A fascinating page-a-day collection profiling extraordinary women of all races, eras, and nationalities.
Our past is full of influential women. Whether politicians, troublemakers, explorers, artists, and even the odd murderer, women have shaped society around the globe. But too often, these women have been unfairly confined to the margins of history.
On This Day She: Putting Women Back into History One Day at a Time corrects this imbalance. A day-by-day collection of inspiring stories about incredible women who made history but seldom received the acknowledgement they deserved, this book introduces readers to women of all colors, eras, and nationalities. From Queen Elizabeth I to Beyoncé, Doria Shafik to Lillian Bilocca, this book gives voice both to female icons and to those whom the history books have overlooked.
These women campaigned, cured, and adventured their way through life. They include musicians, painters, scientists, poets, and more. Spanning centuries, On This Day She is a record of human existence at its most authentic.
Jo Bell is a well-known UK poet and broadcaster. Her first career was in archaeology, working in the UK, Greece, and Turkey. Her writing has won numerous awards, including the Charles Causley Award, and has been featured on BBC national radio and TV.
Tania Hershman is a former science journalist and is now one of the pioneers of flash fiction in the UK. A Royal Literary Fund Fellow, she has written and edited many books, including an anthology of stories inspired by Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity. Her PhD was in creative writing inspired by particle physics.
Ailsa Holland is a poet, writer and activist whose research includes medieval literature and a PhD on British writers in 1930s Vienna. She was Manchester Cathedral Poet of the Year in 2019, and her word art has been shown in exhibitions across the UK and even on the pavements of Cheshire.
Women have often been omitted from history, even though they were present and actively contributed. Bell (Kith), Tania Hershman (How High Did She Fly), and Ailsa Holland (The Lost Tale of Gawain) seek to correct this omission with this Twitter-inspired page-a-day collection of biographies of both famous and lesser-known women. Entries include historical, contemporary, and BIPOC women, and the range of accomplishment is breathtaking. The courage and tenacity of these scientists, artists, mountaineers, social and civil rights activists, educators, warriors, soldiers, and resistance workers, among others, shine through. This array of achievement will also provoke dismay and righteous anger: a number of entries state some were denied further education simply because universities did not then admit women. Many women refused to accept the status quo. Others were pioneers in their fields, only to watch male colleagues take the credit, be awarded prestigious honors, and claim the financial benefits. This illustrated compendium’s enjoyable daily entries will inspire readers to undertake further research. The strong, brave women tumbling from its pages will be a welcome addition to reference and history collections. — Library Journal
This thoroughly enjoyable, slightly addictive almanac celebrates a different woman for every day of the year…. The brief but insightful biographical essays are written from a witty feminist viewpoint, and are quick to point out instances where womens achievements have been ignored, dismissed, or misappropriated…. These individual profiles are just the right length to be read aloud in classrooms or shared at other events. This accessible reference will come in handy for March—Womens History Month—and every other day of the year. — Booklist
