Scribbling Women

Gr 8 Up—This slim, elegant book contains 11 biographies of women born between the years 965 and 1937. With the exception of Sei Shonagon (author of The Pillow Book) and Harriet Jacobs (author of the noted slave narrative), the scribblers profiled here will probably not be known to teens. Although these women left behind written records of their lives—diaries, letters, and stories—most did not publish or consider themselves authors. Writing was simply an activity they squeezed in among other pursuits, from whaling to scientific expeditions in Africa. Approximately half of those included are women of color: Japanese, Inupiat Eskimo, African American, Aboriginal Australian, and Vietnamese. The collection is refreshing because it does not hail women for conventional accomplishments, but celebrates smaller, more personal triumphs in the context of their society. Readers will cheer for aspiring scientist Mary Kingsley (1862—1900) when she is finally free to pursue her dreams after decades of being the caregiver to a family of men. They will deeply respect Margaret Catchpole (1762—1819) because she writes so bravely and insightfully about serving a life sentence for stealing a horse. Jocelyn draws on real scholarship to paint novelistic portraits of her subjects' inner lives. The women here truly live up to their billing as "astonishing."—Jess deCourcy Hinds, Bard H.S. Early College, Queens, NY