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Still I Rise: The Persistence of Phenomenal Women
When Nelson Mandela was imprisoned in South Africa s brutal Robben Prison, he tirelessly turned to the poem Invicitus. The inspirational verse was by the Victorian William Ernest Henley, penned on the occasion of the amputation of his leg. Still I Rise takes its title from a work by Maya Angelou and it resonates with the same spirit of an unconquerable soul, a woman who is captain of her fate. Just as Invicitus brought solace to generations so does the contemporary classic. It embodies the strength of character of the women profiled. Each chapter will outline the fall and rise of great ladies who smashed all obstacles, rather than let all obstacles smash them. The book offers hope to those undergoing their own Sisyphean struggles. The intrepid women are the antithesis of the traditional damsels in distress; rather than waiting for the prince they took salvation into their own hands. Women celebrated in the book include Madame C. J. Walker-first female American millionaire, Aung San Suu Kyi-Burma s first lady of freedom, Betty Shabazz-civil rights activist, Nellie Sachs-Holocaust survivor and Nobel Prize recipient, Selma Lagerlof-first woman Nobel Laureate, Fannie Lou Hamer-American voting rights activist, Bessie Coleman-first African-American female pilot, Wilma Randolph-first woman to win three gold medals, Sonia Sotomayor-first Hispanic Supreme Court justice, Wangari Maathai-Nobel Prize winner, Winnifred Mandela-freedom fighter, Lois Wilson-founder of Al-Anon, Roxanne Quimby-co-founder of Burt s Bees. From the Book: "Still I Rise Maya Angelou, 1928 - 2014 You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I ll rise. Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I ll rise. You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I ll rise. I rise I rise I rise."
320 pages, Paperback
First published July 25, 2017
27 people are currently reading
298 people want to read
About the author
Marlene Wagman-Geller
15 books71 followersMarlene Wagman-Geller grew up in Toronto and is a lifelong bibliophile. She is a veteran high school English teacher in National City, California, and currently lives in San Diego.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
October 4, 2017
In this inspiring multi-biography, Marlene Wagman-Geller profiles 25 women from the last 100 years who made their marks in disparate fields. These intrepid individuals overcame great adversity to shape modern history and culture. Actress Hattie McDaniel, the first African-American to win an Academy Award, fought against racism from both the black and white community. Alice Herz Sommer survived the brutality of a genocidal regime in the Nazi ghetto-labor camp Theresienstadt to become a world-renowned pianist. The book takes its title from Maya Angelou's poem “Still I Rise,” which talks about “leaving behind nights of terror and fear.” Still I Rise is more than a collection of biographies and interesting historic tidbits. It is a roadmap to perseverance in the face of the most daunting and terrifying obstacles.
January 11, 2021
1.5⭐️
Let me start out by saying I learned about some women I’d never heard of before and I appreciate the author choosing to highlight those who have not typically been society’s go-to phenomenal woman (save Maya Angelou). I was glad to be introduced to many of these women for the first time. I also like how the author started with women clear back in 1761, going up to present day.
I understand it is not a small task to write a book. That being said, this book drove me crazy! The chapters are not labeled with the name of each woman, and she never clearly introduces them, so one spends a whole page playing a guessing game about which woman the author is even talking about. So many (and too many) weird metaphors. Though the stories were interesting, they felt scattered and felt as if the author would remember a random fact about the woman and put it right into the middle of whatever paragraph she was writing at the time. Quite frankly, I was confused much of the time and had to reread sentences or paragraphs.
Though I was still convinced that these women were phenomenal in some way, the author did not portray them in a complimentary light. I don’t mean to say one should not learn about the hardships and the terrible upbringings and experiences these women had (most of which pushed them to “still rise”), but the overall tone was negativity about the woman, not her circumstances. Again, the author introduced me to many of these women, and I’m grateful for that, but it ended up being through my own research that I found out how great they were. I felt the author focused too much on their mistakes, not triumphs, and unfortunately didn’t do these women justice.
Also, I have not written a book and am not perfect at all things grammar, but don’t get me started on all the typos, poor sentence structure and syntax, and the (lack of) fluidity in her writing.
Let me start out by saying I learned about some women I’d never heard of before and I appreciate the author choosing to highlight those who have not typically been society’s go-to phenomenal woman (save Maya Angelou). I was glad to be introduced to many of these women for the first time. I also like how the author started with women clear back in 1761, going up to present day.
I understand it is not a small task to write a book. That being said, this book drove me crazy! The chapters are not labeled with the name of each woman, and she never clearly introduces them, so one spends a whole page playing a guessing game about which woman the author is even talking about. So many (and too many) weird metaphors. Though the stories were interesting, they felt scattered and felt as if the author would remember a random fact about the woman and put it right into the middle of whatever paragraph she was writing at the time. Quite frankly, I was confused much of the time and had to reread sentences or paragraphs.
Though I was still convinced that these women were phenomenal in some way, the author did not portray them in a complimentary light. I don’t mean to say one should not learn about the hardships and the terrible upbringings and experiences these women had (most of which pushed them to “still rise”), but the overall tone was negativity about the woman, not her circumstances. Again, the author introduced me to many of these women, and I’m grateful for that, but it ended up being through my own research that I found out how great they were. I felt the author focused too much on their mistakes, not triumphs, and unfortunately didn’t do these women justice.
Also, I have not written a book and am not perfect at all things grammar, but don’t get me started on all the typos, poor sentence structure and syntax, and the (lack of) fluidity in her writing.
March 3, 2018
My edition is paperback - despite Goodreads saying such a version doesn't exist.
My review: great stories, somewhat obscured by lousy editing.
I am about 50% through this book. I love the stories - each woman profiled has a truly amazing journey that I'm grateful to explore, especially as I'm learning about some amazing women for the first time. However, I'm very irritated that some of their stories are obscured by terrible editing. Names are misspelled, there are actually typos, and garbled sentences that look like they were cut and pasted sloppily and make me wonder if some of the facts are right (or am I even understanding them correctly?). I also didn't think the author needed to remind us of the phrase "still rise" throughout - that was already established at the beginning of the book that this is what the theme is. I will definitely finish this book, hoping the editing problem goes away, and I'm hoping that future editions will fix these problems. These women's stories deserve careful treatment of the struggles, challenges, and triumphs that they experienced.
Updated: I've finished. The typos never abated! Part of me is wondering if some of the typos are due to scanning in a printed copy that led to some truly weird spelling errors (missing letters, added letters, etc.) and mostly attached to names. But there were still badly parsed sentences that were truly confusing. I'm mystified, honestly, that this can happen. The women's stories were truly inspirational, and this was a good selection of historical women. The writing and editing did not do the stories justice.
My review: great stories, somewhat obscured by lousy editing.
I am about 50% through this book. I love the stories - each woman profiled has a truly amazing journey that I'm grateful to explore, especially as I'm learning about some amazing women for the first time. However, I'm very irritated that some of their stories are obscured by terrible editing. Names are misspelled, there are actually typos, and garbled sentences that look like they were cut and pasted sloppily and make me wonder if some of the facts are right (or am I even understanding them correctly?). I also didn't think the author needed to remind us of the phrase "still rise" throughout - that was already established at the beginning of the book that this is what the theme is. I will definitely finish this book, hoping the editing problem goes away, and I'm hoping that future editions will fix these problems. These women's stories deserve careful treatment of the struggles, challenges, and triumphs that they experienced.
Updated: I've finished. The typos never abated! Part of me is wondering if some of the typos are due to scanning in a printed copy that led to some truly weird spelling errors (missing letters, added letters, etc.) and mostly attached to names. But there were still badly parsed sentences that were truly confusing. I'm mystified, honestly, that this can happen. The women's stories were truly inspirational, and this was a good selection of historical women. The writing and editing did not do the stories justice.
March 24, 2019
While I appreciate the idea behind this book, and feel the stories of each woman interesting and worthy of being told, I found the writing to be terrible. It was full of cliches and overly dramatic phrasing, and multiple typos (including, in one place, the use of "emancipated" when she clearly meant "emaciated." Overall, I'm glad I know more about these women, but I wish it hadn't been such a tedious task to get through.
March 5, 2020
Poor writing and with numerous grammar errors which are a pet peeve of mine; the author is a high school English teacher no less.
Some interesting women profiled, some of whom I had not heard of before. The biggest thing on finishing this? The support that many, really the majority of these short biographies gave to what I have always felt which is parents should be licensed to raise children. Full disclosure: I never had children, hence I never screwed up a developing person.
Some interesting women profiled, some of whom I had not heard of before. The biggest thing on finishing this? The support that many, really the majority of these short biographies gave to what I have always felt which is parents should be licensed to raise children. Full disclosure: I never had children, hence I never screwed up a developing person.
August 2, 2018
This book contains many inspirational stories about women who rise against all odds. I was humbled by the bravery and sacrifice I saw in their lives, their ability to see beyond themselves and their families. For some women it really is about the bigger picture -- a country, a race -- a need to serve humanity even at the expense of one's own life
I learnt much about persistence and principles in my reading of this book. Some women I hadn't heard of, others were very much in the news. While the stories themselves were incredible I think the writing could have benefited from some editing. But that doesn't take away from the memorable feats recorded about these women.
I learnt much about persistence and principles in my reading of this book. Some women I hadn't heard of, others were very much in the news. While the stories themselves were incredible I think the writing could have benefited from some editing. But that doesn't take away from the memorable feats recorded about these women.
July 22, 2018
A collection of short biographies, Still I Rise is an inspirational read. The bios cover a wide range of different women, each of whom has faced adversity and come through the other side by being strong, tenacious, positive and downright tough. I did not know many of these stories, and I have been left with a sense of being able to do anything I put my mind to, no matter what. It’s truly eye opening and motivating and written in a way that allows you to relate directly to the subjects. The writing is by no means ‘preachy’, rather very accessible and easy to absorb.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the writing style and feel inspired by it’s content.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the writing style and feel inspired by it’s content.
May 24, 2018
I found this book totally fascinating with stories of many unknown female heroes as well as some wormed you know but probably don’t know their stories. This book is an inspiring read and left me feeling uplifted and positive for the future. These are the stories should be read in schools because they show no matter how hard you fall, get up and keep going. Still I rise as the title so plainly says!
June 18, 2018
Still I rise is a collection of stories about women who
have risen above adversity and made changes both for themselves and others sometimes changing the way that society views them and even at times the laws that keep them from rising.
A good selection of women from from various beginnings, some well known and others I had never heard of. Lots of interesting and informative stories.
A very good read
have risen above adversity and made changes both for themselves and others sometimes changing the way that society views them and even at times the laws that keep them from rising.
A good selection of women from from various beginnings, some well known and others I had never heard of. Lots of interesting and informative stories.
A very good read
June 5, 2018
Wow what a powerful book about such inspiring women. Some names I'd never heard of but I was soon researching them. We need to thank these women who have left a footprint on this earth.
I think this type of book should be a must in all schools/colleges where young people especially girls can read about the struggles that have gone on before them; and may they they still rise.
I think this type of book should be a must in all schools/colleges where young people especially girls can read about the struggles that have gone on before them; and may they they still rise.
July 6, 2018
A fascinating look at women throughout history who overcame their problems. I read this slowly, one person at a time, then thinking about that story before picking up the book for a new chapter. Excellent!
June 18, 2018
The collection of stories in this book made me go wow!
Truly inspiring, these 25 women overcame all manner of difficulties but never gave up.
The pain behind a smile in public, the true story behind success, the struggle for basics and in particular the overcoming of a horror that one cannot even imagine, are some of the true stories chronicled here.
This book has whetted my appetite to know more about these fighters.
The underlying message to never give up is very much needed.
Truly inspiring, these 25 women overcame all manner of difficulties but never gave up.
The pain behind a smile in public, the true story behind success, the struggle for basics and in particular the overcoming of a horror that one cannot even imagine, are some of the true stories chronicled here.
This book has whetted my appetite to know more about these fighters.
The underlying message to never give up is very much needed.
November 28, 2017
I found this book to be both interesting and inspiring. Ms. Wagman-Geller has written mini-biographies on twenty five women of a very wide slice of life, through various points in history. Each women facing adversity, obstacles, and even sstereotyping as they each find their own way to rise above and beyond, and to show how phenomenal they truly were/are. Their stories would - and can - serve as shining examples of how to get tough when the tough get going, and you might get knocked down, however you don't have to stay down. The females in these chapters are truly amazing. I would recommend this book to anyone who is needing some encouragement and guidance on how to make the most of your life, even when things might not be so sunny and bright.
In closing, I wish to say that I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I wish to thank the author for the opportunity to read her book, and sharing the stories of these women with me.
In closing, I wish to say that I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I wish to thank the author for the opportunity to read her book, and sharing the stories of these women with me.
October 3, 2017
Do you ever feel like life has placed a target on your face? Do you ever feel that the saying- God never sends us more than we can bear-has no real world applicability? Take heart, (I know I did) from Still I Rise: the Persistence of Phenomenal Women. The women profiled are indeed phenomenal as they out- Jobed Job in the trials upon which they were visited. Although bloody and bowed they refused to remain on their knees, refused to succumb. The intrepid women are testimony to lives well-lived, a blue-print to emotional survival.
July 7, 2018
Largely insipid prose, overburdened with too many strained metaphors. The stories of these powerful and persistent women deserve better writing; and not the title of the book shoe horned inappropriately into every chapter. For better examples of the genre, I would instead highly recommend ‘Amazing Babes’ (Eliza Sarlos and Grace Lee) or ‘Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls’ (Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo).
July 9, 2019
I wanted to like it. However, the typos and grammatical errors really ruined it. Also does the author really have to use the the phrase "still rise" in every story?
May 16, 2019
I have never read a book with so many grammatical errors and incorrectly structured sentences in my life. The stories of the women are nice and all, but it’s hard to read.
February 5, 2018
Powerful, Inspiring... I learned so much!!!
Do you ever read a book and you can’t stop talking about it while you are reading it? I started reading this book while I was on a cruise and every night when I went to dinner everyone that I had dinner with heard about the book. The next night at dinner I was asked about what I had learned that day in the book as it was so fascinating!!! When I was at the beach I would tell random strangers about the book. I learned so much about fascinating women that I thought that I already knew a lot about. I also learned about amazing women who I had never even heard of. So many times history sums up amazing women in one sentence with so much knowledge and needed inspiration left out. Marlene did an extreme amount of research for this book and I learned details of J. K. Rowlings and Helen Keller’s lives I would have not know otherwise even though there is already so much information out there about these amazing women. I loved how I could read small chapters at a time or several in one setting! MUST READ!!!
Do you ever read a book and you can’t stop talking about it while you are reading it? I started reading this book while I was on a cruise and every night when I went to dinner everyone that I had dinner with heard about the book. The next night at dinner I was asked about what I had learned that day in the book as it was so fascinating!!! When I was at the beach I would tell random strangers about the book. I learned so much about fascinating women that I thought that I already knew a lot about. I also learned about amazing women who I had never even heard of. So many times history sums up amazing women in one sentence with so much knowledge and needed inspiration left out. Marlene did an extreme amount of research for this book and I learned details of J. K. Rowlings and Helen Keller’s lives I would have not know otherwise even though there is already so much information out there about these amazing women. I loved how I could read small chapters at a time or several in one setting! MUST READ!!!
November 12, 2021
Some really fascinating individuals are focused on in this interesting book, which doesn't shy away from hardships and challenges these strong, determined women overcame. The story of Madame Tussaud particularly stood out to me. I drive past the Baker Street premises regularly but never questioned who Madam Tussaud actually was. It made me want to join the hoardes queueing up, but not as much as I detest most present day 'stars' depicted there, so decided against it.
The author might want to update the Aung San Suu Kyi entry 👀 which would give the editors the chance to rectify their many oversights in spelling and grammar. It did feel like I was reading a draft, but it didn't trouble me as much as it did others.
I'd also say but I had a quick browse of the sources used for research, and was somewhat disappointed to see that so many of them were tabloid newspapers, thereby making me question their validity and sensationalism.
That being said, I'd say it's well worth a read. 3.7 rounded up.
The author might want to update the Aung San Suu Kyi entry 👀 which would give the editors the chance to rectify their many oversights in spelling and grammar. It did feel like I was reading a draft, but it didn't trouble me as much as it did others.
I'd also say but I had a quick browse of the sources used for research, and was somewhat disappointed to see that so many of them were tabloid newspapers, thereby making me question their validity and sensationalism.
That being said, I'd say it's well worth a read. 3.7 rounded up.
April 3, 2019
I was attracted to this book by the title because I recognized the title Still I Rise from one of my favorite poems by Maya Angelou. The Author’s Note shares that this book is a tribute to that poem and dedicated to the women who helped her rise. STILL I RISE introduced me to some stories of great women leaders/heroes in history that I had not heard of! Each person was researched and the author did a great job profiling their “girl power” in an interesting way.
I wish each chapter would have identified the women by name in its title or that it was in the table of contents or index for me to easily find a particular woman if I choose.
There are so many unknown stories of women who quietly and courageously changed the course of history! I can guarantee there will be stories in this book that will not only resonate with you but leave you inspired to lead a life well-lived!
I wish each chapter would have identified the women by name in its title or that it was in the table of contents or index for me to easily find a particular woman if I choose.
There are so many unknown stories of women who quietly and courageously changed the course of history! I can guarantee there will be stories in this book that will not only resonate with you but leave you inspired to lead a life well-lived!
November 20, 2019
An excellent book that tells the stories of stellar women who lived remarkable lives.
In the words of Oprah, “Turn your wounds into wisdom”.
-Marlene Wagman-Geller (Still I Rise:The Persistence of Phenomenal Women p 17)
Each one of us has the chance to be a rainbow in somebody’s cloud.
-Maya Angelou
I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.
-Fannie Lou Hamer
When Carson asked if men ever liked her [Joan Rivers] for her mind, she responded that no man ever put his hand up a woman’s dress looking for her library card.
-Marlene Wagman-Geller (Still I Rise: The Persistence of Phenomenal Women p 120)
You know how they say that religion is the opiates of the masses? Well I took masses of opiates religiously.
-Carrie Fisher
https://nicolewbrown.blogspot.com/201...
In the words of Oprah, “Turn your wounds into wisdom”.
-Marlene Wagman-Geller (Still I Rise:The Persistence of Phenomenal Women p 17)
Each one of us has the chance to be a rainbow in somebody’s cloud.
-Maya Angelou
I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.
-Fannie Lou Hamer
When Carson asked if men ever liked her [Joan Rivers] for her mind, she responded that no man ever put his hand up a woman’s dress looking for her library card.
-Marlene Wagman-Geller (Still I Rise: The Persistence of Phenomenal Women p 120)
You know how they say that religion is the opiates of the masses? Well I took masses of opiates religiously.
-Carrie Fisher
https://nicolewbrown.blogspot.com/201...
July 10, 2018
I love the idea of this book, and am grateful that someone has taken the time to write it - it truly is a collection of great stories of remarkable women. But I had a hard time really enjoying reading it due to sloppy editing and clunky writing. The women portrayed in this book are so amazing and I've really learned a lot, but typos and confusing sentences threw me off enjoying it. There is obviously a ton of research behind every story, so unfortunately they read like unfinished notes with too many facts crammed into every sentence. Nothing a little further editing won't fix.
November 27, 2021
This book is about 25 phenomenal women. They all overcame incredible personal events that transformed their lives. From Alice Herz-Sommer, Ruth Westheimer, Amy Tan, Maya Angelou, Sonia Sotomayor, to Tammy Duckworth, each of these women have had many obstacles to their successes. A wonderful book, it was hard to put down. A celebration of great women❤️
November 3, 2017
The essays are inspirational in that the women highlighted within in them are, or were truly special. I can’t say that I am a big fan of the author’s writing style, but that’s just personal preference.
January 8, 2018
Overall, I enjoyed reading about all the women mentioned however I really didn’t enjoy the authors style of writing.
I had to reread some chapters more than once because I found them to be unorganized and confusing.
I had to reread some chapters more than once because I found them to be unorganized and confusing.
June 17, 2018
Interesting to find out stories behind these women. I normally enjoy biographies and memoirs. I'm not sure if it was the short format, but I was left wanting more. I enjoyed the author's remarks at the end and the book could have used more of that personality.
June 1, 2021
I learned more from this book about these phenomenal women than I have in any classroom I’ve ever been in. I learned more about women I admire, women I’ve come to admire, and women I never thought I’d be interested in knowing about. A great book for your friends!
March 26, 2019
I listened to this book, and absolutely loved it. Learned about women I had never heard of, and learned deeper background on women I had. Really enjoyed it.
December 1, 2022
I did not care for the narrator. It was somewhat disjointed within each biography.
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