Today, the world is filled with inspirational women. 200 years ago, the world was filled with inspirational women. And many of them have contributed great feats to the advancement of the world and everyone in it, often without recognition. But two gutsy women who have worked to change the world themselves have collected some of these stories together, in a tribute to those who came before and are still working tirelessly to advance those around them.
The Book of Gutsy Women explores the lives, challenges and phenomenal achievements of a unique collection of extraordinary figures, from the worlds of politics, medicine, activism, climate protection and many more. Taking each in turn, the former First Lady and her daughter discuss how and why each have been so inspirational to the both of them, and what we can learn from their works and attributes. Featuring over one hundred women, predominantly American but from across the globe and the past 300 years, the book is a feminist, whistle-stop tour through the women who have shaped our world in unimaginable ways.
It must be said that I generally enjoy books like this. Anything that shines a light on powerful people doing extraordinary things is a sure-fire way to get me interested from the very first moment. I think it’s incredibly important for each of us to learn about the usually unsung heroes who have made contributions to our society that most of us take for granted and barely ever consider, despite the benefits we often take from it. And this book contained a mix of familiar names that felt like exciting easter eggs when I came across their sections, and a range of people I have never learned about until now, which is exactly what this book sets out to do.
I also appreciated the extent that the women featured in this book Is inclusive and diverse in many different ways. Women of colour, transgender women, those with a range of socio-economic backgrounds, countries of origin, incomes, career paths and levels of ability are all included, as well as feeling like they each belong, rather than being included simply for the sake of inclusion. Whilst most are of American origin due to the fact that the authors are American, it also means the majority of these women have been met by the Clintons, which provides a unique level of insight into these legendary figures, which is a huge bonus.
However, similar to my criticisms of a book of a similar nature by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, there were occasions when it felt as if some of the anecdotes included detracted from the figure themselves in exchange for what the Clintons have achieved. The asides were always relevant, granted, but it did feel as if some of the inclusions had advantageous connections that the authors may have capitalised on. I’d also like to have seen more written by Chelsea Clinton, with the majority taken by Hillary Clinton.
I also found that some of the women mentioned benefitted from much less coverage than others. Some of the figures in the book had around a page and a half, whilst others got four or five detailing their achievements. I understand that some people have more that warrants discussion than others, but I’d have liked to learn more about some of these inspirational women that I felt should have been included that wasn’t. I also think some of the structures of this book were restrictive. There were times that had sections from both authors which fit very well to have been written separately, sometimes making me question whether these had always been written independently, flowing passages were occasionally interrupted for a comment from the other author and besides a general theme, there wasn’t much linking these women’s stories. Even a short passage at the end of each to discuss the impact of women in that sector generally that there wasn’t space to discuss at length would help to wrap each section up better than the abrupt transitions currently in the book.
The Book of Gutsy Women is a book of some of the most inspirational figures I have learned about, from the familiar to the unfamiliar, activists to environmentalists. Hearing their stories and the contributions they have made is no less than humbling and makes me determined to join them in the collective work of powerful women worldwide. The structure and editorial choices did restrict the enjoyment, and for those featured who are still alive I’d have preferred to hear stories in their own words, but it’s a lovely acknowledgement of the advancement of women everywhere and is an easy and educational read.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
The Book of Gutsy Women (ISBN: 978-1-4711-6699-0) was published in 2019
