Wonderful collection of biographies of 11 women whose writing taught, enlightened, documented, preserved history through the ages. Some are familiar (Sei Shonagon, Harriet Jacobs, Nellie Bly) but most are unknown and it is their diaries or personal letters that shed light on events and people in history. The title is from Nathaniel Hawthorne's jab at his contemporaries in the mid-1800s (Louisa May Alcott, for one) who were able to make a living by the pen. What is amazing is their tenacity and their unique perspective on their situation (settling of Australia, US slavery, Arctic exploring, Vietnam War and many others). Lots of positive examples and messages: "I always have a comfortable feeling that nothing is impossible if one applies a certain amount of energy in the right direction." -- Nellie Bly p.108) The book is well-researched, well-written and intended for kids (I'd say 11 and up with some maturity) so it carefully handles subjects like unwed pregnancies, abuse, and discrimination. Though each account could stand separately, Jocelyn makes connections between them that are thoughtful and relevant despite the vast differences of time and culture. A great gift to empower a growing girl in your life and a fantastic read for adults. Better yet, read it together. ( )

Despite a somewhat juvenile and simplistic worrying style (do we really need a definition of women's suffrage?) I found this book to be moving, informative, and thoroughly readable. ( )

From the product description, “In 1855, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote to his publisher, complaining about the irritating fad of “scribbling women.” Whether they were written by professionals, by women who simply wanted to connect with others, or by those who wanted to leave a record of their lives, those “scribbles” are fascinating, informative, and instructive.”

In the days before email, blogs and twitter people wrote journals and letters. Due to lack of formal education women wrote few and even fewer still exist. Ms. Jocelyn researched the history and pulled a selection of 11 women who wrote. These women differ in the time period in which they lived, in background, ethnicity, education level and social status, yet they each kept journals or wrote letters. Ms. Jocelyn gives us a short synopsis of their lives and then lets them tell their stories in their own words, spelling mistakes and all.

This is a short book that really packs a punch. It takes the reader through time from imperialist China to the present. We visit with criminals, slaves, adventurers and mothers, each with a fascinating story. Well, well worth the read.
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Many short stories to date have left me feeling that they are just beginning when they have ended. With these tales, I felt there was a perfect balance of information since each one focused on a common thread in relation to a different experience. The book focuses on the lives of different women throughout history. Some women were stuck in difficult situations with extreme hardships and/or danger, some lived lives full of adventure, and some brought about change. Yet each woman found the strength within themselves to cope with or master the obstacles presented to them regardless of the difficulties or their class.

I particularly liked the author's chronological order of stories as it gives the reader a better idea of what a particular time was like so they can better understand each woman's situation and perhaps their thinking as well. Leading the order up to the present day highlights the struggles that women have had to overcome over the centuries, giving a better sense of how thinking, history and progress has evolved thanks to the women's suffrage movement. Another highlight for me was the author's inclusion of women of different classes from or to different regions of the world to showcase a variety of cultures, like Japan, Vietnam, Africa, Australia, England, Russia and America. The uniqueness of their situations made each tale stand out from the other so that each was a delightful read in its own way.

I felt there were a couple of minor flaws though. It would have been nice if the author had included more tales from women who were not British or American. Also, in the second tale that focuses on Margaret Catchpole, the author translated entire chunks of her poorly spelled language. Translating it felt like a correction which, for me, detracted from the essence of this woman as well as from that period of time when the minority was fortunate enough to attend school regularly. It was also simple language to translate, so I felt the author was doubting the reader's intelligence.

There is also an error on page 131. The author says, "Stefansson was convinced - correctly, as it turned out - that the North Pole lay in the center of an undocumented continent." A continent is a land mass whereas the North Pole likes on a floating sheet of ice, so what Stefansson was convinced of was incorrect. Otherwise, it was a very enjoyable read. ( )

See my forthcoming review in Kirkus. ( )