March is Women’s History Month. This celebration of the impact women have had on American history began only a week in 1982 after Congress passed Public Law 97–28. This law noted that “the role of American women in history has been consistently overlooked and undervalued in the body of American history.” This is true not only in America but also around the world.
Below are five books (with some bonuses) curated to help readers recognize, appreciate and honor women and the roles they played in history, and continue to play today.
"She Votes: How U.S. Women Won Suffrage, and What Happened Next" by Bridget Quinn
This beautifully illustrated book describes how American women won the right to vote and the next 100 years of women’s voices in this country.
"Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts" by Rebecca Hall, illustrated by Hugo Martínez
Part black-and-white graphic novel, part memoir, former visiting University of Utah professor Rebecca Hall tells the history of women-led slave revolts through the use of archival research.
"Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future" by Patty Krawec
The author asks, "How might we become better relatives to the land, to one another and to Indigenous movements for solidarity?" Through the use of oral history and creation stories, she calls readers to “unforget” our history.
"Brave Hearted: The Women of the American West 1836–1880" by Katie Hickman
Historian Katie Hickman utilizes primary sources such as letters and diaries to tell the stories of women who influenced the 19th century American West.
"The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women" by Kate Moore
This harrowing book chronicles the true story of the women poisoned by unsafe work conditions in radium watch dial factories in the early 20th century.
