I loved "Why She Wrote"! It's evident a lot of research was done to put this book together to what it is now -- a beautiful compilation about the women who took literature to different levels, and whose legacies still live on today. ⁣

I loved how reading about these women took me down memory lane to my university days when we studied their works vigorously in my English Lit classes. Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, Jane Austen, Mary Anne Evans (alias George Eliot), Mary Wolstonecraft Shelley, Frances E. W. Harper, Louisa May Alcott -- these ladies' works are, to me, the embodiment of what classic literature is all about.⁣
⁣
To anyone looking to read more classics -- this book provides a great introduction. An exceptional read indeed.!

This nonfiction book tells the stories of 18 famous women writers, including Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë, Beatrix Potter, and Louisa May Alcott. Every section had written biographies which were followed by a graphic novel depiction of part of the author’s life. Each little biography described their writing careers. These included why they started writing and any controversy that their books caused.

Feminism was a popular theme in these biographies. Mary Wollstonecraft was one of the featured authors, and she was one of the first women who was called a feminist. Their status as women was often what drove their passion for writing. Some authors, such as Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote to bring her family out of poverty. Others, such as Anne Lister, weren’t popular in their time but became famous years after their death.

As a writer, I found the publishing history of these authors fascinating. Jane Austen sold her first novel for £10, which was a fortune to her. Louisa May Alcott received a percentage of royalties from Little Women, which made her and her family famous. After Beatrix Potter published her books, she spent her time searching for the bootleg merchandise that was sold with her characters names on them to protect her brand. These women all had such different publishing experiences, but they all had to work very hard to have their voices heard.

This was such a fun set of author biographies!

Thank you Chronicle Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for kindly providing me with a digital copy of this book for review.
Well I think I’ll let the fact that I’ve ordered a hard copy of this book as a birthday treat for myself, to speak for itself.
I really enjoyed this book, and particularly the layout of the book where we get a page of information about the author, then a few pages of graphic novel to depict moments in the author’s lives.
There are some very famous names covered here such as Mary Shelley and Charlotte Brontë, but I was pleased to discover some new names we well.
It was a little difficult to read on a small screen, but instead of putting me off- I really wanted to get my hands on a hard copy to fully appreciate the artwork and behold the thing of beauty.
Really, really enjoyed this and highly recommend for anyone with an interest in learning the biography of some female authors.

Full review to be posted soonish.

I would like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received an arc of this book from Netgalley and I would give it a 4/4.5 stars.
I love learning about the contributions made by women and the stories of women that get overlooked in school and so this book was perfect for me. This book covered a lot of women and even though there are so many other women that could have also been included these selections were good and I enjoyed learning about new women and also refreshing my memory about those that I previously knew about.
This was a very informative book and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to learn more about women writers. I feel as if this book is a good jumping off point for those that want to learn about the women who helped make history in the literary world.
I liked the set up of this book how each of the “chapters” began with an overview of what the chapter would contain and then each section began with a short summary of the writer’s life and then we got a deeper look at one part of the writer’s life within a comic style. The fact that a majority of the book was a graphic novel made it easier for me to get through the book. For many of these women there are many different parts of their life that would have worked for the comic sections of the book, but the authors did a good job of picking which parts of their stories deserved that extra recognition.
I also appreciate how the authors of this book did not shy away from showing that many of these women had faults and weren’t perfect. These women are humans like the rest of us and aren’t perfect, but those mistakes and their imperfections does not mean that they are less deserving of their fame. Their male counterparts have made many mistakes and are far from perfect, but yet they still get a place of honor and these women writers deserve the same treatment.
I was a little disappointed that some of the comic sections about the women took place after their death and didn’t really have writers in them and I understand why that made sense, but at the same time it was a little disappointing.
I do wish that more queer women and women of color were included. I know there were a couple that were included and that there was limited space, but I still wish that there was more in the way of representation. There was an effort made though and so I do applaud the authors for that.
My biggest critique is that sometimes the cursive in some of the sections was a little hard to read at times.

The authors in this graphic and written nonfiction book gives us a special look into the lives of them. It is the moment of inspiration that gives the authors the idea to write. The authors are all English writers starting with the 18th century to early 20th century. It is amazing to see how women became authors in spite of the way the women and their writings were treated. There is a page and/or more written of history, details and more about each author. At thee end of each author there is a brief bibliography of that woman’s writings. The “comics” add to the know of the author’s life. There is a bibliography, of the articles and books that the authors who wrote this book beside a brief biography.

I enjoy reading about each of the women authors as I learned about a special moment of their life. There were actually some authors I didn’t know. It’s a fantastic book about well known women authors. It’s given me the idea to go back and read those books written by these authors that I’ve read.. it’s a must read for anyone who loves to read!

For being a graphic novel, this was awfully wordy. There was a biography of each woman and then a few pages of graphic novel. I didn't really care for the format but also don't know how it could've been better. It was a hard topic to portray in graphic novel form when you need to know the background of each woman first. I think I would've just rather read a novel. I didn't feel like the graphic novel portions were long enough.

Why She Wrote is a collection of short biographies about classic female authors. Each biography includes a page or two of prose followed by a portion in graphic novel format. This was an interesting way to learn about women authors. The book includes authors such as the Bronte sisters, Jane Austen, Frances Hodgson Burnett, and George Eliot...some of whom wrote some of my all time favorite classic books. There were also chapters on some authors whose works I haven't read yet. Overall, especially given the time frame when these women wrote, we see women who fought against societal norms to pursue their passion for the written word.

I recommend this to fans of classic female authors and biographies.

An excellent way to learn more about women authors you've heard of and learn some new ones too! The graphic novel choice makes it a quick, easy, and enjoyable read that I truly enjoyed.

I received a free e-ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Why She Wrote is a delightful book of short biographies about eighteen women writers from the 18th to 20th centuries. They are grouped into six thematic chapters ranging from Activism as Art to Public Identities (which explores writers who used non de plumes).

Each chapter has an overview of the three writers, and discusses what makes them similar (and thus why they have been grouped together in the chapter.) Each writer's section begins with an illustration and quote, followed by a brief one page biography. What makes this book unique is that it then illustrates important events from the author's life in graphic novel format in a sort of flashpoint. It ends with some fun facts and a short bibliography of their most important/notable works.

I wasn't a huge fan of the art style itself, but I thought the inclusion of the graphic novel format was absolutely inspired. I learned a lot, not only about some authors I've never really heard of, such as Anne Lister and Frances E. W. Harper, but also about more well known authors, such as the Brontë sisters, Jane Austen & Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley.

I'd love to read a sequel to this that explored other women writers, especially from countries other than the US and UK.

I learned so much from reading this! I saw my favorite authors and discover new ones along the way. Just like they do with their compelling podcast, Chapman and Burke provide well-researched and insightful information about female authors that provided so much to literary civilization. It might be a handful of female writers but this book really makes you want to discover more.

Great introduction to the lives of eighteen key female writers, some of which are not often included in the literary canon. The decision to dramatize scenes through illustration was a choice that will either bring readers in or alienate them. I think for the target audience, it is a smart choice. Overall, a great starting point.

Got this on Net Galley, and then had to order the real thing because it's sooo good!!! Mini biographies of women writers -- some well known, some not -- and a comic for each. Delightful! And bonus: the authors of this lovely book are the hosts of Bonnets at Dawn, my new favorite podcast, and the art is to die for.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our library collection and will recommend it to students.

What a terrific and empowering graphic novel!!!
I want to give it as a gift to all the readers I know.
Fantastic background on women authors and very accessible!
I want more!!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for Providing an ARC in exchange for my honest reiew.

I didn't get on with this book, i think more so because of the "comic book" style parts of it, it was interesting to read the "normal" book pages though about all the famous lady authors,

Why She Wrote is a very approachable and interesting combination short biography/graphic format book that focuses on 18 unique women in literature. The book is divided into six chapters, each focused on a certain theme and focusing on three specific writers. The bios are short, informative, and easy to read. The graphic art that follows each bio sheds light on and highlights a particular life event from that writers experience. The book was easy to read and I think had a broad appeal to a range of ages. The connections between the various authors were particularly intriguing. These are not exhaustive bios—most are two pages at most. This book is more a distillation of salient points in their story and a visual representation of key events. References are available at the end of the book for those who want to delve further into the stories of these fascinating women. All in all a quick and intriguing look at esteemed writers and the situations that shaped them. I think it would be a great addition for libraries and schools, as well as in the home, I would have liked to have such a book available when my daughter was younger. The writing style is casual and conversational.
For me personally I would have enjoyed a few more pages for each entry but the book works as is. Recommended!

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the digital ARC. This is my honest review.

This is a delightful, colorful introductory text to the lives of women writers across time (with emphasis on the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries), especially thinking about elements that they have in common as well as what makes each distinct. From those who used psuedonyms to children’s authors to Gothic and more, I loved the little snapshots of each author’s life and career, paired with a little comic illustrating a key moment from their career. Fun for anyone who loves classic women’s literature, it provides a great balance of information for both the newbie and the expert, while also encouraging the reader to look deeper beyond the confines of the snapshots provided.

A. Beautiful book that shares the stories of a variety of female authors in graphic novel format. Definitely a great gift for yourself of the aspiring young author in your life.

I enjoyed Why She Wrote as a look into the lives of eighteen women who came to writing in different ways in the late 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. Most of the authors are familiar faces, but you might learn more about some of their lives and literary careers, as well as the rich connections between them. The book features biographical and historical information about each author followed by a graphic narrative illustrating some the challenges and triumphs they faced as writers. Although I’m a fan of many of the authors included in the book, I would have loved if the book had included more writers who, while not as well known today were still very influential in their time, as well as more women of color.

I found it interesting that the book is organized by themes and connections between authors rather than a strict chronology, with three authors featured per section in each of the following categories: The Horror of the Everyday, Finding Their Voice, Activism as Art, Private Lives, Public Identities, and Protection and Profit. This organization worked well for me at some points but at other times I felt the cohesion of the book suffered a bit. I think the thematic approach worked best in the sections Protection and Profit, which looked at authors who sought ownership over their lives, livings, and creations, and Public Identities, which addressed authors who adopted pseudonyms for different reasons – and to different results.

I enjoyed the exploration of the influence that these writers had upon each other, with some great connections drawn between mother of the Gothic Ann Radcliffe, and Mary Shelley, Charlotte Bronte, and Jane Austen. I also appreciated the inclusion of a few authors that might not always get as much attention as Austen or the Brontes (love them though I do) – I thought the stories of Frances Harper and Alice Dunbar Nelson’s lives were some of the most interesting, vital, and emotionally resonant parts of the book. I was disappointed, however, that they, along with Edith Maude Eaton, were the only women of color covered in the text. It’s a really white American and British-centric book (well, English, really - I would've loved to see Irish Maria Edgeworth included, for instance), and I’m sure I’m not alone in wishing for a more diverse cast of authors.

As far as the art in the book goes, it’s gorgeous. The whole volume is designed neatly and with personality, and I love Kaley Bales’s unique and emotive style. The comic panels served as episodic glimpses into the writers’ lives, and I wanted more! Despite my previous call for the inclusion of more diverse writers, I may also have preferred if the volume featured fewer authors if that meant more in-depth exploration of each one. I was already familiar with much of the information provided in the biographical and contextual prose sections for most of the authors, so I was more interested in seeing their lives and stories explored as graphic narratives.

I think my favorite part of Why She Wrote is Anne Lister’s narrative. The comic was framed around John Lister’s discovery of Anne’s diaries and his efforts to decode them. As he hears stories from other Lister relatives and reads Anne’s chronicles, we see her come to life in the comic panels; it’s a process of discovery for John and for the reader. The narrative runs with the belief that John himself way gay and finds kinship in Anne’s story, which he sought to protect until it was ready to be told. I just really loved how the framing narrative for this section worked on the page, and across the board I thought the comics did interesting things with these writers’ stories.

On the whole, it was a pleasure to read Why She Wrote. I’d love to see a second volume that explores the careers of women writing in languages besides English. In the same periods, there are some truly amazing Indian writers, for example, who offer perspectives that I think are especially important in contrast to so many of the oft-celebrated British voices. Aside from just approaching the book as a regular reader, I could see myself incorporating parts of it into literature survey courses I teach. While this is a book that will certainly interest readers of 18th, 19th, and 20th century lit, I hope the comics community takes note of Why She Wrote too.