Her Story: A Timeline of the Women Who Changed America

Gr 5 Up—Abigail Adams's admonishment to her husband to "remember the ladies" is the guiding principle for this volume. After a foreword by Madeleine Albright, the authors highlight more than 900 women who have impacted American history. Using a chronology that begins in 1587, noting the birth of Virginia Dare, the pages are filled with colorful illustrations, drawings, and historical photographs that underscore women's achievements up to 2011. The final entry is for surfer Bethany Hamilton. Some of the women will be well known to readers but others, such as Edith Clarke, who was one of the first three women fellows of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, will not, thus making the volume most enlightening. Scientists, authors, politicians, actors, athletes, and military officers are included, as are many "firsts," including Margaret Petherbridge Farrar, who was the first woman to produce a crossword puzzle book. The fascinating entries go on and on, and readers will find themselves saying, "I didn't know a woman did that." Lavishly illustrated pages, an absorbing selection of subjects, and a helpful professions index make this a great volume for browsing or for general interest.—Patricia Ann Owens, Illinois Eastern Community Colleges