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Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists: A Graphic History of Women's Fight for Their Rights
A bold and gripping graphic history of the fight for women’s rights by the New York Times bestselling author of Hood Feminism “A beautifully drawn, hold-no-punches, surprisingly deep dive through the history of women's rights around the world, which will entrance kids and adults alike.”—N. K. Jemisin, Hugo Award–winning author of the Broken Earth trilogy The ongoing struggle for women’s rights has spanned human history, touched nearly every culture on Earth, and encompassed a wide range of issues, such as the right to vote, work, get an education, own property, exercise bodily autonomy, and beyond. Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists is a fun and fascinating graphic novel–style primer that covers the key figures and events that have advanced women’s rights from antiquity to the modern era. In addition, this compelling book illuminates the stories of notable women throughout history—from queens and freedom fighters to warriors and spies—and the progressive movements led by women that have shaped history, including abolition, suffrage, labor, civil rights, LGBTQ liberation, reproductive rights, and more. Examining where we've been, where we are, and where we're going, Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists is an indispensable resource for people of all genders interested in the fight for a more liberated future.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 5, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 439 reviews
July 7, 2020
I feel like a real heel giving this such a low rating, but, damn - the effort is commendable, the artwork is amazing, the presentation . . . well, it's awful. First of all, there's just too, too much: trying to cover history from 3000 BCE to the present day in one book is a daunting task, and the author ends up giving short shrift to all the women involved. I also wish there'd been a more engaging story to pull the reader into the past, instead of what amounted to short biographies of each woman.
I was reminded of the Ripley's Believe It Or Not comics . . .
And, a little of that goes a long way.
I'm really glad other people are digging this book. I had high hopes for this one, but I found that even reading just a few pages a day proved too tedious for me.
I was reminded of the Ripley's Believe It Or Not comics . . .
And, a little of that goes a long way.
I'm really glad other people are digging this book. I had high hopes for this one, but I found that even reading just a few pages a day proved too tedious for me.
November 28, 2019
SO MUCH information here, so many names and faces and ideas and movements and moments and...
And too much.
Liked it a lot, think I have some students who will get a lot out of it, but at a certain point, you start to feel like you are just reading a list. I wish they had gone for more depth and less breadth. Or that there were followup mini graphic novels for each woman mentioned! Now that would make a great set, ha. Yes, impossible.
But still: it's worth that they're bringing up names and introducing people who maybe you haven't heard before (maybe you only knew the major players) but once there's that many of them, you don't get much information on each person. So it's a bit of a tossup.
Definitely worth reading, definitely a great addition to a classroom library.
And too much.
Liked it a lot, think I have some students who will get a lot out of it, but at a certain point, you start to feel like you are just reading a list. I wish they had gone for more depth and less breadth. Or that there were followup mini graphic novels for each woman mentioned! Now that would make a great set, ha. Yes, impossible.
But still: it's worth that they're bringing up names and introducing people who maybe you haven't heard before (maybe you only knew the major players) but once there's that many of them, you don't get much information on each person. So it's a bit of a tossup.
Definitely worth reading, definitely a great addition to a classroom library.
May 9, 2021
Love, love, LOVE!!! This graphic history of women's rights is brilliantly curated, pitch perfect in tone, easy to read, nuanced, intersectional, AND has gorgeous artwork. Easily a new favorite for me.
The book has a sort of frame story that guides us through the past in a very smart way that allows for important side conversations. Basically it's set in the future where a very diverse group of women are taking a course on the history of women's rights and their AI teacher takes them into the past to teach them the material. The students include a queer white woman, a Muslim woman who wears hijab, a black woman, and others. All of which easily segues into important conversations about things like the untold feminist history of Islam and women's property rights.
Broken into chapters, we start way back and work our way toward present day in a narrative that is global in perspective, intersectional in concerns, and does not pull punches in offering realistic, nuanced portrayals of heroes who did a lot of good, but also may not have been perfect. Good examples are Susan B. Anthony who did a lot for women's suffrage, but held some racist beliefs, or Margaret Sanger who worked to make birth control widely available, but also believed in eugenics which has very racist roots. Basically this is a crash course in intersectional feminism and the history of women's rights, and a great jumping off point for researching hundreds of fascinating women throughout history. I cannot recommend this enough.
Added note: a lot of reviewers found this frustrating because it is a LOT of information in very few pages. So go in expecting this to be a survey that should be a starting point for more in depth reading.
The book has a sort of frame story that guides us through the past in a very smart way that allows for important side conversations. Basically it's set in the future where a very diverse group of women are taking a course on the history of women's rights and their AI teacher takes them into the past to teach them the material. The students include a queer white woman, a Muslim woman who wears hijab, a black woman, and others. All of which easily segues into important conversations about things like the untold feminist history of Islam and women's property rights.
Broken into chapters, we start way back and work our way toward present day in a narrative that is global in perspective, intersectional in concerns, and does not pull punches in offering realistic, nuanced portrayals of heroes who did a lot of good, but also may not have been perfect. Good examples are Susan B. Anthony who did a lot for women's suffrage, but held some racist beliefs, or Margaret Sanger who worked to make birth control widely available, but also believed in eugenics which has very racist roots. Basically this is a crash course in intersectional feminism and the history of women's rights, and a great jumping off point for researching hundreds of fascinating women throughout history. I cannot recommend this enough.
Added note: a lot of reviewers found this frustrating because it is a LOT of information in very few pages. So go in expecting this to be a survey that should be a starting point for more in depth reading.
December 27, 2019
This was great! Using example after example of woman after woman advocating for: women’s rights, worker safety, ability to vote, dismantling of racist and anti-LGBTQ+ laws, accessibility, education, anti-poverty, child protection and peace, the author Mikki Kendall showed how long the struggle has been. It often feels totally fruitless and disheartening, but each snippet about a female figure working hard for change reminded me that change has been happening. And continues to.
There are so many women whose lives I now want to research, thanks to this overview; a great introduction to how critical women have been at building so many things in societies around the world.
There are so many women whose lives I now want to research, thanks to this overview; a great introduction to how critical women have been at building so many things in societies around the world.
October 8, 2023
This is a good introduction to women’s history. This dip into the pool might make you want to learn more about some of the people mentioned.
Read
December 29, 2020Framed as a classroom adventure-lecture in the future, the comic is an exploration of women's rights fights from antiquity to the present, exploring rights for marginalized communities more broadly. Short profiles of leaders in various movements include well-known activists and even more lesser-known activists from across the globe and how they contributed to the fight for equality.
The art is captivating and engaging, and I love how this is such a jumping off point for learning more about these activists, as well as for the movements themselves.
Highly recommended for learning about global feminisms, global leaders, and global history. It's accessible and inclusive.
The art is captivating and engaging, and I love how this is such a jumping off point for learning more about these activists, as well as for the movements themselves.
Highly recommended for learning about global feminisms, global leaders, and global history. It's accessible and inclusive.
January 12, 2020
2020: 3/50
Hi, sorry I wrote this later than I should’ve (school was busy). I hate writing critical reviews but I’m going to have to :(, sorry...
Basically, I picked this book up in the school library and thought, wow this looks a bit interesting! Two of my best friends read graphic novels and I always feel a bit left out when they chat about them, so decided to give this one a go, as I am a feminist and loved the idea!
But I feel like the authors tried to cram so much information without actually giving enough information about each person to remember.... I don’t remember one single name of any of the 50+ feminists mentioned in this book.
By the end, I was skipping through and not even paying attention, because there simply wasn’t enough for it to go into my long-term memory... I feel so upset as a feminist, saying ‘there was too many feminists’, but it’s kinda true!
As a positive I enjoyed the start 50 pages about different cultures in BC. And I gave an extra star for being educational and feminist :) x
I respect the authors so much though, even through all the critique I’ve just given you, and I did enjoy certain parts.
Hi, sorry I wrote this later than I should’ve (school was busy). I hate writing critical reviews but I’m going to have to :(, sorry...
Basically, I picked this book up in the school library and thought, wow this looks a bit interesting! Two of my best friends read graphic novels and I always feel a bit left out when they chat about them, so decided to give this one a go, as I am a feminist and loved the idea!
But I feel like the authors tried to cram so much information without actually giving enough information about each person to remember.... I don’t remember one single name of any of the 50+ feminists mentioned in this book.
By the end, I was skipping through and not even paying attention, because there simply wasn’t enough for it to go into my long-term memory... I feel so upset as a feminist, saying ‘there was too many feminists’, but it’s kinda true!
As a positive I enjoyed the start 50 pages about different cultures in BC. And I gave an extra star for being educational and feminist :) x
I respect the authors so much though, even through all the critique I’ve just given you, and I did enjoy certain parts.
March 29, 2020
A nice survey of the history of women's rights movements. Starting in 4500 BCE, it moves fast, hitting the high points and giving most of the 200+ women profiled a single panel or a page at most. Hopefully it works as a jumping off point, inspiring readers to dig into whichever aspect most fascinates them.
November 23, 2019
I was looking forward to this so much that I pre-ordered it, and for the most part it lived up to my extremely (possibly unfairly) high expectations.
This book covers a *lot* of ground and many many women and events, so it can't go into much depth about any of them and it can't touch on everything, due to space constraints. It will probably whet your appetite for more. That's a good thing, even if it's mildly frustrating! This is meant to be a primer and it is one. Some parts are USA-heavy which was fine with me because that's where I live, and so do the authors.
The graphic novel format really worked for me, and I think my kids will want to read it because of that. The pages feel nice and sturdy and the artwork is solid, with an especially gorgeous cover. This book doesn't shy away from tough topics and some violence is shown in the artwork, but not in a scary or glorifying way.
I found some of the transitions and jumping around a bit jarring, but I also can't think of a better way to cover so much material succinctly. Overall the framing device works well: we virtually travel through time and around the world along with a class learning women's history from a futuristic, personified AI program. The students pose questions to the AI and talk a bit with each other, too, but most of the text is the AI character narrating historical events and giving brief biographies.
I wish this book included pronunciation guides for all of the names, both for read-aloud purposes and just for my own edification. Maybe as footnotes in a future edition? I appreciate the index at the back and can envision this being used as a classroom and family resource, as well as being readable as a story. It's not easy to accomplish both of those things in one book, but this one balances them pretty well, and looks good doing it. I hope there is a sequel soon.
This book covers a *lot* of ground and many many women and events, so it can't go into much depth about any of them and it can't touch on everything, due to space constraints. It will probably whet your appetite for more. That's a good thing, even if it's mildly frustrating! This is meant to be a primer and it is one. Some parts are USA-heavy which was fine with me because that's where I live, and so do the authors.
The graphic novel format really worked for me, and I think my kids will want to read it because of that. The pages feel nice and sturdy and the artwork is solid, with an especially gorgeous cover. This book doesn't shy away from tough topics and some violence is shown in the artwork, but not in a scary or glorifying way.
I found some of the transitions and jumping around a bit jarring, but I also can't think of a better way to cover so much material succinctly. Overall the framing device works well: we virtually travel through time and around the world along with a class learning women's history from a futuristic, personified AI program. The students pose questions to the AI and talk a bit with each other, too, but most of the text is the AI character narrating historical events and giving brief biographies.
I wish this book included pronunciation guides for all of the names, both for read-aloud purposes and just for my own edification. Maybe as footnotes in a future edition? I appreciate the index at the back and can envision this being used as a classroom and family resource, as well as being readable as a story. It's not easy to accomplish both of those things in one book, but this one balances them pretty well, and looks good doing it. I hope there is a sequel soon.
December 1, 2019
This book. Man. So much information, so much suffering and pride. So much history...it profiles sooo many hard-working women but the profiles are are short so I know it could have been ten times as long.
We've come so far. And yet so far to go.
(I did tear up at some parts.)
We've come so far. And yet so far to go.
(I did tear up at some parts.)
February 5, 2022
3.5 Stars!
If there's one thing that this book makes clear, its for how long so many people in so many places have had to fight, struggle, sacrifice and suffer in order to obtain even the most fundamental or basic of necessitates, rights or conditions. Although this focuses on the female struggle, it also highlights the similar plight of race and class too.
Of course the problem with this is that there is just too much information, so many people crammed in, some with only a face or a few panels dedicated to them, and as a result you can get flooded with it all, but still there is a lot in here, and as long as you are happy enough to wade through so many names from so many points in time you will get something worthwhile from this.
August 6, 2020
This was a frustrating read; on the one hand, it introduced readers to many new female faces, but on the other hand, they are such quick snapshots that there's no real new learning happening. There's little cohesion, though they make an effort to have "themes" in each chapter. I applaud the effort to cross cultures and geographic boundaries, but I think this would have worked much better as a series, rather than trying to squeeze so much into one relatively slim volume. Readers are unlikely to take much away from this other than the fight for women's rights, in all categories, continues, and little progress has been made.
February 18, 2020
A good starting place, albeit with some biases, for learning about women’s rights! with pictures!
July 15, 2021
Great addition to any library or classroom! You can open it up at any page and be on your way to learning new things. Yes it’s covering a wiiiiiiide range of people, places, and time periods. Well actually it’s covering literally all of them! But there’s both macroscopic *and* granular details, and it’s a great jumping off point of one or more historical figures are interesting to you. You get a little about them, their history, their context, and you can bounce off from there. It’s intersectional and thoughtful and wholesome, and is motivating for kiddos by always finding hope in the overall bleak history of the fight for equality. Maybe if more kids could read texts like this, they could grow up a lot more hopeful for the future of the human race. I gotta say, the books realistic optimism is more than a little infectious. :3 <3
March 16, 2020
The subtitle of this book is "a graphic history of women's fight for their rights," which is an apt description. But it's much more than that. The authors include information about women that most of us have never heard of. I taught Women's Studies for over thirty years and I still found new information. They begin with powerful women in ancient history and bring us through the ages to the present. More importantly this book is multicultural and global. The illustrations are terrific and though you don't learn a great deal about each woman, you now have a reference from which to do more research if you're so inclined. Anyone interested in women's contributions to history should read this book.
May 6, 2020
This graphic novel is sweeping overview of women's roles in human history across different cultures. While it does well at maintaining an intersectional tone, as evidenced by the "characters" guiding us through history and their questions, discussions, and conflicts with each other, some of the values espoused (leadership, warriors) feel like very dominant male and patriarchal standards to measure the success of women by. While I did learn about several overlooked characters and various historical themes and events across cultures, the organization of the book and its focus on power was disappointing to me.
December 19, 2019
I had the chance to read this yesterday, and first of all I must say I love primers. This one goes over the good and bad of women's rights history in all its complications but does so in an accessible format and even makes it fun. I love that it has a reach for a wide range of ages but does not sacrifice nuance in any way. Even if you know most of all of the women mentioned in the series, it's still a good way to put them into context for the various ways women have had to fight for equal rights throughout the centuries. Highly recommend.
September 3, 2020
This book was FULL of information I did not know. SO MUCH INFORMATION. Maybe...too much? It became a bit overwhelming after awhile, as the many different women through-out history flew past on each page. I wanted to know more about them and their stories, but when you are covering pretty much all of history in a single book, it starts to feel like a huge information dump rather than a story. I almost wish this has been published as a series with slightly more in-depth biographies and context for the time periods and societies these women came from.
January 14, 2020
So many incredible women featured in this! I'm planning on combing through the index to read more about my favourites. I appreciated that the focus of this history wasn't simply on white women or suffragettes, and covers different periods of history. I wish parts could have fleshed out more since they were mentioned in passing and at times the amount of names/people was almost overwhelming. Also at times I didn't care for the classroom concept. Really nice art though.
February 13, 2020
This book is beautiful and a wonderful telling of so much women’s history. I really appreciated how many incredible women were profiled and that the book did not shy away from intersectional issues with women’s movements. I was disappointed at the glaring lack of latinx women (with a couple of exceptions) included and the history associated with Latinx women in the US. I know it’s not possible to include everyone but this was a huge and sad omission.
March 12, 2022
Giving this 2 stars feels like a crime against women, but getting through this was rough. The artwork is stellar, but the presentation is painfully busy. I would have liked to focus more intently on a smaller number of women to really appreciate their stories, rather than mindlessly trudge through names and dates.
I swear this isn't internalized misogyny talking—it's probably the undiagnosed adhd.
I swear this isn't internalized misogyny talking—it's probably the undiagnosed adhd.
July 16, 2020
The beginning of this book somewhat chaotic. So many women are introduced, and I was left wanting to know more. It was almost too much information for one volume.
Or maybe I just had different expectations. I loved the book "Brazen" so I was hoping to find similar amounts of information here.
Nonetheless, this is one to add to my classroom library.
Or maybe I just had different expectations. I loved the book "Brazen" so I was hoping to find similar amounts of information here.
Nonetheless, this is one to add to my classroom library.
February 8, 2021
3.5/5
Cool in theory, but the execution was mediocre.
Cool in theory, but the execution was mediocre.
November 17, 2024
5 stars mostly because I needed this right now. Knowing our fight is has been going from the beginning of time and we will
Never stop
Never stop
November 14, 2021
This is a fascinating and broad history of women's rights in graphic format. There are lots of women I need to learn more about, and I think this is a great jumping off point for learning more about global women's rights. This is intersectional as well, and includes women of color, disabled women's rights, and LGBTQ+ rights.
November 30, 2019
The frustrating thing about the book is that it goes so quickly, just skimming the surface of so many interesting stories. Given the thousands of years involved and the global focus, that would be inevitable. This is the first comic book I have seen with an index, and that is absolutely something that it should have.
There are plenty of options for more research, and this can be a jumping off point for further personal reading. I could also see it working well as part of the curriculum for a college course on women's studies or activism. Fans of Jason Porath's Rejected Princesses and Tough Mothers should also enjoy it.
Taking such a long and broad view emphasizes how the fight for rights is not static. Many societies were more equal and accomplished various things that were undone. All the way to the US Voting Rights Act, passage just started challenges against it. Losing ground is always possible.
In addition, it covers that there are other vectors, to that racism and disability rights and fighting against other forms of bias is constantly necessary, and that it can be done through many different means: protest, yes, but also art and music and sports. It ends on a hopeful note, because there are many ways to be involved and help, but it should also be sobering remembering how much there is to do.
There are plenty of options for more research, and this can be a jumping off point for further personal reading. I could also see it working well as part of the curriculum for a college course on women's studies or activism. Fans of Jason Porath's Rejected Princesses and Tough Mothers should also enjoy it.
Taking such a long and broad view emphasizes how the fight for rights is not static. Many societies were more equal and accomplished various things that were undone. All the way to the US Voting Rights Act, passage just started challenges against it. Losing ground is always possible.
In addition, it covers that there are other vectors, to that racism and disability rights and fighting against other forms of bias is constantly necessary, and that it can be done through many different means: protest, yes, but also art and music and sports. It ends on a hopeful note, because there are many ways to be involved and help, but it should also be sobering remembering how much there is to do.
May 31, 2020
This was quick to get through and while there is a lot of text, it seemed easier to read and was to the point. It took me awhile to figure out that it was a virtual AI instructor, but the layout is a class of diverse teens getting a women’s rights history lesson from an AI instructor (at first I thought she was from the future or something, since she was purple. I don’t know why that made think that).
I liked the one page spread for each time period/area of the world’s feminine history recap. I found the illustrations engaging - I was just as happy to look through the pictures once I read the information.
I think a real strong point of the graphic novel is the class of young women. They fight, and have lots of questions and sometimes almost rude comments to each other. The process is a learning experience about other cultures, not just the broader history of some influential women.
The diversity is very strong - across the ages and geographically. There is a LOT of women featured with sometimes only a sentence to sum up their contribution to the subject, but it always seems enough to know what they are about. This is a perfect choice for a history project - readers will find many people they haven’t heard of before for further research.
I liked the one page spread for each time period/area of the world’s feminine history recap. I found the illustrations engaging - I was just as happy to look through the pictures once I read the information.
I think a real strong point of the graphic novel is the class of young women. They fight, and have lots of questions and sometimes almost rude comments to each other. The process is a learning experience about other cultures, not just the broader history of some influential women.
The diversity is very strong - across the ages and geographically. There is a LOT of women featured with sometimes only a sentence to sum up their contribution to the subject, but it always seems enough to know what they are about. This is a perfect choice for a history project - readers will find many people they haven’t heard of before for further research.
July 27, 2020
4.75
This book was so informative! I have always thought myself fairly well versed in women's rights, but this wonderful collection made me realize how much more I truly need to learn. This book makes me appreciate all the generations of women who have fought fearlessly and tirelessly for equality and so many other important issues. I am just in absolute awe of all the amazing women across the globe and throughout time that have had such a massive impact. Yet, there is still so much to do and I am excited for the possibilities of the future. I also appreciated how the civil rights movement, Indigenous rights, disability rights and so many other important movements were interwoven throughout the pages. I just learned so much. This book is an absolute must for any classroom!
This book was so informative! I have always thought myself fairly well versed in women's rights, but this wonderful collection made me realize how much more I truly need to learn. This book makes me appreciate all the generations of women who have fought fearlessly and tirelessly for equality and so many other important issues. I am just in absolute awe of all the amazing women across the globe and throughout time that have had such a massive impact. Yet, there is still so much to do and I am excited for the possibilities of the future. I also appreciated how the civil rights movement, Indigenous rights, disability rights and so many other important movements were interwoven throughout the pages. I just learned so much. This book is an absolute must for any classroom!
November 11, 2019
A pretty good look at the history of women's rights, with special attention paid to women of color, women with disabilities, queer women, and transwomen. I appreciate that problematic outdated views (like being pro-eugenics or racist) from some iconic figures weren't smoothed over, but openly acknowledged.
My only quibbles are that occasionally the transition from one woman to the next didn't always flow smoothly, there were occasional references to things in the background that I wish were explained or noted, and I'm a smidgen disappointed that I didn't see any pink pussy hats (though I haven't examined every single page Where's Wanda style).
Overall, definitely worth reading.
My only quibbles are that occasionally the transition from one woman to the next didn't always flow smoothly, there were occasional references to things in the background that I wish were explained or noted, and I'm a smidgen disappointed that I didn't see any pink pussy hats (though I haven't examined every single page Where's Wanda style).
Overall, definitely worth reading.
June 6, 2021
A history of the women who fought for so many different rights.
A snapshot of these women's achievements is what this book delivers.
What I especially loved was that the women were not shown as perfect. I went to a public school that taught about Susan B. Anthony but never mentioned her racist ideas.
This book shows the continuing fight for equal rights and protections that is still going on. Loved every page of this book. The art is amazing and jointly tells the story.
A snapshot of these women's achievements is what this book delivers.
What I especially loved was that the women were not shown as perfect. I went to a public school that taught about Susan B. Anthony but never mentioned her racist ideas.
This book shows the continuing fight for equal rights and protections that is still going on. Loved every page of this book. The art is amazing and jointly tells the story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 439 reviews