List

Women Overcoming

By Skokie Staff Advisory Services

These books honor the achievements and contributions of women in history.

  • The Women of NOW: How Feminists Built an Organization That Transformed America

    2023 by Turk, Katherine

    The history of NOW―its organization, trials, and revolutionary mission―told through the work of three members. Featuring 16 pages of black-and-white images, author Katherine Turk chronicles the resilience of the often unrecognized group of women that helped permanently shape American culture and politics. Suggested by Amber.

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  • Manifesto: On Never Giving Up

    2022 by Evaristo, Bernardine

    This memoir by Bernadine Evaristo, Booker-Prize winning author (Girl, Woman, Other), is her first work of nonfiction, a memoir about her biracial heritage that's also a powerful meditation on resilience, the power of creativity, commitment to civic duty, and believing in yourself. Suggested by Chris.

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  • A Black Women's History of the United States

    2020 by Berry, Daina Ramey

    A vibrant and empowering history that emphasizes the perspectives and stories of Black women to show how they are--and have always been--instrumental in shaping our country. Two award-winning historians seek both to empower African American women and to show their allies that these women's unique ability to make their own communities, while combatting centuries of oppression, is an essential component in our continued resistance to systemic racism and sexism. Suggested by Skokie staff.

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  • How Women Made Music: A Revolutionary History from NPR Music

    2024

    For music lovers, songwriters, and historians, here is a title that dives deeply into how the influences of women (and their perseverance despite all of the hardships that came their way) molded the music world into what it is today. Suggested by Amber.

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  • Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History

    2024 by Gregory, Philippa

    This detailed analysis spanning the Anglo-Saxon era all the way to modern times truly redefined some of the history surrounding women. Philippa Gregory draws on an enormous archive of primary and secondary sources to rewrite British history, focusing on the agency, persistence, and effectiveness of everyday women throughout periods of social and cultural transition. Suggested by Amber.

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  • The Women's History of the Modern World: How Radicals, Rebels, and Everywomen Revolutionized the Last 200 Years

    2021 by Miles, Rosalind

    An internationally bestselling author, Rosalind Miles presents a witty history of the extraordinary female rebels, reactionaries, and trailblazers who left their mark on history, from the French Revolution to the present day. Women in the arts, sports, business, religion, politics—this is a one-stop roundup of the tremendous progress women have made. Suggested by Skokie Staff.

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  • She-Wolves: The Untold History of Women on Wall Street

    2024 by Bren, Paulina

    The propulsive story of the women who sought, and gained, a piece of the action on Wall Street. This title provides insightful personal stories of the women who fought to leave their mark. Suggested by Amber.

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  • Why They Marched: Untold Stories of the Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote

    2019 by Ware, Susan

    The history of how American women won the right to vote has been, for too long, presented as the work of a few iconic leaders, all white and native-born. Susan Ware shines a light on the racism and eurocentrism of this narrative and gives us the stories of 19 women of different races, religions, and socioeconomic status who fought for equality all across the country. Suggested by Skokie staff.

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  • Forgotten Women: The Leaders

    2018 by Tsjeng, Zing

    Unforgettable portraits of the true pioneers and leaders who made huge yet unacknowledged contributions to history, including Grace O'Malley, the 16th century Irish pirate queen; Sylvia Rivera, who spearheaded the modern transgender rights movement; and Agent 355, the unknown rebel spy who played a pivotal role in the American Revolution. Suggested by Skokie staff.

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  • Modern Women: 52 Pioneers

    2017 by Cochrane, Kira

    From suffragettes to scientists, activists to artists, politicians to pilots, and writers to riot grrrls, the women included have all paved the way for gender equality in their own indomitable way. Find out about extraordinary women, including writer and teacher Maya Angelou, computer scientist Ada Lovelace, abolitionist Harriet Tubman, film star Katharine Hepburn, and pioneering musician Björk. Suggested by Skokie staff.

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  • Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages, Through the Women Written Out of It

    2023 by Ramirez, Janina

    See the medieval world with fresh eyes and discover why these remarkable women were removed from our collective memories. Through the careful examinations of artifacts and writings, this title uncovered the true impact of women from the Middle Ages. Did you know that Europe had a female king? Suggested by Amber.

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  • Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists: A Graphic History of Women's Fight for Their Rights

    2019 by Kendall, Mikki

    This book covers key figures and events that have improved women's lives from ancient times to the present. Included are the stories of notable individuals and groups who have led progressive movements in suffrage, abolition, labor, civil rights, LGBTQ liberation, and reproductive rights. Suggested by Skokie staff.

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