Category Archives: Biography

Atomic Women by Roseanne Montillo

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It’s no secret that too often women are not given the credit they deserve. We see it over and over again, in politics, in literature, in business, and especially in math and science. There’s just something about chemical explosions and experimentation, which men like to think women are incapable of participating in. We like to blow things up too! Atomic Women by Roseanne Montillo finally gives these women a voice.

The book follows the timeline of the creation of the nuclear weapon, starting with Marie Curie, and ending with the many influential women involved in Los Alamos. Roseanne tells the story of these women and their lives work, showing candidly the struggle and difficulty they faced during a time when women in science were a rarity. It’s eye opening to see the amount of work these women contributed, without any recognition…until now.

Atomic Women is a book that should be read by all, in order to finally recognize and appreciate the great contributions of these women to science. I recommend for anyone wishing to become more educated about the creation of nuclear weapons, as well as their rightful creators.

Futureface by Alex Wagner

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Futureface by Alex Wagner is a biography documenting Wagner’s search to grasp a better understanding of her family history and discover her true identity. Wagner is a mixed-race Burmese Luxembourgish woman, and her journey to find herself takes her across the planet.

After grappling with her racial identity, Wagner sets out on a quest to try and learn more about her ancestors. This mission takes her all over the world. She travels to Burma to learn more about her mother’s side of the family, who fled from the country in the 1960s. She also goes to Europe, to try and dig deeper beneath her father’s seemingly “white bread” history. All the while, trying to find a group that she belongs to and figure out who she truly is.

As a mixed-race American teen, I could relate to a lot of the points and issues Wagner brought up in her book, and I thought the premise was very engaging. I also got to learn more about country’s histories that I didn’t know much about. That said, I found it hard to get excited about this book, which I thought would be right up my alley. Wagner makes a lot of guesses about her ancestors throughout the book, and the explanations of these theories got slightly boring.

I would recommend this book to mixed-race people, as well as those interested in ancestry.

The (Other) F Word edited by Angie Manfredi

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The (Other) F Word, edited by Angie Manfredi, includes writings and art pieces from many plus-sized models, authors, artists, entrepreneurs, and more. The book deals with being plus-sized in today’s day and age. Each person’s perspective brings something new to the table. A new way of thinking, a new experience, or a new way to accept yourself.

Most contributions in the book were pieces of writing, but others were illustrations. Some grappled with self-acceptance, and how hard it is to accept one’s self in a fatphobic society. Others were experiences or journeys growing up fat. A large number of texts included tips and tricks for those struggling to feel confident in their skin. Throughout the book, there are fun pictures of people dancing that added to the positive, celebratory, confident vibe the collection was trying to put off.

This collection of contributions was very eye-opening for me, but I did get a little bored at times. Some of the themes and messages represented in some of the writing pieces did seem a little repetitive. That said, this book helped me understand the terrible prejudice plus-sized people face, and the small things society takes part in that adds to said prejudice.

I would recommend this book to anybody. Those who are on the thinner side need to understand the perspective of those who aren’t. Those who are on the opposite side of the spectrum will be able to relate and thrive.

Our Stories, Our Voices

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Our Stories, Our Voices, a
collection of essays and anecdotes about “injustice, empowerment, and growing up female in America” by 21 YA authors, is an incredible assortment of empowering pieces that truly describe both the large and small struggles of growing up as a woman in the U.S.
Each story presents a different outlook, as each woman has a different background and grew up with contrasting world views and distinct religious views. These essays explore everything from rape to racism, from gender to feminism, and from faith to weight.
Each piece finishes with an empowering message which encourages young people to believe that their voices and words really do matter and that they can make a difference, no matter how small they feel. Though there are many stories in this book preaching the
same message, it doesn’t seem repetitive. Instead, each note of empowerment strengthens the last one, encouraging young women (and others) that they really matter and that they can stand up for what they believe. This is such an important book for women all
over America, and even around the world, to read and connect with. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs encouragement in believing that they matter or anyone who wants to read stories of women overcoming discrimination of every type.

By: Aisha Saeed, Alexandra Duncan, Amber Smith, Anna-Marie McLemore, Brandy Colbert, Christine Day, Ellen Hopkins, Hannah Moskowitz, I. W. Gregorio, Jaye Robin Brown, Jenny Torres Sanchez, Julie Murphy, Martha Brockenbrough, Maurene Goo, Nina LaCour, Sandhya Menon, Somaiya Daud, Sona Charaipotra, Stephanie Kuehnert, and Tracy Deonn Walker