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Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Independent Dames: Are women's contributions still marginalized?

This week's featured title is INDEPENDENT DAMES: What You Never Knew About the Women and Girls of the American Revolution by Laurie Halse Anderson. It tells the stories of the women who fought behind the scenes in all sorts of fierce ways, women who are finally getting a spotlight. Cool!

Certainly in Revolutionary times, women's roles were marginalized. Do you think women are still kept out of the light at all? Do they get their due in terms of the ways they help shape today's world?


7 comments:

YA Sleuth said...

I think we're our own worst enemy sometimes. We're all raised to be modest, and not boast when we accomplish something, because that's what a well-mannered girl does. That really should change.

This book sounds like a great example of what girls have done and can get done--I'll be picking up a copy for sure!

Melissa Walker said...

Agreed, Fleur. That can definitely happen. I'm still struggling to break out of that "good girl" pattern. That said, I did us "badass" in a tweet to describe this book, so baby steps, right? :)

Micol Ostow said...

Wish I could say no, but I'm not sure that'd be true. Agree that we also need to learn to take credit for our own achievements, as well. Good for authors like Laurie for setting an example!

Kay said...

One of my favorite classes in college was a History of Women in the US. Not just during the Revolution, but throughout our history, women's contributions have been ignored. For decades, the military denied benefits to the brave women of the Women's Air Service Pilots who served during WWII. Did you know a group of women turned Senator McCarthy's Committee on UnAmerican Activities on its head? The contributions go on and on. Thanks to books like Independent Dames, we can learn about it now.

Melissa Walker said...

Totally true, Kay! These unsung parts of history are fantastic to see!

Lorie Ann Grover said...

Fantastic post, Melissa. I hear you, Fleur.

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