BOOK LIST:

Daring Women: Biographies

Updated: March 30, 2024

A collection of biographies and autobiographies about women with strong, unique characters who followed their own inclinations and dreams.


Book cover for Ada's algorithm : how Lord Byron's daughter Ada Lovelace launched the digital age
Ada's algorithm : how Lord Byron's daughter Ada Lovelace launched the digital age
Essinger, James, 1957-
Call Number: 92 L8978Es

Ada Lovelace was said to be the only legitimate child of English poet Lord Byron.  She was a brilliant mathematician and worked with Charles Babbage on his Analytical Engine, possibly the first computer.


Book cover for Agent Josephine : American beauty, French hero, British spy
Agent Josephine : American beauty, French hero, British spy
Lewis, Damien
Call Number: 793.324 B167Le

As a performer Josephine Baker was an international sensation who broke many barriers, in particular racial. She was gorgeous, exuberant, rebellious and offbeat which was evident in all of her stage performances, and was also “a world class spy” during World War II.


Book cover for All in one basket
All in one basket
Devonshire, Deborah Vivien Freeman-Mitford Cavendish, Duchess of, 1920-
Call Number: 942.51 D511-6

Deborah Vivien Freeman-Mitford, Dowager Duchess of Devonshire takes us into the world of running one of England's most well-known stately homes, Chatsworth.  Without any formal education but a keen business sense, she tranformed the house and grounds into a beautiful and profitable tourist sight.

This is a particularly charming and funny interview with the Duchess at the Frick Collection.


Book cover for Becoming
Becoming
Obama, Michelle, 1964-
Call Number: 92 O1166-1

With candor and class, former First Lady Michelle Obama recounts her personal life from growing up on the South Side of Chicago in a working class family; years of study at Princeton and Harvard; being a lawyer, a wife and mother; and the wife of the first African American President.


Book cover for Becoming Ms. Burton: From Prison to Recovery to Leading the Fight for Incarcerated Women
Becoming Ms. Burton: From Prison to Recovery to Leading the Fight for Incarcerated Women
Burton, Susan
Call Number: 351.765092 B974

Susan Burton's life took a dive into hell when her five-year-old son was killed by a van driving down her street. She began self-medicating, taking increasingly stronger illegal drugs, and for over fifteen years Burton was in and out of prison. By chance she found a private drug rehab facility and turned her life around. Through her organization, A New Way of Life, Ms. Burton is now an advocate for formerly incarcerated women.


Book cover of Brave the wild river : the untold story of two women who mapped the botany of the grand canyon
Brave the wild river : the untold story of two women who mapped the botany of the grand canyon
Sevigny, Melissa L., 1986-
Call Number: 979.11 G751Se

In 1938 two botanists, Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter, joined a group of river runners in order to chart the then unknown plants of the Grand Canyon. In addition to the wild and dangerous Colorado River, there were additional challenges for the two botanists.


Book cover for Bugatti queen : in search of a French racing legend
Bugatti queen : in search of a French racing legend
Seymour, Miranda.
Call Number: 796.72092 N588Se

Hellé Nice was a girl from the countryside who hit Paris with a bang as a nude model, dancer and cabaret performer, but when she caught the eye of Ettore Bugatti, car designer, she became the fastest race car driver on the track.


Book cover of Camera girl : the coming of age of Jackie Bouvier Kennedy
Camera girl : the coming of age of Jackie Bouvier Kennedy
Anthony, Carl Sferrazza
Call Number: 92 O575An-1

In a 1972 interview, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis said, “People often forget that I was Jacqueline Bouvier, before being Mrs. Kennedy or Mrs. Onassis. Throughout my life I have tried to remain true to myself.” As revealed in this new biography, she was precocious, curious, strong-willed, and a brilliant student who could have had a career as a journalist or writer. Anthony's meticulous research and analysis covers her early years and wedding to then Senator John F. Kennedy.

 

 


Book cover for Changing the rules : adventures of a Wall Street maverick
Changing the rules : adventures of a Wall Street maverick
Siebert, Muriel.
Call Number: 332.62 S571

Muriel Siebert was known as the first woman of finance, and this was not in the nineteenth century but the twentieth:  the first woman to own a seat on the New York Stock exchange; the first woman to head one of the New York Stock Exchange's member firms; the first woman Superintendent of Banking for the state of New York. In this autobiography she is candid, tough, and humorous about her own life and many of the people she worked with in the financial and political world.


Book cover for D.V.
D.V.
Vreeland, Diana.
Call Number: 746.52 V979 1997

Off-beat, elegant and original in dress, manner and speech, but with a very keen eye for new talent, Diana Vreeland was editor-in-chief of Vogue Magazine during the 1960s and resuscitated its image and sales.


Book cover for Dreaming in French : the Paris years of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, Susan Sontag, and Angela Davi
Dreaming in French : the Paris years of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, Susan Sontag, and Angela Davi
Kaplan, Alice Yaeger
Call Number: 920.073 K165

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, Susan Sontag, and Angela Davis were three American women who, in their youth, spent time studying and living in Paris  Living in France would sustain, nourish, and confirm a sense of independence and uniqueness in each of their lives.


Book cover for Empress of the east : how a European slave girl became queen of the Ottoman Empire
Empress of the east : how a European slave girl became queen of the Ottoman Empire
Peirce, Leslie P,
Call Number: 92 S9491Pe

Abducted and brought to the harem as a Russian (specfically Ruthenian) slave and Christian, Roxelana became the only Queen in the Ottoman Court. What caused Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent to free and marry her? There was more to the harem than seduction, and a great deal more to this woman who was smart, fascinating, shrewd, and a clever diplomat.


Book cover for The exceptions : Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the fight for women in science
The exceptions : Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the fight for women in science
Zernike, Kate
Call Number: 509.73 Z58

In 1999, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) admitted that it had discriminated against senior women faculty, at all levels. Sixteen women, each of whom thought they were the exception to unfair treatment, came together to realize that each of them had been treated unfairly. 

 

Book cover for A fighting chance
A fighting chance
Warren, Elizabeth.
Call Number: 92 W287
The story of Elizabeth Warren’s life and career is not simply about her journey from a penniless childhood to the heights of political power in Washington, D.C. Throughout the book one thing is clear, and that is Warren’s understanding and appreciation of the hard work that people use to try to carve out lives for themselves and their children in America.

Book cover for Fighting Shirley Chisholm.
Fighting Shirley Chisholm.
Haskins, James, 1941-2005.
Call Number: 92 C5423Ha

Shirley Chisholm was the first African American Congresswoman and the first African American woman to run for President in 1972. Outspoken and candid, she was fearless in expressing her opinions and criticism regarding established politicians and activists alike.


Book cover for Find Where the Wind Goes: Moments From My Life
Find Where the Wind Goes: Moments From My Life
Jemison, Mae
Call Number: 629.450092 J49

Dr, Mae Jemison is an engineer, physician, and was a member of the Peace Corps and a NASA astronaut. In 1992 she was the first African American woman astronaut to travel in space. She is the principal of The 100 Year Starship organization, and has written a book for children about the program.


Book cover for First : Sandra Day O'Connor
First : Sandra Day O'Connor
Thomas, Evan, 1951-
Call Number: 347.092 O18Th

There were many firsts in the life of Sandra Day O'Connor, and all of them are well-documented by Evan Thomas who had access to Justice O'Connor's personal archives, and was able to interview her. Thomas' writing style is perfect for bringing us this biography of an incredible woman.


Book cover for From coveralls to zoot suits : the lives of Mexican American women on the World War II home front
From coveralls to zoot suits : the lives of Mexican American women on the World War II home front
Escobedo, Elizabeth Rachel.
Call Number: 301.4129794 E746

World War II opened up jobs for women and minorities, and for Mexican American women the opportunities caused a type of revolution in their personal lives, shaking up traditional customs and ideas about women going out into the world unprotected.


Book cover for The girls of Atomic City : the untold story of the women who helped win World War II
The girls of Atomic City : the untold story of the women who helped win World War II
Kiernan, Denise.
Call Number: 976.82 K47
This book explores the development of the atom bomb through the lens of the working women, from all walks of life, who contributed to its development.
 

Book cover for The glass universe : how the ladies of the Harvard Observatory took the measure of the stars
The glass universe : how the ladies of the Harvard Observatory took the measure of the stars
Sobel, Dava
Call Number: 520.9 S677
Sobel provides a fascinating exploration of the photo-astronomy work done at Harvard, focusing on the cadre of exceptional women who were instrumental in the successful measuring and cataloging of the universe and following the entire span of that project.
 

Book cover for Grace Hopper and the invention of the information age
Grace Hopper and the invention of the information age
Beyer, Kurt.
Call Number: 621.38195092 H797Be

Grace Hopper was a computer scientist and a Navy Rear Admiral. Often known as Amazing Grace or Grandma Cobol, Hopper was an early programmer in 1944 at Harvard, and invented the first compiler for a computer programming language. Yale University's Calhoun College was renamed "to honor one of Yale's most distinguished graduates, Grace Murray Hopper '30 M.A., '34 Ph.D."

 


Book cover for Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science—And the World
Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science—And the World
Swaby, Rachel
Call Number: 509 S971

This is a series of vignettes about female scientists who deserve more recognition than they have received but is not a recitation of wrongs. Rather, it shows 52 unique, indomitable, free spirits and free-thinkers who were moved to overcome any obstacle because they loved what they did, and they wanted to know more.


Book cover for Hedy's folly : the life and breakthrough inventions of Hedy Lamarr, the most beautiful woman in the world
Hedy's folly : the life and breakthrough inventions of Hedy Lamarr, the most beautiful woman in the world
Rhodes, Richard
Call Number: 812.092 L216Rh

Not just another pretty actress, at one point she was called, “The most beautiful woman in the world.” Lamarr also had a brain and it was for the scientific and technical. She and composer George Antheil worked on a radio-controlled spread-spectrum communications system that included frequency hopping which later would prove important in cell phones and GPS technology. With Antheil she shared The Pioneer Award from the Electronic Frontier Foundation.


Book cover for Her dream of dreams : the rise and triumph of Madam C.J. Walker
Her dream of dreams : the rise and triumph of Madam C.J. Walker
Lowry, Beverly.
Call Number: 668.52092 W177Low

Madam C. J. Walker was the first African American woman millionaire. She developed a line of hair products specifically created for African American women. Born in 1867 on a plantation, her rags to riches story is filled with her ability to overcome personal and racial obstacles.


Book cover for Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
Lee Shetterly, Margot
Call Number: 510.973 L481

During and after World War II among the female human computers, who were subsumed within aeronautics, there was another group of female human computers who were submerged because they were African Americans. This book recounts the lives of some of those African American women who worked as calculators, and then as mathematicians and engineers for NASA and its precursors. This is their story, at long last revealed, as the author shines a light on the stellar work of a group of African American women, whose contributions were not fully known by enough people.

 

 


Book cover for Hiding in plain sight : Lady Bird Johnson in the White House
Hiding in plain sight : Lady Bird Johnson in the White House
Sweig, Julia
Call Number: 92 J6754Sw

Lady Bird Johnson was wife of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, who came into office as the result of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Lady Bird was one of the most astute First Ladies, who was a staunch environmentalist, possessing an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the greater ramifications of environmentalism that included numerous socioeconomic factors. Because of the times in which she lived and worked, her program was promoted as a beautification program, but it was a great deal more, as was the woman behind the program.


Book cover for Honky tonk girl : my life in lyrics
Honky tonk girl : my life in lyrics
Lynn, Loretta.
Call Number: 789.14 L989-2

Crammed with photos from back in the day, Honky Tonk Girl recounts, in Loretta’s unmistakable voice, the stories behind some of her most celebrated songs, from 1960's “Honky Tonk Girl” to 2004’s Grammy-winning “Van Lear Rose.” Over the course of her 50-year career, Loretta has worked with everyone from Buck Owens and Tammy Wynette to Pavarotti and Jack White. If you love to get your Loretta on, you will enjoy every page.


Book cover for Hunger makes me a modern girl : a memoir
Hunger makes me a modern girl : a memoir
Brownstein, Carrie, 1974-
Call Number: 789.14 B8853
Rock goddess and Portlandia Actress-Writer-Producer Carrie Brownstein returns to her childhood and musical beginnings in the Riot Grrrl feminist movement of the 1990s when she co-founded the iconic musical group Sleater-Kinney. Brownstein describes contending with how she was perceived by journalists and audiences being a woman in a rock band in this heartfelt and honest exploration of her professional and personal lives.

Book cover for I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood up for Education and Changed the World
I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood up for Education and Changed the World
Yousafzai, Malala
Call Number: 370.95491 Y82-1

Learn the story of the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner ever, who risked her life to fight for the rights of girls in Pakistan to attend school. Malala was a young girl who would not be denied an education, despite being threatened by the Taliban, who shot her in the head. She lives in exile and continues to speak out for justice and human rights. In 2014, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.


Book cover for I shock myself : the autobiography of Beatrice Wood
I shock myself : the autobiography of Beatrice Wood
Wood, Beatrice.
Call Number: 738.914 W873 1988

A late-bloomer who did not find her true art until she was forty years old. Prior to that she was the object of affection for both Marcel Duchamp and Henri-Pierre Roche who based his novel, Jules and Jim, on this real-life ménage à trois. And Francois Truffaut based his film, Jules and Jim, on the novel.


Book cover for Ida M. Tarbell : the woman who challenged big business--and won!
Ida M. Tarbell : the woman who challenged big business--and won!
McCully, Emily Arnold,
Call Number: 92 T179Mc

Ida M. Tarbell was one of the leading muckrackers, later known as investigative journalists. Her book, The history of the Standard Oil Companyis frequently ranked as one of the most important books of twentieth century journalism.


Book cover for I'll drink to that : a life in in style, with a twist
I'll drink to that : a life in in style, with a twist
Halbreich, Betty, 1927-
Call Number: 746.52 H157

 Betty Harbreich is well known for her book Secrets of a fashion therapist:  what you can learn behind the dressing room door which offers practical fashion advice for every woman, gleaned from her years of experience at Bergdorf Goodman as a personal fashion advisor. Snappy, direct and funny she recounts her life and how she came to be known as the first personal shopper--a name she does not like at all. She is in Bergdorf's every day before the doors open, walking and looking for clothes for her clients, but Harbreich does have her limits and boundaries, "The door of my office is where I draw the line.  I'm not part of the package--I don't go home with the pants. . . There is a cutoff period to my involvement, but with me at least one gets an hour or two."

 


Book cover for The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks
The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks
Skloot, Rebecca, 1972-
Call Number: 610.71 S628
Explore issues of bioethics, racism, poverty, science, and faith in this investigation into the origins of a line of cells that has and continues to be instrumental to biological and medical research.

Book cover for In pieces : a memoir
In pieces : a memoir
Field, Sally.
Call Number: 812.092 F456

Field’s painfully honest and frank memoir focusing on her childhood and the early years of her career is among the more resonant celebrity autobiographies. Field shows that her ability to embody the plucky, confident heroines of television and film stood in contrast to the crisis of confidence she struggled with as an individual. The end result is a well-written book that is raw, insightful, and cathartic. A welcome contribution from a woman who helped shaped the landscape of American popular culture.

 

Book cover for Invisible : the forgotten story of the black woman lawyer who took down America's most powerful mobster
Invisible : the forgotten story of the black woman lawyer who took down America's most powerful mobster
Carter, Stephen L., 1954-
Call Number: 810.92 C325

Stephen Carter's biography is about his grandmother and lawyer, Eunice Hunton Carter, who overcame gender and racial prejudice. In the legal profession she was a force to be reckoned with, having put together a plan to take down Lucky Luciano, head of the Mafia.  During the 1940s she was the most famous African American women in the United States,
 


Book cover for It's what I do : a photographer's life of love and war
It's what I do : a photographer's life of love and war
Addario, Lynsey.
Call Number: 770.9 A222

Lynsey Addario is a driven international photojournalist who has traveled to the world's hotspots to document and present life during conflicts, revolutions and wars.  She is candid in her writing and her photography.


Book cover for Jackie Cochran : an autobiography
Jackie Cochran : an autobiography
Cochran, Jacqueline.
Call Number: 629.13092 C663-1

Jacqueline Cochran pulled herself out of abject poverty to become the top female competitive racing pilot in the 1930s, organized the WASPS during World War II, tested jet aircraft, became the first female pilot to break the sound barrier, and became the successful owner of her own cosmetics firm.


Book cover for Julia Morgan : the road to San Simeon, visionary architect of the California renaissance
Julia Morgan : the road to San Simeon, visionary architect of the California renaissance
Morgan, Julia, 1872-1957.
Call Number: 720.914 M848-1

If she is known at all by the general public, it is for San Simeon, on which she spent 30 years working with William Randolph Hearst, but Julia Morgan had many other accomplishments, as documented in this new biography, lavishly illustrated with numerous color photographs.


Book cover for Kamala's way : an American life
Kamala's way : an American life
Morain, Dan
Call Number: 92 H3146Mo

Morain, a former editor for The Sacramento Bee, chronicles the meteoric rise of the first female, African-Asian American Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris. This biography provides important background information on a political trailblazer, the daughter of immigrants, who went from the San Francisco District Attorney's Office to the second highest elected office in the country, and all of it accomplished in a decade's time.


Book cover for Kay Thompson: From Funny Face to Eloise
Kay Thompson: From Funny Face to Eloise
Irvin, Sam
Call Number: 813 T4735Ir

Kay Thompson seemed to know just about everybody there was to know from the 1930s on until her death in 1998. She was an actress, singer, coach, writer,cabaret performer,first-class eccentric, godmother to Liza Minnelli and the creator of the stories about Eloise, the precocious wild-child who lived at The Plaza in New York City.


Book cover for Lab girl
Lab girl
Jahren, Hope,
Call Number: 570.92 J25

Geobiologist Jahren has created a memoir of a life in “big science” that started with a life as the daughter of a community college science professor in Minnesota. She worked her way up through academia in a world that is not often welcoming to women, but persevered and got her own lab. Her life story is woven between stories about the lives of trees, the plants that are Jahren’s specialty and her passion.

 

Book cover for Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick
Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick
O'Meara, Mallory
Call Number: 812.092 P3135Om

First time author Mallory O’Meara chronicles the life of one of the most interesting and influential people whose work you have seen, but whose name is not known: Milicent Patrick.  She is the only woman to design a classic monster, and it is far past the time for her story to be told. This is a compelling and enjoyable biography about the legacy of a female trailblazer in film, who not only worked, but excelled repeatedly in aspects of production dominated by men, both then and now.

 

Book cover for The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State
The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State
Murad, Nadia
Call Number: 323.4092 M972

The Nobel Peace Prize, 2018. This prize was shared with Dr. Denis Mukwege, "for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict." Nadia Murad is a member of the Yazidi community who lived in Kocho, northern Iraq. She and her family lived a peaceful rural life with other families until their village was caught in the crosshairs of ISIS in 2014. People were killed and Nadia was abducted, beaten, tortured, repeatedly raped, and became part of the ISIS slave trade. She escaped and this is her story. Even though she is free, ISIS has continued to issue death threats because Nadia continues to speak out.


Book cover for Lee Krasner : living colour
Lee Krasner : living colour
Krasner, Lee, 1908-1984, artist.
Call Number: 759.14 K889-1

In poplular media and real life, Lee Krasner took a back seat to her rambunctious, talented husband, Jackson Pollock. This outstanding book places her front and center, with full-page color reproductions of her work, black and white photos of the artist at work, and interviews with Krasner by Gail Levin.


Book cover for Lessons From the Edge: A Memoir
Lessons From the Edge: A Memoir
Yovanovitch, Maria L.
Call Number: 92 Y83

Marie Yovanovitch was U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine and in 2019 was recalled from that post, which soon brought her to national attention during an impeachment inquiry about Donald Trump. Her autobiography is about her family’s immigration to this country, overcoming hardships in Europe, and her dedication in representing the United States in her career with the diplomatic services.

 

Book cover for Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina
Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina
Copeland, Misty
Call Number: 793.324 C782

Misty Copeland overcame the odds of a dysfunctional home, racism, and a late start with ballet lessons to become a star and soloist with American Ballet Theatre. No matter what the odds, obstacles, or pain, in life and in ballet, her autobiography conveys her indomitable spirit and passion for dance.


Book cover for Life with Picasso
Life with Picasso
Gilot, Franc?oise, 1921-
Call Number: 759.64 P586Gi 1989

Francoise Gilot was a talented young artist when she met Pablo Picasso who was forty years her senior. She spent ten years with him, had two children and was the only woman to leave him.


Book cover for Lorraine Hansberry : the life behind A raisin in the sun
Lorraine Hansberry : the life behind A raisin in the sun
Shields, Charles J., 1951-
Call Number: 812 H2485Sh

This new biography on the groundbreaking African-American playwright, Lorraine Hansberry, details her involvement in civil rights activism, queer activism and left-wing politics before her tragic demise from cancer. Hansberry's upbringing inspired her classic play, A Raisin in the Sun, including her family's involvement in some controversial real estate practices.


Book cover for M train
M train
Smith, Patti,
Call Number: 789.14 S656-3

In unsurprisingly poetic prose, both beautiful and personal, Patti Smith recounts memories plucked from various adventures in her life, from visiting a South American prison with her husband Fred "Sonic" Smith, to surveying a Coney Island devastated by a storm, to holing up in a European hotel to binge-watch detective shows. 

 

Book cover for Mademoiselle : Coco Chanel and the pulse of history
Mademoiselle : Coco Chanel and the pulse of history
Garelick, Rhonda K., 1962-
Call Number: 746.52 C456Gar

The name Chanel is iconic and eponymous for a fragrance and a jacket, both created by a woman from a poor, socially undesirable background. Based on new research, this book analyzes the woman and her achievements within the context of the historical periods in which she lived. Heartbroken by a first great love, she became completely absorbed and driven to succeed on her own merits, and nothing, definitely not an ethical code, stood in her way.


Book cover for Mary McGrory : the first queen of journalism
Mary McGrory : the first queen of journalism
Norris, John, 1964-
Call Number: 071.092 M147No

John Norris portrays the life of journalist Mary McGrory, who broke ground in the male-dominated newsrooms of the 1950s and 1960s, with her guts, gumption, calm observation, and detailed honest writing. She came from a working class Irish Catholic family that had a strong work ethic, which served her well. Without being salacious, Norris also writes about McGrory's personal and professional encounters with numerous well-known politicians. And with discerning insight documents the toll her career took on her personal life.


Book cover for Mighty justice : my life in civil rights
Mighty justice : my life in civil rights
Roundtree, Dovey Johnson, 1914-2018,
Call Number: 347.092 R859

Dovey Johnson Roundtree was an African American civil rights leader and activist, an attorney and an ordained minister.  She overcame discriminatory obstacles and became a lawyer who for civil rights for African Americans. In 1955, along with her law partner, Julius Winfield Robinson, they won a case presented to the Interstate Commerce Commission that helped overturn Jim Crow laws.


Book cover for My American dream : a life of love, family, and food
My American dream : a life of love, family, and food
Bastianich, Lidia,
Call Number: 641.092 B326

Lidia Bastianich is a successful restaurateur, televsion host of numerous cooking programs on PBS, and cookbook author. In this heartfelt autobiography and memoir, she recounts her family's history in post-World War II Pula, Istria, then part of Italy, and how they eventually came to America. Filled with joy and hope, Basitanich's life is the embodiment of what it means to be an immigrant and find a new life in the United States.


Book cover for My beloved world
My beloved world
Sotomayor, Sonia, 1954-
Call Number: 347.092 S718

In this engaging memoir, explore one woman’s life and learn how she overcame barriers of poverty, race, and illness to achieve great success.


Book cover for My name is Selma : the remarkable memoir of a Jewish resistance fighter and Ravensbrck survivor
My name is Selma : the remarkable memoir of a Jewish resistance fighter and Ravensbrck survivor
Perre, Selma van de, 1922-
Call Number: 940.5315296 P455

During the Holocaust, at least three fourths of the Jewish population of the Netherlands was murdered, or died of illness or exposure in concentration camps. Selma van de Perre was one of the few survivors. At the age of 20 she took on a false identity so as not to be recognized as a Jew, joined the Dutch resistance, but was eventually captured and sent to the all-women’s concentration camp, Ravensbrück, as a political prisoner. She credits her survival to using her wits and sheer luck. After the camp was liberated, she was able to reclaim her real name and identity as a Jew. She wrote this memoir at the age of 98, “as a testament to our fight against inhumanity.” The level of storytelling is top notch. Perre is an excellent, compelling writer, detailing the atrocities committed by the Nazis, the acts of bravery by the resistance, and the lives and deaths of camp prisoners that she came to know.

 

Book cover for My Prison, My Home: One Woman's Story of Captivity in Iran
My Prison, My Home: One Woman's Story of Captivity in Iran
Esfandiari, Haleh
Call Number: 365.955 I78

In 2006 while visiting her mother in Tehran, Iran, the American Director of the Woodrow Wilson Center's Middle East Program, Haleh Esfandiari was suddenly imprisoned and interrogated for nearly eight months. For part of that time she was in solitary confinement in the notorious Evin Prison where focus, self-discipline and determination were attributes that sustained her through a living nightmare in a country that once had been her home.


Book cover for Nica's dream : the life and legend of the jazz baroness
Nica's dream : the life and legend of the jazz baroness
Kastin, David.
Call Number: 781.995 K19

She was an unofficial, unpaid promoter of jazz musicians, in particular Thelonius Monk.  Kathleen Annie Pannonica Rothschild Later Koenigswarter was a decorated WWII hero, a mother and the wife of a diplomat, but left it all for the world of American jazz in the 1950s. Charlie Parker died in her elegant Stanhope Hotel apartment. Other musicians referred to her simply as the Baroness.


Book cover for Nothing daunted : the unexpected education of two society girls in the West
Nothing daunted : the unexpected education of two society girls in the West
Wickenden, Dorothy.
Call Number: 370.92 W893Wi

What happens when two Smith graduates decide to set off in 1916 for, what was then, the wild west of Colorado? Well, adventure, and a good deal more of it than either they or their families could imagine. Dorothy Woodruff and Rosamond Underwood wrote to their families back in New York, and it is from those letters that Woodruff's granddaughter has created this hearty tale.


Book cover for The obstacle race : the fortunes of women painters and their work
The obstacle race : the fortunes of women painters and their work
Greer, Germaine, 1939-
Call Number: 759 G816

In a style that is both scholarly and thoroughly enjoyable, Gerrmaine Greer presents a history, from the Renaissance through the nineteenth century, of women painters and the difficulties they confronted while pursuing their passion for art.


Book cover for On a farther shore : the life and legacy of Rachel Carson
On a farther shore : the life and legacy of Rachel Carson
Souder, William, 1949-
Call Number: 570.92 C321So

Over 50 years ago, in her book The silent springRachel Carson warned about the dangers of widespread use of pesticide. This recent biography examines the life of this quiet, dedicated scientist.


Book cover for On all fronts : the education of a journalist
On all fronts : the education of a journalist
Ward, Clarissa, 1980-
Call Number: 809.295092 W257

International journalist Clarissa Ward has reported from every major battle front, natural disaster and troubled spot all over the world.  Part memoir and commentary on what it is like to be among the few women who do this kind of reporting and what motivates these journlists to do this type of dangerous work.


Book cover for Paris and her remarkable women /
Paris and her remarkable women /
Liscio, Lorraine.
Call Number: 920.044 L769

A beautiful little book that briefly highlights the lives of ten extraordinary women whose lives were impacted by Paris. 


Book cover for Piecing Together Los Angeles: An Esther McCoy Reader
Piecing Together Los Angeles: An Esther McCoy Reader
McCoy, Esther
Call Number: 720.910941 M131

Esther McCoy was one of modern architecture's most important critics and writers. She was the first architectural critic to take Los Angeles architecture seriously. This is a new anthology which includes a variety of her work.


Book cover for The power of glamour
The power of glamour
Tapert, Annette.
Call Number: 812.09 T175

Tapert chose eleven actresses from Hollywood's golden period of the 1930's and 1940's and shows how each of them developed their own unique style outside of the movie studios' machines. She examines their lives and personalities and how each woman found what suited her best, but never at the expense of her image which embodied glamour. As Tapert says,"They had the ability to change the temperature of a room when they entered it. . ." and therefore had what was ". . . akin to glamour's original meaning: witchcraft."  Also check out Tapert's other book, The power of style:  the women who defined the art of living well.


Book cover for Prague winter : a personal story of remembrance and war, 1937-1948
Prague winter : a personal story of remembrance and war, 1937-1948
Albright, Madeleine Korbel.
Call Number: 943.7 A342

An engrossing and enlightening multi-layered history of Czechoslovakia, the Albright family, and World War II, through the eyes of the Czech girl who grew up to be the first female Secretary of State. A must-read for World War II history buffs or anyone wanting to gain a clear understanding of the events and decisions that led to the war.


Book cover for The price of illusion : a memoir
The price of illusion : a memoir
Buck, Joan Juliet,
Call Number: 051.092 B922

Joan Juliet Buck's father was a motion picture producer for Peter O'Toole and best friends with John Huston. Buck's best friend was Angelica.  But, that's just the start of this biography because Buck doesn't stay in filmland for long. She makes her name in fashion publishing, ending up as the editor of Paris Vogue.  Buck's adult life runs through the 1960s to the 1980s, prime years of the women's movement and she writes about how manners and fashion determined and reflected women's place in the world.  A near tell-all with fashion's most enduring names as major players.


Book cover for The Princess Diarist.
The Princess Diarist.
Fisher, Carrie.
Call Number: 812.092 F533-2

In her latest memoir, actress/writer Carrie Fisher reflects on her complicated relationship with Princess Leia, the character she first brought to life four decades ago in the original Star Wars film. Also discussed at length is the three-month affair she had with co-star Harrison Ford during the location shoot. Drawing from journals Fisher kept at the time, the memoir is at times a painful yet relatable chronicle of a 19-year-old who, despite being on the verge of international fame, is consumed with the raw emotions of unrequited young love.

 

Book cover for Queen Bess : daredevil aviator
Queen Bess : daredevil aviator
Rich, Doris L.
Call Number: 629.13092 C692Ri

Bessie Coleman was the first African American woman aviatrix in. Her biography is as exciting and daring as her flying stunts at airshows.


Book cover for Reading Jackie : her autobiography in books /
Reading Jackie : her autobiography in books /
Kuhn, William M.
Call Number: 92 O575Ku

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was internationally known for many things: beauty, glamor, poise, strength and dignity. She never wrote a memoir, but during the last fifteen to twenty years of her life, working as a book editor, she shepherded to publication almost 100 books, written by others. Those books reflect the wide-ranging interests and provide insights into the life of a very private/public woman.


Book cover for Rise of the rocket girls : the women who propelled us, from missiles to the Moon to Mars
Rise of the rocket girls : the women who propelled us, from missiles to the Moon to Mars
Holt, Nathalia, 1980-
Call Number: 629.40973 H758

This book delves into the culture of women who worked as “human computers” at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory during the 1940s, 1950s, and beyond. The author conducted hundreds of hours of first-person interviews, and went deep into the JPL and NASA archives. The book offers a personal take on the accomplishments of these women who worked in the gendered discrimination reality of the American workplace.  Despite the obstacles these women created a collaborative support network in order to advance American space exploration.


Book cover for The senator next door : a memoir from the heartland
The senator next door : a memoir from the heartland
Klobuchar, Amy.
Call Number: 92 K657

No mud-slinging here. The senior Senator from the great state of Minnesota recalls, with heart and humor, the path she took to public service. With election season heating up, it’s nice to be reminded that some politicians can be genuinely nice people. She is from Minnesota, doncha know? 

 

Book cover for Sex object : a memoir
Sex object : a memoir
Valenti, Jessica,
Call Number: 301.41292 V155

Guardian columnist and founder of the Feministing blog, Jessica Valenti has written five other books, but this one is far more personal. She recounts her life growing up in New York, learning early on that her female body was treated differently from men’s bodies. Sometimes shocking, sometimes rousing, this memoir really brings home the need to continue the fight to get women on an equal footing with men. 


Book cover for Shout, sister, shout! : the untold story of rock-and-roll trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Shout, sister, shout! : the untold story of rock-and-roll trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Wald, Gayle, 1965-
Call Number: 789.14 T367Wa

Sister Rosetta Tharpe is well-known as the godmother of rock 'n roll who mixed religious and secular styles which angered gospel singers in more conservative churches. In the 1920s she sang at The Cotton Club and Café Society. Despite the efforts of singers like Eric Clapton, B. B. King, and Johnny Cash, she has yet to be inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame.  Here are some examples of her style from YouTube:

"That's All!"

"Precious Memories" 

 


Book cover for Shrill : notes from a loud woman
Shrill : notes from a loud woman
West, Lindy.
Call Number: 071.092 W518

Part hilarious memoir, part no-holds-barred apologia on fatness, this is a stand out in the abundance of new third-wave feminist nonfiction. Not one to beat around the bush, West calls out, by name, the much-loved journalist Dan Savage for his crusade against obese people, and a who’s who of edgy male stand-up comics for their insistence that rape jokes are funny and everything is fair game.

 

Book cover for Shy : the alarmingly outspoken memoirs of Mary Rodgers
Shy : the alarmingly outspoken memoirs of Mary Rodgers
Rodgers, Mary, 1931-2014
Call Number: 789.14 R6915

Mary Rodgers was the daughter of someone famous, “If you’ve read this far, you probably already know that Daddy was Richard Rodgers (1902-1979): composer, womanizer, alcoholic, genius.” And, how’s this for a line, when grabbing the check for dinner, “When your father writes Oklahoma! You can pay for dinner.” However, in this rollicking ride through the world of Broadway, she demonstates that she was a talented and spirited creator in her own right.

 

Book cover for Some of my lives : a scrapbook memoir
Some of my lives : a scrapbook memoir
Bernier, Rosamond.
Call Number: 709.2 B528
Coming from a background of privilege and advantage did not stop Rosamond Bernier from working hard and being successful at what she loved doing. She had a passion for art and loved to talk about it, and that's what she did with her sparkling, well-informed lectures at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She knew, socialized and wrote about major twentieth century artists.

Book cover for The spy who loved : the secrets and lives of Christine Granville
The spy who loved : the secrets and lives of Christine Granville
Mulley, Clare.
Call Number: 351.74092 S626Mu

Christine Granville was beautiful, intelligent, rebellious, daring and courageous, and left behind a slew of admirers and lovers.  Not a fictitious character in a spy novel, she was one of the most successful World War II spies who was awarded the George Medal, the OBE, and the Croix de Guerre.  She died, not on the war front, but as the result of a brutal murder in 1952.  This well-researched book reveals all aspects of her life and offers reasons why such a complete biography may have been thwarted in the past.


Book cover for Stand Up Straight and Sing!
Stand Up Straight and Sing!
Norman, Jessye
Call Number: 789.14 N842

A true diva is a distinguished female opera singer who strives for the best in her own work and expects the same from everyone with whom she works in order to create a marvelous experience for an audience. Jessye Norman is the full embodiment of a diva on stage and off, always striving for the best in life and art. 

On May 15, 2014, Jessye Norman was a guest at Aloud, and you can hear the podcast.


Book cover for There is nothing for you here : finding opportunity in the 21st century
There is nothing for you here : finding opportunity in the 21st century
Hill, Fiona, 1965-
Call Number: 330.973 H645

Fiona Hill is a foreign policy expert and was a deputy assistant to the President and Senior Director for European and Russian affairs on the National Security Council. She was a key impeachment witness during the first impeachment of President Trump. Her extensive knowledge of modern Russia offers a warning to how the United States must persevere to save its democracy. The most moving revelations are her memories of growing up in an impoverished area of northern England that is straight out of Charles Dickens. It was her exceptional hard work that made it possible for her to attend the University of St. Andrews, where exclusionary class-consciousness was, and still is, endemic to British culture. Her experiences with class-consciouness resonate in Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion. Her coal miner father told her to “seek her fortune elsewhere” and not stay in England. 


Book cover for This will be my undoing : living at the intersection of black, female, and feminist in (white) America
This will be my undoing : living at the intersection of black, female, and feminist in (white) America
Jerkins, Morgan,
Call Number: 301.412973 J55

The first essay in Morgan Jerkins’ debut collection is a story about how, as a young black schoolgirl, she had been rejected by the cheerleading squad because “they don’t accept monkeys like you on the team.” And thus begins a no-holds-barred catechism of what life is like for African-American girls and women. You’re gonna want to take notes. 


Book cover for Unbreakable : my story, my way : a memoir
Unbreakable : my story, my way : a memoir
Rivera, Jenni.
Call Number: 789.14 R621

Jenni Rivera was strong, determined, talented and very smart. This is her autobiography told her way, as she did everything else, including damaging choices in men.  She toughed it out to succeed in the male-dominated world of banda and norteño music to become an international sensation.

 


Book cover for Under the wire : Marie Colvin's final assignment
Under the wire : Marie Colvin's final assignment
Conroy, Paul,
Call Number: 071.092 C727Co

They may not make war journalists, male or female, to match the likes of Marie Colvin who was one of the greats and valued as such by her colleagues. Colvin was not a thrill seeker, but was driven by the need to see first-hand what took place in war zones:  East Timor, Chechnya, Sri Lanka, Libya and Syria. 


Book cover for Watch me fly : what I learned on the way to becoming the woman I was meant to be
Watch me fly : what I learned on the way to becoming the woman I was meant to be
Evers-Williams, Myrlie.
Call Number: 323.4092 E935

After the assassination of her husband, civil-rights activist Medgar Evers, Myrlie Evers completed her B.A. in sociology at Pomona College, worked in private business and went on to become Chairwoman of the NAACP.


Book cover for The Watergate girl : my fight for truth and justice against a criminal president
The Watergate girl : my fight for truth and justice against a criminal president
Wine-Banks, Jill
Call Number: 973.924 W767

At the time of the Watergate investigation, she became known as "the girl" in the mini-skirts.  Woman, attorney and legal analyst, Jill Wine Banks gives us the inside scoop about the investigation and eventual prosecution of those who were involved in the Watergate crimes. The legal calculations and strategies provide insights into what goes into these major prosecutions. It was beyond three-dimensional chess, where legal contingencies were weighed against pending indictments and testimony. Add to this, Ms. Wine Banks' experiences as to what it was like being the only "girl" who was a lawyer on the team.


Book cover for When I was Puerto Rican
When I was Puerto Rican
Santiago, Esmeralda.
Call Number: 301.45097295 S235 1994

Esmeralda Santiago was one of eleven children who grew up in a tin-can of a house in Puerto Rico, surrounded by quarreling parents and poverty. While living in Brooklyn with her grandmother, Santiago's ambition and hard work resulted in a Harvard education, and a successful career as a writer and film producer.


Book cover for Wise gals : the spies who built the CIA and changed the future of espionage
Wise gals : the spies who built the CIA and changed the future of espionage
Holt, Nathalia, 1980-
Call Number: 351.7409 H758

The activities of five women (Addy Hawkins, Lize Sudmeier, Mary Hutchinson, Jane Burrell, Eloise Page) prior, during and after WW II, were instrumental in the founding of the CIA. “This is the kind of book the Wise Gals could not have anticipated would ever be written … their lives and accomplishments remained undocumented. Sadly, their stories could not have been told while the women were still with us. If living, neither the identities of the women, nor their work within the agency, would have been disclosed by the CIA. It is only in death that the full measure of their accomplishments can be revealed.”


Book cover for The woman who smashed codes : a true story of love, spies, and the unlikely heroine who outwitted America's enemies
The woman who smashed codes : a true story of love, spies, and the unlikely heroine who outwitted America's enemies
Fagone, Jason,
Call Number: 652.092 F8995Fa

Elizebeth Smith and her husband, William Friedman, were important code breakers during World War II, and their work helped create what would become the NSA. Elizebeth Smith has never received the credit she deserves for her unique contirubtions to breaking numerous versions of the Enigma machine. The story of how she became a code breaker is as intriguing and unbelievable as are her many contributions.


Book cover for Women artists : the Linda Nochlin reader
Women artists : the Linda Nochlin reader
Nochlin, Linda,
Call Number: 709 N757-7

A collection of essays about women artists by art historian, scholar and professor, Linda Nochlin, whose writing is scholarly, provocative, and fascinating. These essays are from the past, but not at all dated, and in many ways are answers to another Nochlin essay, "Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?" which also is included.


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