Women's History Bookstore, with great book suggestions on women's lives, women's history, and notable women. General and specific topics.

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Guide Special Picks

Hell's Belles: A Tribute to the Spitfires, Bad Seeds and Steel Magnolias of the New and Old South
by Seale Ballenger
If you can't stand history unless it's serious, then don't bother with this book. A few of the facts may be exaggerated in the interest of humor, but even a women's history scholar is likely to discover a few useful facts. For the much larger number of readers who aren't experts, this book is a great way to get a lot of breadth and a little depth on Southern culture and women's history. Paperback
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Introducing PostFeminism
by Sophia Phoca
One of a series of light-hearted yet substantive looks at philosophy, this book introduces post-feminism -- French feminism, postmodern feminism -- with clarity yet humor. Paperback
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No Constitutional Right to Be Ladies: Women & the Obligations of Citizenship
by Linda K. Kerber
Fascinating perspective on women's constitutional duties of citizenship rather than women's rights. The focus is especially on those instances, such as military service, where women's duties have differed from men's. Paperback
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Not For Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony
by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns
A companion volume to the November 1999 PBS film, this book is well-illustrated and further draws out the relationship between Stanton and Anthony. Hardcover.
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The Other Civil War
by Catherine Clinton
Revised edition of a 1984 classic in women's history, this is still a masterpiece in its survey of the changes in American women's lives from the end of the Revolution to the end of the 19th century. Paperback
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A Useful Woman: The Early Life of Jane Addams
by Gioia Diliberto
Jane Addams' early life, her motivations for going into her work at Hull House and her important relationships with other women all come alive in Diliberto's new biography. Hardcover
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Voices of Women Historians
by Eileen Boris and Nupur Chaudhuri (editors)
Women historians not only study and write about history, they make history. These essays by many of the key historians in the field of women's history highlight the goals, tasks, hardships and joys of this work. Paperback
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With Courage & Delicacy: Civil War on the Peninsula: Women & the U.S. Sanitary Commission
by Nancy Scripture Garrison
When the Civil War erupted, one Northern response was to improve conditions in military camps -- and in so doing, built an important institution in which women developed and exercised political and managerial power. Hardcover
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Whatever It Takes: Women on Women's Sport
by Joli Sandoz and Joby Winans
What is the experience of women, discovering themselves and their capacities through participation in sport? These essays, both current and historical, attempt to convey that experience. Paperback
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Women Who Wrote the War
by Nancy C. Sorel
Stories of women war correspondents in the 20th century.
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Current and Popular

100 Most Important Women of the 20th Century
by Kevin Markey, Ladies' Home Journal Books, Lorraine Glennon, Myrna Blyth (Introduction), Barbara Walters
Featured in the April 1999 Barbara Walters special, this book is heavy on the entertainers but is itself an entertaining look at the women of the century. Hardcover
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500 Great Books by Women
by Erica Bauemeister, Jesse Larsen, Holly Smith
Reviews (about 250 words each) of mostly-in-print books by and about women, plus seven (!) indexes (topic, author, title, genre, country). Like hearing from friends what they thought of the books. Recommended for booklovers. Paperback
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Amy Beach, Passionate Victorian : The Life and Work of an American Composer 1867-1944
by Adrienne Fried Block
The first American woman composer of significance, Beach might have been better known had she been male. This biography examines not only her life but also her music. Hardcover
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Hidden in Plain View : A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad
by Jacqueline Tobin, Raymond Dobard
Not all quilts were made by women, but quilting has been an integral part of women's lives and art. In this book, the authors detail how quilts (and songs, etc.) were used to help guide slaves out of slavery into freedom. Hardcover
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A Midwife's Tale : The Life of Martha Ballard
by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, J. Laslocky (Editor)
Between 1778 and 1806, Ballard delivered more than 800 babies. The book combines excerpts from her diary with essays by author Ulrich on medicine in the late 18th and early 19th century. Paperback
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Personal History
by Katharine Graham
As editor of the Washington Post, Graham has been one of the most powerful women of the 20th century. Her autobiography illustrates the changes in women's lives in her lifetime.
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Titanic Survivor : The Newly Discovered Memoirs of Violet Jessop Who Survived Both the Titanic and Britannic Disaster
by Violet Jessop, John Maxtone-Graham
Jessop (1887-1971) was a stewardess on the Titanic; her story of both that disaster and, a few years later, the sinking of the sister ship Brittanic when it hit a mine, bring a new and very immediate perspective. Book includes photos. Hardcover
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West With the Night
by Beryl Markham
Pioneer aviatrix and sportswoman Markham tells her own story of her adventurous life. This book proves her an excellent writer, too. Paperback
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Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China
by Jung Chang
From a grandmother who was a concubine to a warlord, to a mother who was a loyal communist, to the daughter whose life was disrupted by the Cultural Revolution, the story of these women gives a personal view of 20th century Chinese history. Paperback
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The Word According to Eve : Women and the Bible in Ancient Times and Our Own
by Cullen Murphy
Excellent book detailing the history of how women's role in the Bible has been perceived, and how that interpretation has influenced the role of women in history. Hardcover
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Quotations

Great Quotes from Great Women
by Peggy Anderson (compiler); Michael McKee (illustrator)
A good quote book with interesting illustrations. Paperback
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The New Beacon Book of Quotations by Women
by Rosalie Maggio (editor)
The best book of women's quotations I've ever seen. Organized by subject with good index to names. If you're going to use it often, you'll want this hardcover copy. Hardcover
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The New Beacon Book of Quotations by Women
by Rosalie Maggio (editor)
The paperback version of this great collection of mostly-short quotes. Very complete. Paperback
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Quotable Women of the Twentieth Century
by Cathleen Black (introduction)
Another good quotes-by-women book. The range is limited to 20th century women, but there's still an incredible variety of women. Introduction is by Cathleen Black, president of Hearst Magazines. Hardcover
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General

The 100 Most Influential Women of All Time : A Ranking Past and Present
by Deborah G. Felder
A risky business, listing only 100 influential women! A wonderful gift book for yourself or any teen woman of your acquaintance. Paperback
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1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Women's History
by Constance Jones
All the essentials are here, and lots of gossipy extras, too. A good read and a great reference. Buy it for yourself, but leave it around for others (including men and children) to pick up and read through. Hardcover
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Almanac of Women & Minorities in American Politics
by Mart Marty
A complete reference work with lots of lists of who is who and who was who among women in politics as well as minorities in politics. A must-have for libraries and reference shelves. Hardcover
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American First Ladies : Their Lives and Their Legacy
by Lewis L. Gould (Editor)
Extensive biographies of each of the first ladies (through Hillary Clinton), including their impact on history. Paperback
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The American Women's Almanac : An Inspiring and Irreverent Women's History
by Louise Bernikow
A funny and very useful book with lots of snippets of historical fact on women's history. Who says women's history has to be boring??? Paperback
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Born for Liberty : A History of Women in America
by Sara M. Evans
The best (in my opinion) overview of American women's history. Paperback
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Encyclopedia of American Women and Religion
by June Melby Benowitz
Denominations, movements, issues, and people are well-documented here, including mainline, well-known as well as more obscure, small religions. From Judaism and Christianity to paganism, from abortion to the YWCA. Includes a timeline and good bibliographic notes. Hardcover
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Maiden Voyages : Writings of Women Travelers
by Mary Morris, Larry O'Connor (Editor)
From the early 1700s to the present, 55 women tell their travel tales of adventures to the corners of the earth. Remarkable stories, brief biographies -- great reading. Paperback
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Notable American Women, 1607-1950 : A Biographical Dictionary
by Edward T. James (Editor), Janet W. James (Editor)
No serious historian of "herstory" should be without this reference work. Includes thorough biographies of the life and work of hundreds of notable women, each with a few good references for further research. Paperback
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Notable American Women, the Modern Period : A Biographical Dictionary
Barbara Sicherman(Editor), Carol H. Green (Editor)
Not as thorough biographies or bibliographies as the book above, but a good dictionary-style listing of many modern American women of note. I keep both Notable Women books close at hand! Paperback
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The Reader's Companion to U.S. Women's History
by Marysa Navarro, Wilma Mankiller (Editor), Gwendolyn Mink (Editor), Gloria Steinem (Editor)
This book includes over 400 short essays from feminists and women's history experts, arranged in an encyclopedia format. Topics range from politics to mass culture. Hardcover
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A Shining Thread of Hope : The History of Black Women in America
by Darlene Clark Hine, Kathleen Thompson, Hine Thompson
Documenting the difficulties and challenges facing African American women through almost four hundred years, this book illuminates a diversity of experiences and responses. Paperback
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Ancient

The Chalice and the Blade : Our History, Our Future
by Riane Eisler
Either you'll love it or hate it. Eisler looks at the evidence from prehistory for a more equal society as a basis for establishing more equality today. Speculative and controversial; I found it thought-provoking and inspiring.
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Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves : Women in Classical Antiquity
by Sarah B. Pomeroy
The book on women in the ancient world: their roles, their impact. Written with the insights of feminist scholarship, as well as general historical discoveries of recent decades. Paperback
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Listen to Her Voice : Women of the Hebrew Bible
by Miki Raver
Whether you view the Bible as history or fiction, the stories told have had a profound effect on Western history. Here, the author draws out the intelligence and passion of the women in the Hebrew Bible, and reminds us that women also made an impact. Hardcover
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When God Was A Woman
by Merlin Stone
A retelling of ancient history, emphasizing the goddess-oriented cultures where men and women seem to have been equal, and documenting evidence that these cultures were later taken over by invaders with superior metal weapons and warfare methods and cultures where males dominated. Paperback
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Women's Work : The First 20,000 Years : Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times
by Elizabeth Wayland Barber
Looking at cloth produced over 20,000 years, the author deduces the work life of women and the central place of such work in their communities. I found the book far more interesting than that description might make it sound. As with most prehistory and archeology, much is speculative, but the theories make sense. Paperback
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Medieval

Catherine of Siena : A Biography
by Anne B. Baldwin
Catherine of Siena advised popes, confronted bishops, wrote spiritual and mystical classics, and nursed the poor and sick. Declared a Doctor of the Roman Catholic Church (in 1970), only one of two women to have achieved that status, this book outlines her fascinating life. Paperback
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Hildegard of Bingen, 1098-1179 : A Visionary Life
by Sabina Flanagan
Readable biography of one of the most accomplished women in history, one who definitely transcended the limits of her time and culture. Paperback
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Holy Feast and Holy Fast : The Religious Significance of Food to Medieval Women
by Caroline Walker Bynum
Women and food -- from medieval religious symbolism to today's obsessions with diets, these topics have been linked. This is an accessible yet scholarly book about the medieval attitudes towards women and food. Paperback
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Secrets of God : Writings of Hildegard of Bingen
by Hildegard, Sabina Flanagan
Mystic, poet, intellectual, composer and naturalist: Hildegard's writings are excerpted here. As a record of incredible accomplishment within her time, these are important. Many selections are also inspiring in their own right. Paperback
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Uppity Women of Medieval Times
by Vicki Leon
Who says history has to be dull? This quirky book nevertheless gives a good flavor of some of the notable women of medieval times. Paperback
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Voice of the Living Light : Hildegard of Bingen and Her World
by Barbara Newman (Editor)
Many essays, attempting to understand this multi-faceted accomplished woman: musical composer, convent manager, intellectual. See her biography also in this section for lighter reading. Paperback
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16th-18th Century

American Women Writers to 1800
by Sharon M. Harris(Editor)
It's far easier to find information and selections from later women writers; many of these selections are hidden treasures. Paperback
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Damned Women : Sinners and Witches in Puritan New England
by Elizabeth Reis
Why were far more women than men denounced as witches? Why did women condemn one another as witches, and why did many confess? This book poses some possible answers, linking the religious concept of the sinfulness of women to the witch scare. Paperback
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First Generations : Women in Colonial America
by Carol Berkin
One of the most important reasons scholars and writers document women's history is to remind us all (men and women) that women made contributions, too. This is a book that helps bring out forgotten stories. Paperback
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From Gloucester to Philadelphia in 1790: Observations, Anecdotes, & Thoughts from the 18th Century Letters of Judith Sargent Murray
by Bonnie Hurd Smith
After nearly two centuries, Judith Sargent Murray's letters were recently discovered. Smith presents the letters of one trip Murray took, from Gloucester, Massachusetts, to Philadelphia, providing fascinating insight into 18th century post-Revolution America through a woman's eyes. Smith has also written a 50-page biography of Murray using information gleaned from the newly-available letters. Paperback
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Gleaner: A Miscellany
by Judith Sargent Murray
Murray's observations on the new American Republic (late 18th century) were notable for their judgment and insight, not just that they were (shock!) written by a woman. Hardcover.
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Liberty's Daughters : The Revolutionary Experience of American Women, 1750-1800
by Mary Beth Norton
I always wondered how women got through the American Revolution without starting one themselves -- all that talk of "inherent rights" and all. This book draws out the impact of those times on women. Paperback
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Indian Women of Early Mexico
by Susan Schroeder (Editor), Stephanie Wood (Editor), Robert Haskett (Editor)
Fairly dry reading, but good information. Hardcover
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The Honest Courtesan : Veronica Franco, Citizen and Writer in Sixteenth-Century Venice
by Margaret F. Rosenthal, Catharine R. Stimpson
The story of the woman whose life is the basis of the recent film, Dangerous Beauty. Dry reading but quite in depth. Paperback
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Women on the Margins : Three Seventeenth-Century Lives
by Natalie Zemon Davis
Three very different women: one Catholic, one Protestant and one Jewish. Their journals, paintings and writings tell us much about lives of women in the 17th century. Paperback
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19th Century

Civil War Women: The Civil War Seen Through Women's Eyes in stories by Louisa May Alcott, Kate Chopin, Eudora Welty & Other Great Woman Writers
by Martin Greenberg, Charles G. Waugh, and Frank McSherry
A collection of writings by women about the Civil War. These accounts are fictional accounts, but represent well the reality of women who, in war-time, face both crisis and responsibility. Paperback
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A Diary from Dixie
by Mary Boykin Miller Chesnut, Mary B. Chestnut
The journal of the wife of an aide to Jefferson Davis (and the source of many quotes in the television documentary The Civil War). An honest look into the daily life in the middle of the War Between the States. Hardcover
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Early Feminists
by Kathryn Gleadle
The rise of the women's rights movement in Britain, 1831-1851, and the social and religious context out of which it grew. Hardcover
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The First Woman in the Republic: A Cultural Biography of Lydia Maria Child
by Carolyn L. Karcher
An excellent and readable exploration of 19th century issues that affected women's lives by looking at the life of Lydia Maria Child: social activist, wife, writer and poet. (For Child's own works, see A Lydia Maria Child Reader on this page.) Paperback
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A Lydia Maria Child Reader
by Lydia Maria Child; Carolyn L. Karcher, Editor
From children's literature to housewifery manuals to anti-slavery tracts, Child's writing gives a window into women' s lives in the 19th century. (See her biography on this page: First Woman in the Republic.) Paperback
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Other Powers : The Age of Suffrage, Spiritualism, and the Scandalous Victoria Woodhull
by Barbara Goldsmith
Woodhull, a spiritualist and medium who became an advocate of women's suffrage and was known for her positions on sexual freedom, was one of the 19th century's most colorful notable women. This book reproduces her spirit well (excuse the pun). Paperback
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Two Paths to Women's Equality : Temperance, Suffrage, and the Origins of Modern Feminism (Social Movements Past and Present)
by Janet Zollinger Giele
Giele details the roots of modern feminism in two interconnected yet quite different social reform movements: woman suffrage and temperance. Paperback
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20th Century

100 Most Important Women of the 20th Century
by Lorraine Glennon (Editor), Ladies Home Journal (Editor), Kevin Markey, Barbara Walters
Another list book -- a good coffee table book with lots and lots of great photos. The well-known and the lesser-known are included. Hardcover
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African American Women in Congress : Forming and Transforming History
by Laverne McCain Gill
Profiles of the personal and professonal lives of fifteen African American women who have recently served in the US Congress. Includes Shirley Chisholm, Barbara Jordan, Eleanor Homes Norton, Maxine Waters, Carol Mosely-Braun. Inspiring and educational. Paperback
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Betty Friedan : And the Making of the Feminine Mystique :The American Left, the Cold War, and Modern Feminism (Culture, Politics, and the Cold War)
by Daniel Horowitz
Horowitz' biography of Friedan is an excellent study of her roots in social change, and even her connections to earlier feminism. This book is especially good for anyone who thinks that feminism began in the 1960s, and it's good for those who know better already, too. Hardcover
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The Feminine Mystique
by Betty Friedan
In 1963, Friedan named the feeling of unrest among many middle-class American women, and re-ignited a women's movement. This edition includes a new introduction. Paperback
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Feminist Pillar of Fire: The Life of Alma White
by Susie Cunningham Stanley
This biography will challenge assumptions: White was a fundamentalist Christian feminist fought for women's rights as God-given and Bible-supported, initially worked with the Ku Klux Klan, supported the Equal Rights Amendment before World War II, and founded a large religious movement. Paperback
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Marching Together: Women of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
by Melinda Chateauvert
Race and sex issues intertwine and interact in this story of the first national trade union for African Americans. The union provided important leadership development opportunities for women ... mostly for wives of the male members. They largely sacrificed the rights of the Pullman maids in the struggle to gain "manhood" rights for the male members. Paperback
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The Norton Book of Women's Lives
by Phyllis Rose (Editor)
Twentieth century women tell their own story, through their letters, journals, memoirs and other writings. Not limited to American women! Insight into the real lives of women in many different cultures. Paperback
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Personal Politics : The Roots of Women's Liberation in the Civil Rights Movement and the New Left
by Sara Evans
One of the best histories of 1970s and 1980s feminism, demonstrating its clear roots in civil rights reform and the New Left. Paperback
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The Prime of Life : The Autobiography of Simone De Beauvoir
by Simone De Beauvoir
This volume of De Beauvoir's autobiography focuses on the age when she came into her own -- her twenties and thirties -- and introduces the reader to the excitement of feminism, existentialism, and the culture of French intellectuals mid-20th-century. (See her Transatlantic Love Letters also on this page.) Paperback
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Transatlantic Love Affair
by Simone De Beauvoir
De Beauvoir's sensuous, passionate letters to the American writer, Nelson Algren, show a side of the feminist pioneer and author of The Second Sex and a view of French literary culture that do not always come through in her other writings. (See her autobiography The Prime of Lifeon this page, too.)
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Children's Books (ages 9-12)

18th Century Clothing
by Janine Schaub, Antoinette Debiasi (Illustrator), Bobbie D. Kalman
One way to interest older elementary age kids in history, is through costume and clothing styles. Paperback
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19th Century Girls and Women
by Bobbie D. Kalman
Everyday lives of 19th century women and girls. Young girls can see how different their lives would have been if they'd lived in a different time -- and they can begin to visualize history. Paperback
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Betsy Ross : Patriot of Philadelphia
by Judith St. George, Sasha Meret (Illustrator)
Did Betsy Ross really sew the first American flag? The author thinks so. The story is geared for older children. Paperback
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Teens and Young Adults (13+)

The Colonial Mosaic : American Women 1600-1760
by Jane Kamensky
Young adults should appreciate the stories of women of many backgrounds described in this book. Paperback
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Madam C.J. Walker (Black Americans of Achievement)
by A'Lelia Perry Bundles, Nathan I. Huggins (Editor)
A good choice for middle school readers. Madame Walker invented a hair product for African American women, built an economic empire not only for herself but for salon owners, and was active in social causes. Hardcover
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