Relax And Expand Your Mind
Reading is a wonderful way to relax and expand your mind. If you haven’t gotten much reading done this year, this month is the perfect opportunity for you to get started. We’ve got a reading list for Women’s History Month that you’ll love.
National Women’s History Month has been celebrated since the 1970s and 1980s, and ever since then, people have been shining a spotlight on women or events that have been overlooked in history class. There are many ways you can celebrate, from community service projects to reading books about phenomenal women. In honor of Women’s History Month, we’ve listed four new and upcoming books about women in history or important historical moments.
Reading List for Women’s History Month
BONUS — A COLLECTION OF INSPIRING WOMEN
I Know a Woman: The Inspiring Connections Between the Women Who Have Shaped Our World by Kate Hodges, Sarah Papworth, and Lucy Mangan
Don’t have time for a full biography? Try reading a collection of smaller spotlights on amazing women. This book from Kate Hodges is a collection of 84 pioneering women in history and it has beautiful illustrations from Sarah Papworth. Some of the women featured include Michelle Obama, Frida Kahlo, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Malala Yousafzai, and Marie Curie. Check out some of the illustrations and spotlights here.
ELIZABETH SMITH FRIEDMAN — MOTHER OF CRYPTOLOGY
The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine who Outwitted America’s Enemies by Jason Fagone
Elizabeth Smith Friedman and her husband William Friedman were pioneers in U.S. cryptology. Together they are known as the “Adam and Eve” of the NSA. During World War I and World War II, Elizabeth played a leading role in cracking enemy codes; in fact, she cracked multiple versions of Hitler’s Enigma machine. She even used her talents to “catch gangsters and smugglers during Prohibition.” Learn more about this extraordinary woman with Jason Fagone’s book.
CORETTA SCOTT KING — CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST
Coretta: My Life, My Love, My Legacy by Rev. Dr. Barbara Reynolds and Coretta Scott King
Coretta Scott King is commonly known as the wife of civil rights activist, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She raised four kids and helped develop the King Center, but that’s just a small part of her legacy. Coretta was also a social justice warrior. She was a champion of women’s, workers’, and gay rights. She was an activist for HIV/AIDS prevention, too. Check out this book on her life here.
THE NINETEENTH AMENDMENT — WOMEN’S RIGHT TO VOTE
The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote by Elaine Weiss
The 100th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment is just a couple years away, which makes this book so important. Author Elaine Weiss delves into the political landscape of 1920 and provides insight into the “last push” to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment in Tennessee. She also discusses the racists who fought to have black women excluded as well as the women known as “Antis” who opposed having the right to vote. You can find more information or order the book on Amazon.