A great fast-paced anthology of young adult historical fiction. The diversity in time, location, and character was incredible,; none of the stories felt out of place from the others. I learned a lot about different cultures during significant eras of US history that I never would have learned when I was that age. I loved that each author picked an era that meant something more to them than if they were presented with the era they were going to be writing about. It was a huge relief that romance wasn't the driving force of the any story if it was a theme and that the driving force these girl's desires to be 'different' from what every one expected them to be.

I was introduced to Jessica Spotswood through her first anthology project A Tyranny of Petticoats, which featured 15 stories about badass women. I don’t remember much of it, but I know I gave it a 3/5 rating because the stories were good and fantastical, but nothing special or memorable for me. I decided to give this one a go since I’m into anthologies lately, and to see if these are better than the first collection. I wasn’t disappointed, but neither was I thrilled.

The stories range from early 19th to late 20th century, all set in USA, and each one featuring a girl or a woman who makes a radical change in her life, be it for her personal gain or the greater good. Each of these women is trodden down by misogyny, racism, religious bigotry, or simply her parents’ strict and cultural views, but each one wins, or gets what she wants in a certain way.

These stories are equally good as in the first collection, but unfortunately (for me) there’s much, much less magical and supernatural in this one – almost none.


The Stories

Daughter of the Book (1838, Savannah, Georgia) – Dahlia Adler

An interesting story about the challenges Jewish women faced in their closed community, not allowed to learn and do as much as men. 4/5



You’re a stranger here (1844, Nauvoo, Illinois) – Mackenzi Lee

A portray of the terrible ordeal Mormons went through around the time their leader, Joseph Smith, was murdered, and how difficult it was to preserve their belief and persevere through constant persecution. 3/5



The Magician (1858, Colorado River, New Mexico Territory) – Erin Bowman

A young orphan girl cheats in cards and poses as a boy to get a better pay, trying to collect enough money to go search for her family. 3.5/5



Lady Firebrand (1863, Charleston, South Carolina) – Megan Shepherd

This one was my favorite. Rose, a rich white girl in a wheelchair, and Pauline, her African American friend posing as a maid travel to south in the middle of the Civil War, where they become Union spies, duping the Confederates by destroying their weapon supplies. 5/5



Step right up (1905, Tulsa, Indian Territory) – Jessica Spotswood

This one is about a girl who dreams of becoming a tightrope walker and joining the circus, while coping with her abusive stepfather and indifferent mother. 4/5



Glamour (1923, Los Angeles, California) – Anna-Marie McLemore

During the golden age of Hollywood, a Latina girl tries her best to change herself, her roots, and her skin so she can fit in with the American belles and become a star. 3/5



Better for all the world (1927, Washington, D.C.) – Marieke Nijkamp

This one is about mental illness, at the time still not researched enough, and even feared of, which drove the people and the state to commit some horrible and unforgiving acts like convicting a girl to sterilization so she can’t spread the illness by reproduction. 3/5



When the moonlight isn’t enough (1943, Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts) – Dhonielle Clayton

African American family of three persists for 200 years by preserving and drinking moonlight. They spend several years in one place, then run away in fear of people uncovering their secret. They plan to do so again, as WW2 is raging over the Atlantic, but their daughter is tired of running and being 16 for two consecutive centuries. 4/5



The belle of the ball (1952, Brooklyn, New York) – Sarvenaz Tash

The 1950s in USA weren’t known as a place equal for men and women, which Rosemary feels on her own skin as she struggles to become a comedy script writer against the conservative and bigoted mind of her family and elders. 3/5



Land of the sweet, home of the brave (1955, Oakland, California) – Stacey Lee

A Japanese girl competes at a talent show where the main prize is to have your image featured on the sugar packaging, and she beats some racial prejudice ass along the way. 4/5



The birth of Susi go-go (1972, Queens, New York) – Meg Medina

An interesting story of Susana, a Cuban refugee, struggling between her religious and prejudiced parents’ approval and the desire to fit in with an entirely different culture. 4/5



Take me with U (1984, Boston, Massachusetts) – Sara Farizan

Sohelia was sent by her parents from Iran to her cousins’ home in Boston to escape the war. She copes with her longing and loss by making friends and joining a punk band against the wishes of her prejudiced aunt. 3.5/5



While these stories were diverse regarding the characters (which was the point of this anthology), this one didn’t feel as particularly diverse with settings and the stories as was the first collection. Because of that I was bored while reading a few entries, they simply lacked something. Nevertheless, I still plan to read Spotswood’s next collection, Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft, because I prefer supernatural stories, and that one seems more suitable for me.

This book will revolutionize the YA genre.

The Radical Element is an anthology of short stories that all center around one thing: powerful and strong women. Not only that, but each story is a piece of historical fiction that aims to highlight voices that are often forgotten in many modern-day stories.

I could not get over how much I loved this collection of stories. Some of my favorites included: "When the Moonlight Isn't Enough" by Dhonielle Clayton, "Land of the Sweet, Home of the Brave" by Stacey Lee, and "The Magician" by Erin Bowman. The stories within this anthology each did an amazing job painting a portrait of the characters, the setting, and their daily lives. I would love to pick up the companion novel to this!

Oh man was this anthology fantastic! I heard so many good things about the previous anthology Jessica Spotswood edited (which I haven't read yet but definitely plant to soon), and was so excited to read this one. All the stories follow ambitious women throughout history as they strive for more than is expected of them. Many of the stories were own voices, and followed a diverse cast of characters, and there was religious, racial, cultural, and diversity of ability throughout the stories. Like all anthologies, there were some stories I enjoyed more than others, but overall I thought this was a fantastic book and definitely recommend!

Daughter of the Book by Dahlia Adler (3.5 stars)
This story follows a Jewish main character who is interested in learning more about her religion even though it is not appropriate for a woman to learn about it. I enjoyed seeing the young woman persevere when everyone around her told her know, and I enjoyed learning more about the Jewish religion.

You're a Stranger Here by Mackenzi Lee (4 stars)
This follows a Mormon main character soon after the prophet Joseph Smith is killed, and the church is being driven out of town. My one critique of the story is that the main character is written with an accent, and it was difficult to understand some of what was being said. I also think it's really relatable that unlike everyone around her, the main character is struggling with her religious beliefs.

The Magician by Erin Bowman (2 stars)
Bowman's story is a Western, and follows a crossdressing female. Honestly this story was one of my least favorites of the anthology, and I know it's because I don't enjoy reading Westerns. If you've read and enjoyed Bowman's other works, or if you like reading Westerns, then you'll probable enjoy this one.

Lady Firebrand by Megan Shepherd (3 stars)
Follows a disabled white young woman and a free black woman who are spies during the Civil War. I don't have much to say about this one, it was okay but not one of my faves.

Step Right Up by Jessica Spotswood (3.5 stars)
A girl wants to run away with the circus because she feels more at home with the group than she does at home with her abusive uncle and a town that stifle's her interests. This was a fun story to read, and I'm glad that at the end of the story the author acknowledges the animal cruelty that's been part of the circus.

Glamour by Anna-Marie McLemore (4.5 stars)
I hadn't read anything by McLemore before, but now I definitely want to read more of her work! This story has magical realism and focuses on racism against Mexicans, as well as the struggles LGBTQ+ and disabled individuals faced during old Hollywood. I really enjoyed the setting and the writing of the story.

Better for All the World by Marieke Nijkamp (5 stars)
I LOVED this story. It has own voices autism representation, and follows a young woman who is interested in becoming a lawyer. The main character is staying with family in DC and following the eugenics case about Carrie Bucks, who was sterilized for being "feeble minded". I loved that the character had the support of her aunt, who wanted to help her but never pushed her to do anything she was comfortable with. Such a good story, I would definitely want to read a whole book about this.

When the Moonlight Wasn't Enough by Dhonielle Clayton (3 stars)
Another magical realism story, one that's set during WWII and follows a black family who drinks moonlight to stay young. While her parents plan to stay out of events that are happening around them, the main character wants to help her country. I loved the premise of the story and the emotions, but the pacing felt off which led to some confusing about what was going on.

The Belle of the Ball by Sarvenaz Tash (4 stars)
A fun story about a young girl who is obsessed with Lucille Ball and wants to be a comedy writer. I enjoyed reading about her struggle standing up to her mother who's biggest dream for her is being a debutant. I also really enjoyed how she wanted to prove everyone wrong about women being funny. In the story there's a Latino love interest who was super supportive of her comedy, which I thought was pretty great.

Land of the Sweet, Home of the Brave by Stacey Lee (5 stars)
An Asian-American girl is trying out to be the new face of a sugar company. She has to put up with many micro-aggressions (and straight up aggression) from people around her that don't believe she should. I love the character's attitude and how she didn't let any of the negative people and events get her down.

The Birth of Susi Go-Go by Meg Medina (5 stars)
I was immediately hooked when the first thing that happens is girls are taking turns reading a banned book. This story follows Susi, a Cuban-American who is straddling two cultures. Her parents expect her to retain her Cuban culture, but she struggles to be herself which means including parts of American culture into her life. I think this is a great story that any multicultural individual can understand, especially immigrants.

Take Me With You by Sara Farizan (4 stars)
This is set in America after the Islamic Revolution. The main character recently moved to the US to stay with extended family and doesn't speak or understand English very well. I loved the emphasis of music in this story, and how she made friends and learned to stand up for herself.

Absolutely beautiful collection of stories. I had high hopes going in, having read novels from many of these authors, and this collection did not disappoint. I loved the way they were presented chronologically, truly painting a picture of daring girls across American History. I can't wait for #3, #4, #5 - keep the anthologies coming!

It's rare for me to enjoy every story in a collection, but I absolutely adored everything about this book.
The stories were easy to read, and the girls were badass, amazing, diverse, RADICAL.
It makes me realize how little I know about girls in other cultures, and it makes me want to read more! I know this is the second in a series, and I haven't read the first yet, so I think I'll have to remedy that.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc. Also, thank you to Goodreads for letting me win this book. It's the first thing I've ever won, and I'm more than just a little bit happy about it.

"Up here, I am strong and brave and beautiful. Up here, no one can touch me."

The Radical Element is an anthology that tells the stories of young women through the ages. Or, more accurately, through about a century and a half. The earliest story was set in 1838, and the latest one in 1984. These young women all had one thing in common, though: they were all revolutionary in their own way. At least, in my opinion. I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure I'm right.

My interested in this book was piqued when I found out that Anna-Marie McLemore, one of my favourite authors, had written a story for it. On top of that, the premise sounded quite fascinating, and it made me more than a little excited to pick this book up. Like all anthologies, there were some stories that were better than others, but all in all, I gave nothing less than 3 stars, and by averaging my ratings for every story, the real rating of this book is probably more around 4.25 stars. What I loved most about this book was its diversity. All characters were so different, yet all as fascinating. It was thoroughly interesting to read about minorities during historical periods that we usually only get to experience through white people's points of view. On top of that, it was impossible not to cheer for all the heroines I read about, and I'd honestly read full-sized books of all the stories I read in this anthology. Also, I thought it was really nice how strongly this book ended. Whilst I enjoyed all the stories within it, my two favourite ones were definitely the last two, and I was therefore left with a very nice taste in my mouth. All in all, I think that this is a wonderful anthology filled with diverse characters and diverse stories you can't help but fall in love with, and I recommend it to everyone. Especially those who enjoy historical fiction.

The concept is fantastic, but I was disappointed that these stories fell flat. The writing was often stiff and affected, and it felt like the stories were being told to me (rather than getting to discover them myself).

This is such a great anthology for young women! Such a lovely companion for A Tyranny of Petticoats. (which is also worth a read if you haven't picked it up yet.)The stories are arranged chronologically so that the reader can travel forward through history looking at the world through the eyes of young women of all backgrounds. I particularly enjoyed the choice to represent women that often do not have a voice.

The anthology starts off strong, with the story of a Jewish girl who is more passionate about learning her religion than she is about learning to be a house wife.

Each story tackles a unique challenge in a young woman's life. Each young woman is strong and opinionated. I loved this collection and fully intend to purchase a physical copy for my own collection.

I loved this anthology, it spans from early 19th century to the 1980s and it paints a vivid mural of such different girls, all of them interesting and unique in their own way.
It's important to note the abundant presence of girls of colour and LGBTQA+ girls, with the presence of a trasgender boy, all depicted with care and sensitivity.
It was a fun read and, given that this book is the second one in a series, I will gladly read the first one.

The Radical Element is the second book in the A Tyranny of Petticoats series. Both books are anthology’s and can be read completely separately. But they both follow the main idea: strong woman in historical settings. I overall quite enjoyed The Radical Element, of course like with every anthology there are stories that completely blow you away and stories that feel like page filling. But overall I thought the idea and the execution of this book was well done. Especially as a non-American citizen I loved learning about the different historical events and social structures in the USA. Really interesting and educational, without feeling like you are getting a history lesson.

The Radical Element contains 12 different stories by 12 different YA authors.
◾Daughter of the Book by Dahlia Adler (1838: Savannah, Georgia): 3.5 stars
I really enjoyed Dahlia Adlers writing style. The story is easy to get into and for me it was a good starter story, because the Jewish community isn't so foreign for me.
Quite an entertaining story that I wish could have been longer. For me this could have been a full story, that I would quite enjoy.
◾You’re a Stranger Here by Mackenzi Lee (1844: Nauvoo, Illinois): 4 stars
I was quite hesitant going into this story, because I really didn't enjoy Mackenzi Lee's A Gentlemen’s guide. But this story pleasantly surprised me. I knew absolutely nothing about Mormons, but I was intrigued by their founding history and how they were treated by others. A cold, very dark story, which I found quite fascinating.
◾The Magician by Erin Bowman (1858: Colorado River, New Mexico): 2 stars
I think this story just wasn't for me. It could have been a really profound story about gender fluid characters, but the overall storyline was boring. I just couldn't keep myself focused on what was happing. (Which wasn't a lot to be quite honest.)
◾Lady Firebrand by Megan Shepherd (1863: Charleston, South Carolina): 4 stars
This story was so much fun! It gave me Zorro vibes for some reason. I really liked that a free black girl and a disabled white girl together formed this real life superhero. This story is so much fun to read, with even a little bit of romance.
◾Step Right Up by Jessica Spotswood: 4 stars
Another story I really loved. I am apparently very keen on circus stories and this story just breathed circus. Another one I would have loved to read the full story of.
◾Glamour by Anna-Marie McLemore (1923: Los Angeles and the Central Valley, California): 2,5 stars
I still don't know what to think about this story. I loved the overall thought behind the story, but I thought it was written quite messy and the huge plot twist in the end was kind of lost to me. I had to go back and reread to connect all the dots. I didn't love it as much as I would have liked to.
◾Better for all the World by Marieke Nijkamp (1927: Washington, DC): 4 stars
I never read an own voice story about an autistic girl before, but I really loved how Marieke Nijkamp brought this story to life. I actually loved that both sides of the story got some screen-time. It showed that everything isn't just black and white.
◾When the Moonlight isn’t Enough by Dhonielle Clayton (1943: Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts): 2 stars
Magical realism, I Always seem to struggle with it. And in this case I really felt the story didn't have the right click. It felt disjointed. Maybe the overall message and the magical element were a bit to much to adapt into a short story?
◾The Belle of the Ball by Sarvenaz Tash (1952: Brooklyn, New York): 3 stars
An overall decent story. It didn't blow me away, but it was ok. The story itself was quite entertaining, but the overall messages was quite bland compared to other stories in this anthology.
◾Land of the Sweet, Home of the Brave by Stacey Lee (1955: Oakland, California): 3 stars
Another part of American history I knew almost next to nothing about. Very interesting to learn more about the Asian-American background in the US and especially Hawaii. I would have rated this story higher if it would have been longer. Again I felt like a needed a little bit more information.
◾The Birth of Susi Go-Go by Meg Medina (1972: Queens, New York): 2 stars
I really disliked this one. The characters felt really inconsistent and the story was way to long. I missed a clear message in this story and I just couldn't figure out why the main character was part of this analogy about brave girls in history.
◾Take Me With U by Sara Farizan (1984: Boston, Massachusetts): 2.5 stars
Well this was quite a bland story. It started off as a really promising concept. But it was very short and it never really took off. It had potential, a shame to see it go to waste.


The Radical Element is an important book. It brings an important message to young people about fighting what you believe in and not being afraid to be who you want to be.

a few of the stories took a while to get into/didn't engage my interest as much but overall, I enjoyed the anthology and appreciated the inclusion of multiple WOC, whose stories were what made the anthology for me.

if there's another anthology like this one I would hope to see Native girls' and trans girls' voices & stories included.

This book was fantastic. It followed the lives of girls who were a force to be reckoned with. It was fascinating to see how much power these girls were able to exhibit in their various situations.

This is a collection of stories that feature girls who live on the margins of society in some way, and rebel against the expectations of society.

I loved the tension and pacing in the stories. They often ended right as something was going to happen, which left me wanting more. I’m going to look up other works by these authors, because they were all great.

One thing that bothered me about these stories was the lack of geographical and racial diversity. The first half of the stories featured white main characters and were set in southern United States. The one main character who was Mexican used her magic to appear white to blend in with the other actresses in early twentieth century Hollywood. Each of the girls had some other way that they stood on the fringe of society, whether in ability, sexuality, or religion but I would have liked to see more races and settings in the stories. The latter half of the book featured more main characters who were women of colour, but I wish they appeared earlier in the book.

Last year I reviewed A Tyranny of Petticoats , which came on my radar because I received it in a Book Mail box from Book Riot. When I saw The Radical Element on NetGalley, I wanted to see how the second volume of this anthology series compared. Thanks to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the eARC! I adored this book for what it is, and while I didn’t love every story, it was a great end-of-the-week read.

The Radical Element is also edited by Jessica Spotswood, but you don’t need to have read A Tyranny of Petticoats to read this book. All of the short stories are self-contained and separate from the stories of the first book. The concept is much the same, however: the 12 stories herein are all about girls who are in some way “radical” for their time and place, and they typically follow a structure of the girl taking agency over her life and choosing, whether by striking out or striking back or some combination, to stand against society’s constraining expectations for her.

I’m not going to review each story individually, as I did last time. Honestly, the first few stories were OK but didn’t enthrall me. Part of that was just the settings—I have little interest in nineteenth century America, in the so-called “wild west” milieu, so those stories were already at a disadvantage with me. I know it had an effect, because I became much better-disposed towards the stories by the time we hit 1943. And I think the last story, “Take Me With U”, by Sara Farizan and set in 1984 Boston, was my favourite, both because of the time and the plot.

That being said, whatever your mileage on the various stories and their periods, the concept as a whole is well done here. By showcasing a different setting in each story, Spotswood reminds us that women have always fought. Women didn’t suddenly become scrappy, strong, liberation-minded people in the 1920s or 1930s or 1940s or whichever decade you personally want to stick a pin as the “start” of feminism or whatever. Women and girls have always fought for recognition, independence, autonomy, and we do them a disservice if we generalize our history to say, “Back in the ____, women had no power”. It is always, always more complicated than that.

In a similar vein, different stories feature different ways of fighting back. Some of the protagonists are physically combative; they defend themselves and use force, if necessary, to get their way. Some use wit, charm, or reasoning. Others find allies and escape, or simply slip away, an apologetic note all they leave as a trace of their presence. The Radical Element reminds us not to reduce “strong women” down to a single phrase or single idea. There are so many ways to be strong.

Also, this is a very diverse book, both in terms of its authors and its characters. There are Jewish, Mormon, Christian, and Muslim protagonists. There are white girls and Black girls and Mexican girls. There are abled and disabled girls. It’s a refreshing pantheon.

My critiques for the book aren’t really of the book itself, just areas where it doesn’t align with my own particular interests. Like I said above, not huge on some of the historical periods. Not huge on the focus on the United States (but again, that’s just the premise of the whole anthology, so I’m not here to criticize that). I really liked the one or two stories that include a little bit of magic in them, because I found that interesting. Magic always improves my historical fiction! Again, these are all just personal preferences, so if yours differ, you might love this book to bits. Or hate it entirely!

Still, if you at all are interested in 12 dynamic stories featuring 12 diverse girls in 12 different time periods in the United States, then really, you should give The Radical Element a shot. I want to see more books like this, more stories like these ones. Even if they aren’t always to my tastes, I know there are readers out there who will find these stories inspiring and entertaining. These are stories that should be told, and I am here for that.

My average rating was 3.9, so I rounded it up. My ratings were a little all over the place, with my favorites all being right in the middle of the book. It made starting the book and finishing it a little lackluster, but the stories in the middle were magical.

Daughter of the Book by Dahlia Adler - 4 stars. I really enjoyed this one! Rebekah was a lovely protagonist and I would read a whole book about her. A story about a Jewish girl wanting to learn and become a schoolteacher in 1838.

You're a Stranger Here by Mackenzi Lee - 2 stars. It hurts me to rate a Mackenzi Lee story so low, but I just didn't enjoy this one. There was a quote at the end that was really lovely, but it's about the only thing I liked about the story. A story about Mormans being forced out of their homes across the United States, set in 1844 when Joseph and Hyrum Smith were shot.

The Magician by Erin Bowman - 3 stars. I liked this one, but it's not one that's particularly going to stick with me. The plot was boring, but I did enjoy the main character. An orphan who dresses like a boy to get work desperately wants to move to California where she thinks she can find some family, set in 1858.

Lady Firebrand by Megan Shepherd - 3.5 stars. I really liked Rose and Pauline and their friendship. A disabled white girl and her freed slave friend are spies for the Union in 1863. TW: racism.

Step Right Up by Jessica Spotswood - 4 stars. This was the first story to truly grip me and I definitely could've kept reading more. Set in 1905 about a girl who wants to be a tightrope performer. TW: parental figure abuse.

Glamour by Anna-Marie McLemore - 5 stars. Anna-Marie McLemore just instantly elevates every anthology she's in and this was no exception. Her writing remains beautiful and her characters remain incredibly engaging, as always. Graceila Morena glamours herself as Grace Moran in order to be a Hollywood star in 1923.

Better for all the World by Marieke Nijkamp - 5 stars. Nijkamp's writing remains compulsively readable and Carrie was an absolutely wonderful protagonist. Again, like my other favorites, I could've read an entire book about her. Set in 1927, an autistic girl closely follows the Buck v. Bell case. TW: eugenics.

When the Moonlight Isn't Enough by Dhonielle Clayton - 4.5 stars. A really interesting concept and a really lovely main character. Set in 1943, a black family drinks moonlight to become immortal and the daughter wants to help out with the war effort despite the family's "stay out of it" policy.

The Belle of the Ball by Sarvena Ztash - 5 stars. This was really surprising for me, as I ended up really loving this story. It was funny and the main character, Rosemary, was such a standout. Set in 1952 about a girl who wants to write comedy.

Land of the Sweet, Home of the Brave by Stacey Lee - 5 stars. I always enjoy Stacey Lee's writing and this was no exception. Lana was another standout protagonist and I would've loved to keep reading about her. Set in 1955, an Asian-American girl (grandmother is Japanese, mother is biracial, and father is Chinese) auditions to be the new Sweet Maiden.

The Birth of Susi Go-Go by Meg Medina - 3 stars. I've read another book by Meg Medina and something about her writing style just doesn't fully click with me, I'm not sure what it is. This one was okay, nothing bad but nothing particularly great for me either. This follows a Cuban American girl whose grandparents are leaving Cuba to come live with the family in America and she doesn't know how to feel about it. 1972.

Take Me with U by Sara Farizan - 3.5 stars. I wanted a little bit more from this one. I didn't really get that feeling of fulfillment you get when you finish a story. A couple lines made me laugh, but my lasting impression is wanting more. This follows an Iranian girl who ends up joining a band in 1984.

I am often a bit leery of anthologies of feminist historical fiction because so many I have read have been overwhelmingly cis, white, and straight, and lacking in thoughtful consideration of class as well as other axes of oppression. I was encouraged by the list of authors on THE RADICAL ELEMENT (my personal favorite, Anna-Marie McLemore, another favorite Dhonielle Clayton, Dahlia Adler, Meg Medina, Sara Farizan) and I'm happy to say that my trepidation was entirely unnecessary, and this collection successfully leaps over the low hurdle set by white feminism to bring a collection of stories in which race/ethnicity, queerness, and disability are all part of what can be a woman's experience. The only shortcoming to me is that although there are a couple of gender nonconforming characters, at least one of whom may have a genderfluid identity, and there is one trans boy, there are no trans women included. I would have loved to see a trans woman author's take on the anthology's premise, and it sticks out to me as an absence. As far as I'm aware there are no Indigenous authors in the collection either, although Native characters appear in a couple of the stories. Sequel anthology, hint hint?

Anna-Marie McLemore comes through as always with a sweet, romantic story featuring a Latina protagonist and a transgender love interest (historical fiction with trans characters living the lives they want is a personal weakness, as is McLemore's writing). McLemore and Dhonielle Clayton both bring deft touches of magic into their stories, a welcome expansion of the scope of what "historical fiction" is. Dahlia Adler's Jewish story is refreshingly steeped in Talmudic Hebrew and early American Jewish culture. Meg Medina's story of a teenager discovering her Americanness as her parents struggle to bring her grandparents over from Cuba was heartwrenching in the best of ways. My least favorite was probably Mackenzi Lee's, which read as more familiar and hence less exciting than the rest of the collection, but even that was good enough to keep me from skimming it over.

Overall very satisfied with this and will be recommending it to friends and booksellers.

Such a great anthology, I loved these short stories!The stories getting straight to the point so you are not going to find too much depth in them!The short stories manage to make you learn historical details you might not have suspected, especially since the stories of those young women would be stories erased from the records of history.

I was sent this book as an advanced copy by the publisher via NetGalley for review purposes, but all opinions are my own.
This is the second anthology edited by Jessica Spotswood following several fictional women throughout the ages. The stories go from the 1800's to 1980's. I requested this from Netgally mostly because the cover is beautiful, and there are short stories by some authors that I love. I have not read the first collection of short stories in this series, A Tyranny of Petticoats.
I did not read all of the short stories because I am not the biggest fan of anthologies, they are not the best kind of books to binge-read, everytime you start a new story, you have to get accustomed to new characters, different writing styles, I prefer to read at least, a story a day.
I really enjoyed the majority of the stories that I've read, but, because I've not read all of them, I can't really give the book a rating so, I will just leave it to 3 stars.

A wonderful anthology about radical women who pushed the boundaries of society! I loved all the stories and the different feel and tone of each one, connected by the common theme. Would definitely recommend!