I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I can’t get enough of these books about awesome women often forgotten by the history books. From Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls to A Glorious Freedom, and everything in between, there’s something for feminists of all ages. My latest favourite is What Would Boudicca Do?: Everyday Problems Solved by History’s Most Remarkable Women by Elizabeth Foley and Beth Coates. Illustrated by Bijou Karman and published today by Faber & Faber, it’s like Rebel Girls for the Cosmo generation.
What Would Boudicca Do is a fun take on a typical lifestyle mag column blended with a history lesson:
“Life can be troublesome for the modern gal: we’re swimming the shark-infested waters of social media, constantly fiddling with the scales of our work-life balances, being actively encouraged to hate ourselves when we look in the mirror in the hope that we’ll buy more sportswear, and all the while dealing with the shadow of centuries of patriarchal oppression that have also given us mansplaining/-spreading/-terrupting, and worse. Feminism’s job is certainly not over, but at least we, unlike many of the ladies in this book, live in a world where it’s been invented.”
There are so many life lessons which can be tied to a successful woman from history, such Mary Wollstonecraft and feminism, Mae West and body positivity, Hypatia and owning your geek label, Frida Kahlo and style, Isabella Beeton and Imposter Syndrome and Amelia Earhart and keeping your own name.
This book features 50 remarkable women from history and what we can learn from them in the modern age. And it’s hilarious too! Imagine Aisling Bea teaching a history lesson and you’re part-way there. It’s a fun gift idea for the queens in your life, as well as an empowering read if you’re feeling a bit overlooked at work or in need of a confidence boost.
*I was sent a copy of this book for review purposes. All thoughts are my own
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This sounds great! There are so many amazing women that history has just forgotten. I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of it 🙂
Megan – Ginger Mom and the Kindle Quest
I love reading but often don’t have the attention span for one long story. I also feel I’ve stopped absorbing real inspiration because I’m reading fiction. This is the perfect book for me right now. I love your descriptions of how funny and accessible this book is too.
Aw, thanks 🙂 I hope you manage to get a copy soon.
I shall add it to my impossibly long list, that’s actually intimidating me at this point lol
Fantastic review 🙂
This book sounds excellent!
Cora | http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk