Good Girls Don't Make History

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Pub Date 31 Aug 2021 | Archive Date 26 Jan 2023

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Description

History has rarely been told from a woman’s point of view. 

*2022 Notable Social Studies Trade Book*
*2022 Social Justice Literature Award Winner*


Good Girls Don’t Make History  is an important graphic novel that amplifies the voices of female legends from 1840 to the present day. 
 
Reliving moments from the lives of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth, Alice Paul, Ida B. Wells, and Susan B. Anthony, these inspiring stories are boldly told from one of the most formative eras in women’s history—the fight for the vote in the United States.

The tale begins at a modern-day polling station in California with a mother and daughter voting together, then flashes back 180 years to the World Anti-Slavery Convention where the women's movement got its legendary start.
 
The twists and turns take readers across the country and through time, illuminating parallels between epic battles for liberty in the past and similar struggles for justice today. 
 
A powerful and important examination of some key figures in the ongoing fight for equality, Good Girls Don’t Make History’s accounts of bravery, perseverance and courage are truly inspiring for readers of any age.
History has rarely been told from a woman’s point of view. 

*2022 Notable Social Studies Trade Book*
*2022 Social Justice Literature Award Winner*


Good Girls Don’t Make History is an important graphic...

Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9780711265424
PRICE $22.99 (USD)
PAGES 160

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Average rating from 80 members


Featured Reviews

Arc provided by NetGalley.
Really moving graphic novel of women’s suffrage in the United States—also with a focus on Black and Indigenous women’s stories. The art is truly stunning, and I cried a few times actually. It’s wonderfully done, flashing between modern day discussions and the historic fight it took to get there. And I learned a fair few things too, which is what it’s all for really. Recommend!

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Good Girls Don't Make History is a great graphic novel teaching the history of the Suffragette movement. The book connects the movement's beginnings to the modern-day women's movement and its expansion into different women's rights. While the historical sections of the book does go over the intersectionality of suffrage and abolition, it primarily focuses on White Feminism. However, the author continually reminds the reader that not all women received the right to vote with the passage of the 19th Amendment and has several sections on the Black Women's Suffrage Movement. The author also does not shy away from writing about how Women of Color were purposely excluded from Women's Suffrage. I would have enjoyed the novel even more if the author included more information on how Women of Color got the right to vote instead of stopping the historical section after the ratification of the 19th Amendment.

I also really like how the novel focused on why modern-day political activism is so important and how equal rights are still being fought for today. I do wish the author had included more on the Equal Rights Amendment and the expansion of Feminism.

I rate the book four stars. I had a great time reading it!

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There is a line in a song from the musical Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda, which states ”We hold these truths to be self-evident. That all men are created equal and when I meet Thomas Jefferson I’mma compel him to include women in the sequel” If this line resonates with you (as it definitely did with me) then Good Girls Don’t Make History is the book you need to dive straight into.

This vivid graphic novel slides a metaphorical magnifying glass on the women in history that helped lead the charge for suffrage in America, and also the divisions within that fight due to racial inequality. Using women in modern day voting queues to launch the historical elements is a clever way to approach the subject, especially as some of these women are either only highlighted as footnotes in school teaching or sadly ignored all together. I may not be American, but I’m a feminist who is interested in politics, and it was fascinating learning about pioneers that I knew nothing about.

The image used on the cover is very striking and will definitely grab readers attentions. It certainly drew me into requesting this review copy.

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I adored this! I loved the mix of history and contemporary stories. It really showed both how important it is to remember our history and the ones who came before us as well as the importance of still fighting to make a difference in the world. The illustrations are beautiful and support the story wonderfully. 10/10 would recommend!

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I received a free eARC from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Good Girls Don't Make History is a graphic novel tracing the movement for equality and women's rights in the US from 1840 to the present day. It's told in two timelines: one at a modern polling booth, and a chronological journey through key moments in the suffrage movement.

I loved the illustrations in this graphic novel. It's all colour, and the style is sort of like watercolours. They're absolutely stunning.

I thought the content was well researched and presented. I think that it's easy to read, and would make an excellent first foray into the history of women's suffrage in the United States. While it does include a few moments with Black leaders of the movement, such as Sojourner Truth and Ida B. Wells, and it does make it clear that white women didn't want to include them, I felt like it was mostly focused on the various groups led by white women. As an Australian, I don't know enough about the women's suffrage movement in America to say whether this reflects the historical realities.

Still, this was an informative and entertaining read. I'd recommend it to people who are interested in the history of women's suffrage, particularly in the US; to those interested in feminism and civil rights movements; and general lovers of history. I think readers who enjoy non-fiction graphic novels would also enjoy this. It has similar subject matter to Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists: A Graphic History of Women's Fight For Their Rights by Mikki Kendall, illustrated by A. D'Amico, so fans of that might also enjoy this.

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This is a brilliant and concise graphic novel exploring the suffrage movement in America. The art I'd stunning and the way the story flashes between modern voters and the road it took to get there was very compelling.

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I received an advance copy of, Good Girls Don't Make History, by Elizabeth Kiehner and Kara Coyle. This is an amazing story on the history of women. Women who fight for the right to vote, amongst other things, thrown in jail and sometimes beaten. We owe alot to these women.

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This is a beautifully illustrated and very informative novel. It jumps between the past when some very inspirational women were fighting for the rights of suffrage and the modern day relating those past struggles to our modern democracy. This was a super fascinating read and shone a light on some of the lesser well known activists as well as household names.

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I learned a lot about women who fighted for suffrage of for their people. The graphic part is excellent.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

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‘Well behaved women seldom make history’ is Laurel Thatcher’s phrase used to inspire the title of ‘Good girls don’t make history’. I feel this sums up the nature of this graphic novel rather well, documenting the seemingly endless struggle for women’s rights.

It encompasses not only the struggle for the women’s right to vote, but even more so the struggle of black women, of indigenous women, with both their gender and race to combat against. The novel hones in on several specific individuals to do this, comparing their struggle to contemporary perceptions of young girls now (written in 2020).

Interestingly, there was only a minor section on the food strikes and nothing on Emily Wilding Davidson who had infamously died on the racehorse to promote the Suffragette movement. There was also less included on the incredible violence many turned to in efforts of getting those rights. While this isn’t a major drawback, I was just surprised mainly - perhaps it was an attempt to shine a light on the aspects of the Suffrage that is less popular or known.

As a whole, I really enjoyed this novel - it is a testament as to how graphic novels can and should be utilised. The art style was great and perfectly fitting for the subject at hand; I’d recommend this to anyone curious about the origins of women’s rights. Hey, I learnt something, so there’s something for everyone :)

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Thanks to NetGalley & Quarto Publishing Group for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastic look into women's rights throughout history while paralleling modern issues, especially in regard how difficult it can be to vote in many places across the country.

The artwork is absolutely STUNNING! It really helps with the old-timey angle but it's just so pretty to look at too.

Literally the only complaint I have is that it can be hard to remember who's who, I just wanted some more boxes here and there highlighting who x person is in the book. Still, an educational and fascinating read all around.

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This book is cleverly written and immensely educational! As we travel through staples of time in history, Kiehner highlights the injustices in society that women from poc backgrounds had to suffer through. The story is so beautifully written and I just couldn't put it down! As a reader I felt empowered by how strong these women in history were and how they didn't let the misogynistic and patriarchal society bring them down but instead became stronger so that the future generations of women are able to vote and have a voice that will be heard.

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A lovely graphic novel about the suffrage movement of the United States and how important it is to be able to cast one's vote. The art style was beautiful and it was very colorful. I liked how it switched from modern times to the past figures who fought for the vote, as it was a way to show how the effects of the suffragist movement was able to affect Americans today. I also liked how it also focused on black women's suffrage movement, as in previous books I've read about the movement tend to ignore or gloss over it.

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5 stars

Written as an educational tool for classrooms to give a greater scope to the fight for female suffrage, Good Girls Don't Make History does a wonderful job of portraying the complexities of the American suffrage movement and does not shy away from displaying both its virtues and flaws.

Kiehner and Coyle structure the story through a series of vignettes in the present day that connect to various points in the almost century long journey from the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 to the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920. I consider myself to be fairly familiar with the suffrage movement after studying it extensively, but even I learned a great deal about the key players and events that led to women obtaining the right to vote.

The best part of this graphic novel, however, was the balanced way in which Kiehner and Coyle discuss history. They do not shy away from discussing some of the more uncomfortable truths of the movement, such as the fact that not all white suffragists wanted black women to obtain the vote. Even in the present day sections, characters bring up the fact that female minorities had to continue fighting for their rights to be heard. It offers both the characters and readers an opportunity to think about how they plan to continue the fight!

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Wide Eyed Editions for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

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Thank you to netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Wide Eyed Editions for the arc.

Good girls don’t me history is a great graphic novel depicting and teaching the history of the Suffragette movement in the US.

Throughout the novel we go back and forward in time, both to see the Suffragette movement as well as the Morden-day movement. The focus is more on white feminism and white women’s right to vote, but we see the authors reminding us, that black women has to overcome not only sexism but also racism to be able to vote. Therefore teaching us that the movement wasn’t perfect. Even tough we’ve come so far the parts that include the women’s movement today, reminds me of how far we still have to go, and how grateful we should be for the women that came before us.
I absolutely loved the art style in this. So much attention to detail.

This graphic novel should be a stable in every single american school and in every single class. As a european I learned a lot from reading this novel, and really do believe that a lot of americans as well as others still need to learn about the history if the Suffragette movement. And this book is the perfect way to do that


I have posted my review on goodreads as well

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This graphic novel toggles between today and historical events to ensure women's rights. It's an interesting perspective to understand what came before to allow the freedoms we have today. The format in a graphic novel makes it easy to absorb and understand. Overall, I thought it was a compelling narrative and important history to learn about the Women’s Suffrage Movement.

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Wide Eyed Editions for the opportunity to read and review this book.

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Good Girls Don't Make History
by Elizabeth Kiehner; Kara Coyle
Quarto Publishing Group – Wide Eyed Editions
Wide Eyed Editions
Teens & YA
Pub Date 31 Aug 2021


I am reviewing a copy of Good Girls Don’t Make History through Quarto Publishing Group and Netgalley:




This beautifully illustrated and written graphic history of The Women’s Suffrage movement and beyond would be a great way to introduce Junior High and High School students a look into how women In America had to fight for equality and continue to do so.


The books spans from 1840 to present day, and amplifies the voice of female legends.



The tale begins at a modern-day polling station in California with a mother and daughter voting together, then flashes back 180 years to the World Anti-Slavery Convention where the women's movement got its legendary start.



This book allows the reader to relive moments from the lives of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth, Alice Paul, Ida B. Wells, and Susan B. Anthony, these inspiring stories are boldly told from one of the most formative eras in women’s history—the fight for the vote in the United States.



The story and it’s twists and turns take readers across the country and through time, illuminating parallels between epic battles for liberty in the past and similar struggles for justice today.



I give Good Girl’s Don’t Make History five out of five stars!


Happy Reading…

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A concise and educational graphic novel historical account of women's suffrage. We focus on some major key players in the movement (Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Dunbar, Lucretia Mott, Ida B. Wells, Sojourner Truth, just to name a few). We follow the timeline from the Seneca Falls Convention through to the ratification of the 19th amendment.

There are a lot of things this graphic novel did well. I appreciated the thoughtful way history was recounted in easily digestible segments. I really enjoyed the art and the typography. I also like the range of individuals included. All this aside, I do think the graphic novel could have done more to focus on the racism and separatism of the original women's movement. It is mentioned but it isn't really explored. I recognize that there is a lot of history to recount to paint a full picture, but I think the exclusionary practices should be talked about more. We can't amend for history that we don't know exists.

**I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!

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I love this whole book! I love that it is a graphic novel style that will reach many more readers and still present important history. It's an important topic that many young people probably wouldn't be interested in learning about by reading a typical history book, but the graphic novel style makes it relatable and more entertaining for young readers. The illustrations are also great. I think it is very well done.

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(thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC)

I found that for me, as a young English girl, it was very enlightening to learn about the women’s suffrage movement in America. The illustrations I’m this short graphic novel were beautiful and make this book so accessible and educational for all ages. Overall I loved this book, it was both informative but concise and well-written!

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Good Girls Don't Make History is a great graphic novel about the history of women's suffrage in the United States. The art is very stylistic and beautiful. The authors did a great job of focusing the intersectional feminism in this book and how white suffragists got the vote but women of colour did not even though these women of colour fought with on their side so they could get the vote.

The graphic novel format makes this very accessible for younger audiences who are most likely to forget or not to consider how long women, and particularly women of colour, fought for the right to vote.

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This is a wonderful graphic novel! Good Girls Don't Make History is a great Kickstarter and graphic novel that covers the history of women's suffrage in the United States. Part of it is set during the modern times as well as the history of the of learning the vote. It's really excellent and beautiful and the art is great.

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A novel that addresses all aspects of women’s rights, sides often omitted from the history books. This graphic novel highlights the importance of fighting for women’s rights, especially since it is an ongoing issue.

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Good Girls Don’t Make History, is a graphic semi non-fiction, where you are able to learn and discover about the women who fought to get the rights that women have today. Growing up in the UK we had our own women’s struggles and fight for our rights, so reading this and discovering what all types of women in America had to go through was a part of history I’m glad I now know a little better. That I now know a little bit more about individuals and what they had to do to have an impact.

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graphic-novel, voting-history, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-and-culture, new-presentation*****

This well executed book makes it quite clear that the issues of women's suffrage is both historical and ongoing. While this is not news to some of us, it is definitely news to today's young citizens of the world. Very engaging format and appropriate to the target readers. WELL DONE!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Quarto Publishing Group – Wide Eyed Editions / Wide Eyed Editions via NetGalley. Thank you!

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Buy this book. The author did an amazing job in researching the suffragette movement. Along with the great research, she made a point of seamlessly explaining how important it is for women and the current battles to be fought. The artwork was phenomenal.

4.0 out of 5 stars

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A really good graphic novel about feminism and voting right's history.
I really like how the writers includes some moments in the present with the queue for voting to introduce and explain why it's so important to take time, even if it's seems long, for vote.
It allow to discover and know the women who fight for this right and for the progress towards equality. While remaining accessible to teenagers and young-adult who will be the voters of tomorrow.
graphically I like the draws and the colors, they were very pleasant and I really hope I will see it on paper soon !

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The narration style of this book chose to use vignettes of present day situations illustrating why/how women should be grateful for what they have today but we have so much farther to go yet. The story would then jump to the past to tell the story of how women in the past fought for the right to vote in America. The stories introduced us to several important women like Susan B. Anthony, Carrie Chapman Catt, and Alice Paul. The illustration was simple and easy to follow but not very interesting to look at. I think this would be great for the classroom and any budding feminist.

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An easily accessible graphic novel that delves into women's rights and voting right's history. I really liked this feminist approach as we follow the different women and see how their actions connect to today's modern audience. Graphically I really enjoyed the moments when it's of important held several panels in close ups, it help make the time it's set feel authentic. I would recommend this for anyone to read!

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Thank you so much for the gifted book Elizabeth Kiehner, Kara Coyle, NetGalley, and Quarto Publishing Group!

What I liked:

The illustrations are WONDERFUL. I mean, how can you draw so beautifully authors?
The way it makes you reflect on how hard it was for women to get the vote and equal rights.
The dialogs of the women of this book. EMPOWERED WOMEN!

What I didn't like:
I think that this book is more for people of the USA because I didn't really know the women mentioned, but it was not a book's problem, it was my own. Anyway, I learned a lot from it because of it, but I expected a little more context.

Thanks again for the book, I feel so honored that I received it!

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A beautiful illustrated graphic novel which tackles an important subject and does not shy away from the tension between some of the leaders. I did not know anything about the American suffrage movement, but now feel mor3 e lightened and informed. This will not only appeal to its target audience but many many other people who will find it an easy and engaging read and will learn a lot along the way.

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars

A step back in time for one of the most important event in history of women in the U.S, the right to vote and a good reminder to the modern woman that without those strong figures, the present would have been very different for them. It was a battle for liberty and for equality that is still going on, let's not forget that.

It was so inspiring and very interesting to learn or remember the names of those who left their mark in history. Nice read but I did not like the artwork that much. I hope that more books like this one will be made with different subjects in the future.

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I usually stay away from non-fiction books of any kind. However, the cover and title intrigued me, so I decided to pick it up. I’ve never been more glad to have picked up a book.

The novel switches between different times, from 2020 to 1918 and so on. We see glimpses of young women today voting and the struggle that it took to get there. I can imagine the switches between different periods of time may seem confusing for some. Personally, I had no issues with it. I found it super easy to follow and keep up with. The differences in time and history was clear and trackable.

The graphic novel is a quick read, I flew through it. It doesn’t bore you with too many details and the story keeps moving. It was definitely fast paced and exciting.

The illustrations were so beautiful. I’m not sure if this the correct term for it, but it definitely had a watercolour type of feel to it. And it worked so well with the concept.

I can’t comment on the historical accuracy of the novel. I’m more familiar with the movement in New Zealand. I must say, I was so shocked to see that the right to vote took so long in America. It made me so much prouder of New Zealand for being the first self-governing country to introduce equal rights for voting. Go Kate Sheppard!

My favourite thing about this was that it didn’t just focus on the history of white women, but also considered POC. It frustrated me so much knowing it took so much longer for Black women and Native Americans to gain the same rights.

I don’t think this is a novel for historical experts who are looking for an informed read. This seems ideal for someone like me, who’s interested in an introduction or a skim through the timeline. I felt so empowered after this.

This was a compelling and empowering read that everyone needs to pick up. If I could afford it, I’d buy this for every young female out there to read, so we can be more grateful for the rights we have today. It’s super quick and an easy read, so there’s no excuse not to. Just do it.

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Good Girls Don’t Make History by Elizabeth Kiehner and illustrated by Kara Coyle is a book every woman about to vote whether it be for the first time or the tenth time needs to read.

Yes it’s American history. Yes I am Canadian. Did I still get emotional and cry? Yes of course.

This book does a good job of giving you the most important facts and people and dates without too much sensory overload. The pacing is great for both the past and present scenes. I liked that they showed the current situation in America’s voting politics along with the history.

I actually learned a thing or two and was interested to learn about it. And that’s saying something since I barely paid attention during high school social studies. Just ask my teachers and friends, I was constantly asleep. Really. So for a book to keep me interested all the way about this topic is a big deal.

I think this book should be standard literature found at at high school in America and even Canada. This story is important. This fight is important.

Almost done I promise. Included inside are also the voices of black and indigenous women, and for that I am so thankful. It shows the reality of what WOC were facing alongside the white women. And spoiler alert, it was harder for WOC. Shocker, right?

Anyway please read this book no matter what gender you are, what nationality. It’s an important and interesting one. That we still need to learn from.

I even got a Jeopardy question right after reading this. And for that it’s getting 5 stars.

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A great graphic novel, that is both informative and a work of art. This is a great read I would recommend any woman reading to better understand the history of the gender.

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This is a beautifully drawn, impactful graphic novel narrating the women's suffrage movement in the United States. It does a wonderful job of connecting stories and events and presenting them in a succinct and hard-hitting way. I also liked that it included the contributions of black and native women's stories and not just the more well-known stories of white women although I do think that could have been expanded on more.

This is a great book and I really enjoyed and felt like I learned something from it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

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Synopsis
“Good Girls Don’t Make History”, aims to tell history from a female point of view. Beginning in the 1840s, this graphic novel tells, and celebrates several women who dedicated their lives to the suffragette movement. While reflecting on the past, “Good Girls Don’t Make History”, also looks towards modern-day struggles to show how there is an ongoing need to fight for equality and justice.



Thoughts
💭Today, more than ever, (graphic) novels like this one are so important! This graphic novel focuses mainly on the American reality, that is, on the history of the suffragette movement established in the US, and also on present-day issues. I found this to be such an interesting concept, and one that could honestly be extended to tell the history of the suffragette movement in other national realities.

💭Intersectional Feminism. This is something that I think it’s incredibly important to highlight. The novel focuses on the fight for women’s enfranchisement, but at the same time acknowledges (and even emphasizes) that some people had to fight harder than others. While it is true that this novel recognizes that the experiences of Black and First Nations women are removed from history, I would have liked to see the novel focusing more on their stories and experiences.

💭The illustrations are just…*chef’s kiss*. I loved the watercolor texture of the illustrations, which is something that I haven’t seen much in graphic novels, but that complements perfectly the theme of this one.


Thank you to @netgalley, @quartobooksuk for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

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Solid Gold 5 out of 5 stars from me!

It was so cool for me to finally take the leap into Women's Suffrage in the US and oh MY GOSH was this an incredible place to start.
The art is gorgeous, the storytelling is intensely consumable, and I had so many moments where I was close to tears so reading this over my lunch break in work wasn't the best idea.
This book is so important as it highlights so many current issues alongside those of the past 100 years and all of the key players across the century. Women who risked so much in return for so little but kept hoping and planning and fighting so the women who came after them could achieve their goals, step by excruciatingly small and ever thwarted step. It is also stunning.

This is another book I will be buying physically as soon as I can and doling out to as many people in my lives as possible.

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