Remarkable Women of Rhode Island

by Frank L. Grzyb, Russell J. DeSimone

Rhode Island proudly claims a long list of remarkable women throughout history, from pioneering education reformers and suffragettes to trailblazing athletes and authors. In the mid-1800s, Sarah Helen Whitman became a prominent female poet and nearly married Edgar Allan Poe. In 1922, Isabelle Ahearn O'Neil became the first woman to hold office in the Rhode Island legislature. In the 1940s, Wilma Briggs became the first woman in the state to play on a local high school boys' baseball team and went on to join the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Join authors Frank L. Grzyb and Russell J. DeSimone in this captivating and insightful account that spans five centuries of women who made history in the smallest state in the nation.

Genres: Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published July 13, 2014

Reviews

[karen]

no one has contacted me to sign any sort of waiver or to fact-check anything, so i can only assume that m. grzyb has fallen behind in updating this book which will, naturally, include a huge chapter about my various contributions to the world in its next printing. let's get on the ball, grzyb!!! i am looking forward to your call.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains brief biographies of notable women with Rhode Island ties, from Weetamoo, Anne Hutchinson and Mary Dyer all the way to Viola Davis, an Emmy winning actress; and Elizabeth Beisel, three-time Olympian and silver medal-winning swimmer. Being the archivist for the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame and a women's historian, I was aware of nearly every single one of these women. There weren't any surprises, just some obscure omissions and some notable ones too. What about Lucy Truman Aldrich and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller for the most notable? There are several others I can think of. The biographical profiles are concise and easy to read, however they sometimes contain superfluous information. I don't care about Doris Duke's relationships; tell me more about her achievements.

The book An ornament and honor to their sex: New England women from Valley Forge to Fenway Park by Jane Lancaster goes more in depth.

[Marguerite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about Rhode Island. A small state so instrumental in education and history -not to mention the beauty of the Ocean State. Frank Grzyb does it again with a fascinating book.