This week's Nonfiction November prompt is "be the expert/ask the expert/become the expert," hosted by Sophisticated Dorkiness. Since I am a self-admitted expert of nothing, today I'm seeking out your recommendations! History books are filled with stories of men doing heroic and important things, but it's only been in recent years that there has been a push towards the female contribution. I want to read the previously untold stories of women who have done amazing things, who have made great contributions without recognition, who worked behind-the-scenes or performed tasks you wouldn't normally have thought women would do.
I have three books currently on my TBR to help me with my quest:
So now I throw it to you, fellow readers - what are some of your favorite nonfiction reads about unsung female heroes? What women do I need to know about?
All of these look fantastic! Can't wait to read them!
ReplyDeleteI know, I've been adding so many new nonfiction books to my TBR, now I just need more time to read them!
DeleteAll three of these books are on my TBR. The movie Hidden Figures is amazing too, if you haven't seen that.
ReplyDeleteYep, we've seen it, it was so good!
DeleteThe Radium Girls is one I think I need to add to my list!
ReplyDeleteIt looks so good!
DeleteI've read The Radium Girls, and the others are on my list. Another one I have read that goes along well with these is The Girls if Atomic City by Denise Kiernan.
ReplyDeleteI just added that one to my TBR, too!
DeleteMe, neither! It sounds like an interesting read, I will have to check it out!
ReplyDeleteI keep hearing great things about Code Girls! I actually toured Bletchley Park this summer, it was fascinating. I need to read more. My latest woman-power read was The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore. A lot of this book is about the history of feminism in the U.S., particularly Margaret Sanger. She's one of my heroes.
ReplyDeleteAwesome, I will have to check that one out!
DeleteOoh, I have some recommendations! Both Wonder Women and Headstrong are great collections of vignettes about a bunch of different awesome women in history. For more recent contributions by amazing women, I'd highly recommend both Life in Code and Lab Girl. And Rise of the Rocket Girls was pretty good, but a bit light compared to Code Girls or Hidden Figures.
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Thank you so much!
DeleteOoo this is such a good idea! Okay so my recommendations are: A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains by Isabella Bird. She isn't a 'hero' per se, but she did travel on horseback through Colorado BY HERSELF in the mid 1800s and if that isn't inspiring I don't know what is. Another amazing woman is Freya Stark-- I've read most of her book The Valley of the Assassins. She traveled through the Middle East BY HERSELF in the early 1900s.
ReplyDeleteWow, they both sound so impressive! Thank you!
DeleteI want to read all three of these... and will echo Kim's suggestion of The Girls of Atomic City. That was another good read!
ReplyDeleteI think I'll have to move that one up my TBR!
DeleteI've read Headstrong too, and it was interesting but it really made me want to read full-length bios of everybody in it!
ReplyDeleteHaha, I guess that's good, though!
DeleteI have two books to recommend: Hedy's Folly by Richard Rhodes (few people know that Hedy Lamarr was not only an actress but also an inventor) and On Her Own Terms by Barbara Stein (about Annie Montague, who was a naturalist, philanthropist, and founder of two natural history museums in 19th-century California.
ReplyDeleteAwesome, thank you! Hedy's Folly sounds particularly interesting, especially since I just saw something about her on TV last night!
DeleteI am reading Code Girls right now, and it is really great! I hope that makes it to the top of your list soon :)
ReplyDeleteI think I may move it up soon!
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