women's suffrage movement. 

Harriet Tubman had a disproportionate impact on the history of the United States. She stood for courage in the face of oppression, and never relented despite the threats to herself and her family. A true American icon, Harriet Tubman continues to be an inspiration for the oppressed and the poor.

With Courage and Cloth: Winning the Fight for a Woman's Right to Vote

Bausum, Ann. With Courage and Cloth: Winning the Fight for a Woman's Right to Vote. 2004. 111p. ISBN 0-7922-7647-7. Available at 324.6 BAU on the library shelves.

The American Revolution took place around several ideals, one of which being that people who are taxed should be represented. Colonists won the right to vote in their new states, but only males obtained election rights. Women continued to be subservient to their father, then their husbands. In the 1840s, a group of women got together to discuss ways to secure the vote for them, so they could influence laws like property rights and divorce.

Over the course of the next 75 years, women fought against a repressive and conservative government not interested in allowing women to vote. Women organized marches, newspapers, conventions, and lobbied intensely to secure the franchise. They were ridiculed. They were arrested, charged with crimes such as loitering, disturbing the peace, and jailed. They were force-fed when they went on hunger strike. Through it all, women remained in solidarity with one another and pushed forward until changes came.

It took the First World War to really trigger a social shift. The necessity of fighting for democracy abroad by sending millions of soldiers ringed hollow when more than half the population could not vote in the United States. Many women leaders pushed forward and convinced the US Congress to pass a Constitutional amendment, which was soon followed by 36 states, making the Nineteenth Amendment providing women with the right to vote the law of the land.

The women's struggle later inspired the Civil Rights movement of civil disobedience, and led to an increase in female representatives. Throughout the suffragist movement all, women of all socio-economic classes and races fought together and achieved a constitutional victory like no other.

Women Heroes of World War II : 26 stories of espionage, sabotage, resistance, and rescue.

Atwood, Kathryn J. Women Heroes of World War II : 26 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue. Part of the Women in Action series. 2011. 266p. ISBN 978-1-61373-171-0. Available as an eBook on Overdrive.

Often overlooked by Nazi officers, women were effective spies that could go past guards and avoid suspicious looks. Their contributions to the war effort helped defeat the Germans during the Second World War. Arranged by countries of origins, each profile of 26 women describe their lives prior to the war, the actions they took to undermine German domination, and their fate following the choices they made. These women were courageous and stood up for their ideals and their country, standing for what they believed was right.

Well researched, each profile contains excerpts from documents of the time, and references to journals and other reports. Fans of history and of the Second World War will appreciate the varied lives each of these women led and what brought them to resist and revolt against a violent occupation.

This series includes Women Heroes of World War II, and Women Heroes of the American Revolution.