I have read both the Personal Librarian and The Other Einstein. Both great books. I have also been to the JP Morgan library in NYC where they currently have a whole exhibit on Belle De Costa Greene which was fascinating. I highly recommend Marie Benedict books as she concentrates of women in history that have been forgotten or not given their dues for their accomplishments. The Only Woman in the Room was a great book about Hedy Lamar who was definitely much more than a pretty face..
I have The Only Woman in the Room in my stack to read this year. Looking forward to learning more about all Hedy did during her lifetime. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad to hear that the exhibit at the Morgan was fascinating. My sister, also librarian, and I are flying out from Chicago in March to see the exhibit. I also really enjoyed The Personal Librarian. Historical fiction is such an “easy” way to learn history. It’s shaped my life since childhood.
Thank you for this interesting post! Many moons ago, I tried to write a novel about Victoria Woodull. I did so much research about her and her strange family, their involvement with Cornelius Vanderbilt, Henry Ward Beecher, etc., and the tumultuous post-Civil War era. It was all fascinating but a novelist I'm not; I don't have an ear for dialogue. There are quite a few nonfiction books about Victoria and her sister Tennessee, including Other Powers, The Scarlett Sisters, and Scandalous. She was, to put it mildly, complicated ...
Melissa! This is amazing. I didn't know about Victoria Claflin Woodhull but now I want to know everything! Maybe I'll take you up on the suggestion to write the book about her.
It's an honor to be included in your list of ways to support women. I am so grateful, thank you! 🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽
And if the shelter doesn't, contact your local Rotary club. Rotary has a program called Books for the World that sends books to countries where internet rarely exists and people want to learn English. Just contact the local club and if they don't want them they may have a way to get them to one who does
Thank you for sharing, Andrea! I work with the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation and we fund e-readers for children in countries as you mentioned, but I didn’t realizes there was a resource that needs physical copies. I appreciate you bringing awareness!
Thank you for your comment. Yes, some historical fiction tend to take more liberties than others. I really just appreciate them for introducing me to the character (and the author's spin on them) and then use it to go have fun research for myself if I want to know the "real" story about the person. I hope you at still enjoyed the book. 💗
Thanks! Absolutely! Yes, it was still a fun read. But I wished it would have been more accurate and stayed a little closer to the facts since her real life was so fascinating! David McCullough’s The Great Bridge has a few sections devoted to her if anyone’s looking to learn more of her real life.
I loved The Personal Librarian. Thanks for the other book tips. The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore is another book about a strong woman who fought against the establishment.
I have read the Personal Librarian a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. I had no idea all that when into the JP Morgan Library and the women who curated those books- just fascinating.
I’m married to an engineer, so I feel like I’m gonna have to read The Engineer’s Wife at some point.
I love your focus on community and support here, Melissa. So important in a world increasingly prioritising the self over others! And thank you for linking my space too; truly grateful!
Thank you for these reminders! I was doing research on local women's shelters last year that I could support and I should continue that research to find a place to donate books I'm no longer reading.
Finding Margaret Fuller is such an amazing book! We read it in our book club over at the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation. Everyone enjoyed it. I would love to know if you grab the book about Emily!
Yes, but it was for school thirty years ago! I’m really looking forward to comparing impressions - thanks to mum’s hoarding, I still have an essay I wrote about it!
I have read both the Personal Librarian and The Other Einstein. Both great books. I have also been to the JP Morgan library in NYC where they currently have a whole exhibit on Belle De Costa Greene which was fascinating. I highly recommend Marie Benedict books as she concentrates of women in history that have been forgotten or not given their dues for their accomplishments. The Only Woman in the Room was a great book about Hedy Lamar who was definitely much more than a pretty face..
I have The Only Woman in the Room in my stack to read this year. Looking forward to learning more about all Hedy did during her lifetime. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad to hear that the exhibit at the Morgan was fascinating. My sister, also librarian, and I are flying out from Chicago in March to see the exhibit. I also really enjoyed The Personal Librarian. Historical fiction is such an “easy” way to learn history. It’s shaped my life since childhood.
Thank you for this interesting post! Many moons ago, I tried to write a novel about Victoria Woodull. I did so much research about her and her strange family, their involvement with Cornelius Vanderbilt, Henry Ward Beecher, etc., and the tumultuous post-Civil War era. It was all fascinating but a novelist I'm not; I don't have an ear for dialogue. There are quite a few nonfiction books about Victoria and her sister Tennessee, including Other Powers, The Scarlett Sisters, and Scandalous. She was, to put it mildly, complicated ...
Interesting! I want to read more about her. Thanks for the ideas.
Yes! She seems like she would be a complex character to write. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Melissa! This is amazing. I didn't know about Victoria Claflin Woodhull but now I want to know everything! Maybe I'll take you up on the suggestion to write the book about her.
It's an honor to be included in your list of ways to support women. I am so grateful, thank you! 🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽
Please do!!!! I would be thrilled if you wrote her story. ❤️
And if the shelter doesn't, contact your local Rotary club. Rotary has a program called Books for the World that sends books to countries where internet rarely exists and people want to learn English. Just contact the local club and if they don't want them they may have a way to get them to one who does
Thank you for sharing, Andrea! I work with the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation and we fund e-readers for children in countries as you mentioned, but I didn’t realizes there was a resource that needs physical copies. I appreciate you bringing awareness!
Second generation Rotarian because of the End Polio Now program ( my mom was a polio victim) and I became a great supporter of Books for the World
Oh wow! Thank you for sharing. I just looked them up. I had never heard of them before. What a great program.
FYI - I just finished The Engineer’s Wife. While it uses Emily Roebling’s name and general story, the majority of the book is completely fiction.
Thank you for your comment. Yes, some historical fiction tend to take more liberties than others. I really just appreciate them for introducing me to the character (and the author's spin on them) and then use it to go have fun research for myself if I want to know the "real" story about the person. I hope you at still enjoyed the book. 💗
Thanks! Absolutely! Yes, it was still a fun read. But I wished it would have been more accurate and stayed a little closer to the facts since her real life was so fascinating! David McCullough’s The Great Bridge has a few sections devoted to her if anyone’s looking to learn more of her real life.
I loved The Personal Librarian. Thanks for the other book tips. The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore is another book about a strong woman who fought against the establishment.
I have read the Personal Librarian a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. I had no idea all that when into the JP Morgan Library and the women who curated those books- just fascinating.
I’m married to an engineer, so I feel like I’m gonna have to read The Engineer’s Wife at some point.
The Engineer's Wife is such an amazing book! I think you will really enjoy it - especially with an engineer in the family.
I’ve been meaning to read The Color Purple for years; this might be the year! Thanks for this wonderful post!
Thank you, Mariella for stopping in! I hope you get to read it this year. 🫶
I've read the first three but the rest are new to me. I will add them to my list. Thanks!
I hope you love them all! Thank you for stopping by!
I love your focus on community and support here, Melissa. So important in a world increasingly prioritising the self over others! And thank you for linking my space too; truly grateful!
Oh, great post! Saving it to check some of those book links. Nice to read something encouraging today!
Thank you! I appreciate that. I was trying to find a little light to share with the world. I'm glad it resonated with you.❤️
Thank you for these reminders! I was doing research on local women's shelters last year that I could support and I should continue that research to find a place to donate books I'm no longer reading.
You are awesome! I'm sure you are going to make some women very happy.
I’ve read a picture book about Emily Warren Roebling, but now I want to pick up the one you mentioned:)
One of favorite historical fiction novels is Finding Margaret Fuller, a Transcendentalist writer
Finding Margaret Fuller is such an amazing book! We read it in our book club over at the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation. Everyone enjoyed it. I would love to know if you grab the book about Emily!
Yay! So glad you loved it! I feel like not enough people are talking about this book
I’ll be joining the P&P read along with Closely Reading 😊
Yay! Have you read P&P before?
Yes, but it was for school thirty years ago! I’m really looking forward to comparing impressions - thanks to mum’s hoarding, I still have an essay I wrote about it!
It’s always interesting to see how much life changes your perspective when you reread a book.
I had never heard about Ms. Woodhull. Thanks for sharing about her.
Yay! I’m happy to share something new. :)
Yes to all of this!!!!!