The Power of Women: An Atlas of Beauty Book

by Mihaela Noroc

True beauty lies in the sum of our qualities, used for positive purposes. In other words, using your power for the good

This new book delves deeper into the stories behind the captivating images that have made Mihaela Noroc an online sensation. With 500 portraits from over 60 countries, including Japan, India, Peru, Namibia and the United States, The Power of Women is a celebration of courage, resilience and beauty in all its forms.

Genres: Nonfiction, Photography, Feminism, Art

352 pages, Hardcover

Published March 4, 2025

About the author

Mihaela Noroc is a Romanian photographer who has been travelling the world for more than a decade, using her camera to capture the unique beauty and diversity of women around the globe.

Reviews

[Jovi Ene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cel de-al treilea album realizat de Mihaela Noroc are în centru poveștile personajelor fotografiate: fotografiile sunt tot impecabile, sunt de multe ori ireale și, desigur, incredibil de frumoase, dar de data aceasta prim-planul este al „poveștilor despre puterea femeilor”. Sunt 500 de portrete noi, din mai mult de 60 de țări, în care totul pare să se schimbe. Artistul caută întâi povestea de viață, discută cu femeile și fetele întâlnite, de data aceasta în postură de mamă, și fotografiază sentimente, întâmplări, sufletul conținut în ochi, gene, sprâncene, gură, nas sau întreaga față. Fiecare femeie de aici are o poveste altfel, de la diversitate la supraviețuirea de pe urma discriminării, de la realitatea sărăciei până la drama unei boli incurabile, de la curajul în regim dictatorial până la tragedia pierderii copiilor. Așadar, frumusețea vine aici mai degrabă din interior, dintr-un suflet care a supraviețuit oricăror încercări și care se pune în valoare, acum, prin intermediul unei fotografii inspirate.

[Emiliya Bozhilova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Красотата пътешества из континенти, възрасти и съдби.

Красотата не е общоприетото възприятие - а по-скоро е автентичност, кураж и доброта.

Текстовете бяха обаче твърде общи и кратки.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've enjoyed all the books by Mihaela Noroc, each one being a colorful masterpiece in my opinion. The photographs are just wonderful, the stories are touching and so different from one and other. They give you so much to think about... not only how being a woman means so many things in different parts of the world, but also about the complexity of any human being. 💛

[Marysa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for allowing me the opportunity to read a sample (first 43 pages) of this book in exchange for my honest review. I can safely say I’m anxiously awaiting the release of this book on March 4th. Photographer Mihaela Noroc looked beyond the hustle and bustle of the world and say the power of these women. While some stories are sad, others inspire hope and happiness. While this ARC was only 43 pages, I saw the world through the eyes of these amazing women. I became inquisitive about their stories and life experience, wanting to do my own research to learn more. Just based on the first 43 pages alone I would easily recommend this book to others. It left me feeling curious and wanting more. Once this book is released I will follow up with a complete review.

Quotes I’ve loved in this book so far:

“A woman is powerful even when she cries and feels weak and vulnerable. Because the power of women encompasses a vast spectrum of qualities.”

“Even in the darkest moments, real beauty shines”

[Yaaresse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this from the publisher for review.

The photography is truly gorgeous. Over 500 full-color portraits of women from around the world with a short blurb on why the photographer felt each should be considered a role model or exhibited power. The photographer traveled around the world for nearly a decade to complete the project.

The problem is that so much of the same detracts from the impact of the whole. After a while, my attention just wasn't on either the photos or the bios. It was like hearing a great piece of music back-to-back for so long that it loses whatever made you want to hear it at all. IMO, it would have been more impactful to have half the photos and twice the story written by a more dynamic writer.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded down.

This hardcover book is a collection of portraits of women from all around the globe. Each portrait identifies where the woman is from, and there are often short bios about the woman's life and accomplishments, or some joys or challenges that she experiences in her culture. The pictures are stunning, and it is impressive to see just how many places the author traveled to in order to put together portraits of women from so many different countries.

Although the global variety is impressive, the pictures are predominately of young, attractive, slim women with symmetrical features. Even the pictures of very elderly women tend to highlight women with conventionally attractive appearances, and the same goes for women with disabilities. I get that part of this is the subjects' self-selection. The author notes that women often refuse portraits because they don't think they're pretty enough, and that many of the women featured in this book initially felt self-conscious. Still, the book primarily highlights women who are drop dead gorgeous, and that makes the book feel shallower than it should have been.

The bios are also usually extremely short and high-level, without much context or detail. Many of them also repeat the same themes and reflections from the author again and again, and the book begins to feel very repetitive, especially with its very surface-level takes on social issues. This would have been stronger with more detailed bios, and more quotes or stories from the women involved. Some of the entries here are very powerful, but I wish that more of the book had been like that.

I received a free copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine, and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Sharondblk · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a Netgalley reviewer I was provided with the first 43 pages of this book, which was plenty to get the idea. The format is a picture of a beautiful woman staring at the camera with a half smile on her lips (like on the front cover) and some words about why she is special. The pictures get kind of creepy after a bit, women of different cultures and races staring at the camera with the same expression on her face. The words are fine, I guess. Each woman gets a paragraph about why she is inspirational. It's all very apolitical, isolated.and individualistic. Statements are made like "many people died" or "x is the only female pilot in her country" without any further exploration or explanation. This is not history, or feminism, it's not a call for change. It is, as a the title says, a book of beauty, which I ultimately found quite unsatisfying.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Power of Women: An Atlas of Beauty Book" is a beautiful and diverse collection of photo essays that celebrates women around the world. These photo essays vary in length and detail, as well as the message or life advice that each of them provide for the collection. This is a beautiful full-color book that is nice to pick up once in a while and appreciate, perfect for sharing on the coffee table.

[Cheyenne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous photo book of women around the world and their stories. I teared up many times reading about the resiliency of the human spirit.

[Negru Vlad · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.4