This is a nice overview of the lives and motivations of a selection of women writers from the 18th to early 20th centuries... and not just the ones you'd expect, either. Most readers will probably encounter at least a couple of names they haven't heard before. The reader grasps how incredibly easy it has been throughout history for women's creative works to be ignored, dismissed, or minimized. It's thought-provoking to consider that the catalog presented here is really only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to women who write.

The book is part text and part graphic story, with each graphic depicting an author at a potential turning point in her life. I felt that the graphic stories would have benefited by some annotations (like those Sydney Padua made use of in The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage). There were multiple places where I could tell something interesting was being referenced in the artwork, but felt blind to its significance because I couldn't stitch together what it meant.

Although I wanted that little bit of extra explanation, I did enjoy the book for the lively way it presented these women, and the emphasis on their reasons for writing. It made them feel very human and real, as opposed to distant, legendary, buttoned up figures.

A good book to inspire young female writers with the history of female writing at large. It was truly informative for young audiences and a great gateway to the literature represented in the book. That being said, the typography of the graphics were difficult to follow, and I oftentimes found myself wandering off while reading. For some of the sections, more text is needed before transitioning to the graphics, as I was left confused at times as to what I was reading.

An interesting look at the complicated lives of some of literatures most iconic authors and their legendary works. 'Why She Wrote' weaves together a series of portraits that tell the tales of the lives of female authors who sought freedom, independence and liberation challenging the strict paradigms of their time.

This graphic novel is a celebration of female authors who changed the world and redefined the art of writing. This book opened my eyes to the way female writers have inspired each other and worked together to empower and encourage in each other in pursuing their craft. A must read for any bibliomaniac!

This book is a wonderful introduction to female writers of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. With short but sweet details about each author such as Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott, Mary Shelley, and many more, readers will enter the world of the female writer in a time when it wasn't considered proper for women to write. So the question must be asked: why did they? Get ready to learn the answers.

The organization of this novel is very unique--it is pitched to the reader as a graphic novel, when it has elements of both normal biographies and graphic novels. The authors begin each chapter by introducing three women whose writing or experiences were much alike. After the initial introduction, each woman is discussed individually with normal text and then the challenge they overcame or the reason they became a writer is given to the reader in graphic novel format. It was very entertaining to read about 18 women generally kicking butt in this particular fashion and I really appreciated the work that went into portraying so many different stories. Something else of note is how the women all came from different ethnic groups and backgrounds as it kept the story diverse and provided characters for everyone to relate to. The artwork lends itself to this piece by presenting an almost classical cartoon style to assist our authors in telling the stories.

I give this book a 4/5 and recommend it to YA readers as well as anyone who is looking for an introduction to some of the classics in a brief and engaging format.

I really really wanted to like this.

As I was going through I really kept hoping I'd like the random little blurbs about the different writers and the comics in between them but the constant changing took me out of it. I wasn't a fan of the art all that much either and it just got to be so much of a chore.

Maybe if the whole thing was a graphic novel I would've enjoyed it more?

I don't know.

The two stars are for the obvious effort and time the authors put into this but it just wasn't for me.

I was given this in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.

A wonderful book that gives an overview of the greatest female authors of the 19th century (+ending of the 18th and beginning of the 20th). A lot of facts were presented, accompanied by a few pages of comics that highlighted one special occasion or struggle in their lives.

I especially liked how the authors tried to find the connections between these authoresses and the ties that bind them together. You could get a real feeling for what these women were struggling with and how writing was often a respite, a relief from burdens in their lives or their means to support their familys. It also gave me new authors to read and reserarch and I'm excited to learn more about them.

What I didn't like was especially the portrayal of Charlotte Bronte as a controlling, bad-tempered woman and the very modern perspective that was presented, that often reduces these complex women to feminists and bread-earners, because that is how contemporaries like to see women, but they were so much more than that and would have disapproved of many of our modern and feministic notions.

I thank Netgalley and Chronicle books for an ARC to read and review.

The only problem with this graphic novel is that it made me add to many books to my Wishlist. I realised that those women are pioneers in the field of women’s literature and it is important to know what they have written. This graphic novel is very well, structured; it makes connection between the different presented authors (six section presenting three authors that wrote for similar reasons).
I enjoyed it a lot. I took my time to read it section by section, without rushing through. It is nice that every presentation starts with a general explanation about the author’s life and then a few drawn pages on a specific moment in the author’s life. Of course, the book is not enough to learn everything about each author but it is a great introduction which makes you want to learn more. Moreover, there were some authors I hadn’t even learnt about so that was really interesting. Finally, the artwork was very nice. It was a nice addition to the story, making it easier to read.
I absolutely this insightful graphic novel.
4/5

Chapman and Burke explore the lives of eighteen classic women writers in this graphic novel. Each chapter highlights key incidents in the lives of three of these women, describing their struggles and triumphs. This book is a tribute to the contributions of these women and how each of them helped change the world in which they lived. Each of these women challenged how women were treated, both as authors and as people.

This book is unlike anything I have ever read before. Each section begins with a narrative portion that is followed by graphic elements representing each author’s life. Each chapter highlights a central theme and introduces three women writers. The themes describe the ways these women influenced their world and paved the way for greater equality. I enjoyed learning about the lives and impact of these women. I found some of the graphic sections to be lacking in detail that could make them clearer. However, I thought the graphics added interest to each section and helped bring each writer to life.

This book could serve as a great introduction to classic women authors for anyone looking to learn more about the influence of women in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. There are some more mature thematic elements that make this book most appropriate for teens and adults, those some mature older children could also enjoy it.

Thank you to Chronicle Books, Hannah K. Chapman, Lauren Burke, and Kaley Bales for the eARC copy of “Why She Wrote” (via NetGalley)

“Why She Wrote” is a graphic novel that showcases female writers from the 18th - 20th centuries and the struggles that they endured to become the famous authors we know today.

I love the concept of a non-fiction graphic novel, and I enjoyed the formatting of this book (which showed one author at a time, first writing a small biography of their lives, then showing graphic pages from a moment of their lives, followed by a fun fact and selected works). It was so interesting to look at the lives of these women whose works are so well known, while their lives tend to remain a mystery.

That being said, I would have loved more details about each woman within the graphic comic pages. Sometimes they felt a little clunky, jumping from one frame to the next and some ending abruptly. The comics sometimes left me with more questions than answers.

Also, I would have loved to have seen a showcase of writers from places other than Europe and the United States. Of the 18 writers, only 3 were women of color. I think this could have been an excellent way to introduce women of color from Latin America, Asia, Africa, etc. If there will be a sequel to this book, I hope that it can focus on that.

Overall, this would be a great read for teens and adults who loved reading classics from the authors listed in this book. For non-fiction, it was a quick read that was enjoyable! I would rate it 3.5 stars.

A lovely, fresh take on the women who have shaped our literary world and understanding as we know it!

Why She Wrote tells the story of eighteen female writers, linking them together through motivation and character rather than genre or time period. I absolutely loved this way of structuring the book, as many authors whom are usually grouped together (most notably, the Brontë sisters) are focused on more deeply than in typical discourse, and it causes you as the reader to be thinking about the women behind the words from the get-go.

Perfectly balanced between informative text, engaging illustration, and the odd fun fact, Why She Wrote delivered an enticing, palatable, and fresh way of thinking about and remembering some of the most well known—as well as quite a few less recognized—female authors. I truly enjoyed this book, and the illustrations are simply wonderful! I couldn't help but think about how great the hard copy will look.

An intriguing, thought provoking, fun and beautiful compilation that I highly recommend for literature history geeks but also for those who want to learn more, or just like a good graphic novel!

All these strong women writers from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries
Didn't back down for obstacles and saw life as a barrel full of possibilities

They followed their heart and dreams, and clearly had a mind of their own
You'll often be amazed by the pieces of their life that in this book are shown


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BONNETS AT DAWN

It all started with the podcast 'Austen vs. Brontë: Bonnets at Dawn'.
Initially only 12 episodes were planned in which the lives and works of Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë would be compared to each other. But along the way it became clear that both women showed lots of similarities and that - even though their writing was different - their struggles and independent visions were very much alike.
Furthermore, by talking about these two women in the podcast, it became clear that other female authors always came back in the conversations: authors who influenced Austen and Brontë and/or authors who were influenced by them.
'Austen vs. Brontë' was dropped from the name and the podcast became a space where the lives and work of women writers from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries were discussed.
If you're interested to discover this podcast (which already counts 136 episodes now), you can head over to: https://www.stitcher.com/show/bonnets-at-dawn


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NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE TO A DETERMINED WOMAN

The hosts of the podcast, Lauren Burke and Hannah K. Chapman, worked together with illustrator Kaley Bales to create a book about 18 of these inspiring women authors.

Six chapters shine a light on a different aspect that each time connects three women:
- The horror of the everyday
- Finding their voice
- Activism as art
- Private lives
- Public identities
- Protection and profit

Thus 18 fascinating portraits are presented, both from women who are very well-known (like the three sisters Brontë, Louisa May Alcott, …) as women who may be lesser known but therefore certainly not less interesting (like Frances E.W. Harper, Anne Lister, Edith Maude Eaton, …). Of course, this also depends on your own foreknowledge.

Each chapter follows the same structure:
An introduction of two pages lets you discover what the three women have in common with each other and thus how they relate to the main theme of the chapter.
Then every woman writer is put in the spotlight. After an interesting one page-biography follows a graphic novel that often delves deeper into a certain aspect of their life. Finally some fun facts are presented as well as a bibliography which is classified according to the type of works (travelogues, short stories, novels, nonfiction, plays, poetry).

The visual appeal is the greatest asset of this book.
Not often do you encounter books with a combination of interesting text, graphic novel and fun facts.
Although the graphic novel-parts may be a bit confusing as they go back and forth in time or the characters sometimes look alike, they add a nice touch to the whole.
As 'old' literature is presented in such an attractive way, it's easy to imagine that this book could be successfully used in high schools to encourage younger generations to read 'classics'.

Does this mean that this book is suited for everyone? No.
If you already know much about these women, the content will probably be too concise.
But if you don't know them already (or at least not so well), this book is a very nice first acquaintance that incites you to further explore their interesting lives and many works.


*****************************************************************

WARNING

Reading about these pioneers in different fields (equal rights for women, coloured people, …) and about their modern views (about gender, business, society, …), can have severe side effects.
Not only will you want to learn more about these women themselves, but your 'want to read'-list will grow as well because lots of their books will make you curious.
Bearing in mind that these women authors lived in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, most of the mentioned works are part of the public domain and thus can be read through websites like Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org/).


*Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not very good at reading classics, so I try to compensate through other means, like reading this graphic novel about some of the classic women writers. Enjoyed learning more about their life struggles and triumphs... and well, 'discovering' new names as well. I just wish the eARC was clearer/sharper so I could have appreciated the art and the reading experience more, but overall, I still liked this because we love seeing women win

As I continue my endeavour to read more classics and heading into the new year with fresh reading resolutions, Why She Wrote couldn't have come at a more opportune time. I wasn't aware of this book until my co-blogger, Celeste, read and reviewed it most favourably. Furthermore, the first book we picked up in 2021 was Anne Bronte's debut, Agnes Grey. Knowing that all the Bronte sisters were featured, I thought it would be interesting to read this title in tandem.

What a great decision that turned out to be. Why She Wrote is a whimsical and beautifully produced graphic novel that provided the most fascinating and unexpected insights and stories behind some of history's greatest women writers. Firstly, these writers were grouped into sets of threes representing the 'banner' that underscored the reason they wrote. Each set starts with an overarching introduction of the three writers, followed by each writer's biography told via a combination of a one-page narrative, comics, fun facts and bibliography. I've never read anything in this format before, but I'm definitely a fan because it was so delightful and highly engaging.

From the most renowned classic writers like the Bronte sisters, Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott to the relatively lesser known ones (to me anyway) like Edith Maude Eaton, Alice Dunbar Nelson and Anne Lister, their stories made me appreciate the works that I've read and eager to get to the ones that I haven't. Most notably, I think my experience of concurrently reading Agnes Grey was enhanced as I got to know the Bronte sisters more. The dynamics between Charlotte, Emily and Anne, as well as their individual differences were most intriguing; having read both Jane Eyre and Agnes Grey now, I can see how their personalities were represented in the stories they wrote. As for Louisa May Alcott, her story definitely made me look at Little Women in a different light, and also quite eager to reread it. Same goes for The Secret Garden and The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Books like this make me want to buy a few copies and gift them to friends, in the hope that it will spur them to read more from these writers. As a celebration of women writers, Why She Wrote also provided great historical perspective on the challenges of being a woman in the past, which made their stories even more remarkable and inspiring. Recommended!

I love reading classic literature and I was so excited to read something that explored the inspirations of some of my favourite authors. The focus on women, however, just increased my interest in this. I think it's an easy read that also offers up a bunch of interesting anecdotes and lingering questions that historians and fans have of these authors. By having all of the authors in the sections linked to one another was a clever way to keep the reader following along. I found it to be informative, but also empowering to read about the struggles that these women faced. As mentioned in the book itself, these struggles are not unlike the ones that women still face today. The graphics were charming and I'm not usually a fan of graphic novels!

Overall, it was such a fun read!!! I also got a podcast recommendation out of it, so I'm very pleased.

Thank you to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Why She Wrote is an informative look into the lives of 18 prominent female writers. The biographical text passages paired with the comic-style illustrations sets this collection apart from other titles. The stories told help bring each of these women writers to life in a fresh way, and I found the inclusion of the illustrations helped break up the passages of text.

I was surprised by some of the details I learned about the writers and I appreciate that there were writers that I had never heard of included as well. This is definitely a collection for those interested in an introduction to women writers.

The question to be asked now, though, is will these authors publish more books of similar style about all the other women writers? Because they should!

Extremely educational book! It's a really cool medium too, a crossover between the writers' biographies accompanied by graphic panels explaining their lives. Aside from Charlotte Bronte, Jane Austen, and Mary Shelley, I didn't know much other "classic" female writers. It was really cool to learn more about activist figures, especially abolitionists, and writers who channel their anger into a revolution.

"Society cannot afford to neglect the enlightenment of any class of its members." - Frances E. W. Harper.

This was a fantastic read.

I love when you can learn something from a book, and in this case, that something was more on women authors.
Most of them pretty famous, but all of which defied their time in a way and refused to be stay at home wives and moms, but picked up their pens (or quills) and created something new.

I wish, however, that more of their stories were told through pictures, but still, I loved the short parts of their biographies and notes on most notable works.

Great job!

I loved this book. I learned so much about so many women author's I have come to admire over the years. This was a great format and so well structured. I have already recommended this to several other librarians and readers.

This was a quick, enjoyable read based around the concept of exploring the lives of famous female authors throughout history through the form of short comic strips.

I liked the illustrations a lot and felt they suited the subject matter. I do, however, wish the short biographies featured had been a little bit longer (say, 3-4 pages rather than 1). I would have liked to come away knowing a bit more about the featured authors' lives.

This graphic novel provides lovely albeit brief insights into the lives of many beloved female authors.