They Called Us Girls: Stories of Female Ambition from Suffrage to Mad Men

by Kathleen Courtenay Stone

In mid-twentieth-century America, women faced a paradox. Thanks to their efforts, World War II production had been robust, and in the peace that followed, more women worked outside the home than ever before, even dominating some professions. Yet the culture, from politicians to corporations to television shows, portrayed the ideal woman as a housewife. Many women happily assumed that role, but a small segment bucked the tide—women who wanted to use their talents differently, in jobs that had always been reserved for men.

In They Called Us Girls: Stories of Female Ambition from Suffrage to Mad Men, author Kathleen Stone meets seven of these unconventional women. In insightful, personalized portraits that span a half-century, Kathleen weaves stories of female ambition, uncovering the families, teachers, mentors, and historical events that led to unexpected paths. What inspired these women, and what can they teach women and girls today?

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, History

236 pages, Hardcover

Published March 1, 2022

About the author

As a writer, I spend most of my time thinking and writing about women's history, books and art, and how they intersect. Previously in my work as a lawyer, I wrote countless legal briefs. Disparate as this sounds, the through-line between my writing then and now is my interest in exploring new material and synthesizing it in written form.

My book, They Called Us Girls: Stories of Female Ambition from Suffrage to Mad Men, is a collection of biographical portraits of seven women who had careers in male-dominated professions in the mid-twentieth century. Through this group biography, I look at the subject of female ambition - where it came from and how it was nurtured in an era when housewife was considered the highest and best use of a woman's abilities. 


I look forward to visiting book groups, libraries and classrooms to talk about They Called Us Girls. Please visit my website to see the book trailer, find out about events and to send me a message. www.kathleencstone.com.

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Kathleen Courtenay Stone as a girl was fascinated by the women in her father’s Yale Law School Yearbook. The women she knew were homemakers. Women on television were moms who wore pearls in the kitchen. Her own mother gave up a job she loved to stay home. Who were these women? How did they come to their careers?

Stone became a lawyer herself. She never stopped wondering about the women from her parent’s generation and what it took to forge a career. She determined to find and interview women who became professionals in a society that did not support working women, where they would always be ‘girls.’

My husband’s grandmother had to find work after the early death of her husband. She worked the floor at GM in Flint. As the only female, the men just called out ‘girl’ when they wanted her. She became Girl at home as well. Girl was part of the women’s group that delivered meals to the men inside the plant during the Sit Down Strike in 1936. She was a proud union member.

The women in They Called Us Girls accomplished amazing careers during a time when women were expected to be content as wives and mothers.

There is the artist Dahlov Zorach Ipcar (b 1917), whose work I recognized from children’s books. Ipcar’s parents were cutting-edge artists whose works hung at the 1913 Armory Show. She followed in her parent’s footsteps, learning from them, developing her identity as an artist as an early teenager. Stone visited Ipcar at her Maine farm where she and her husband lived and worked as farmers and artists. Her career changed when she provided illustrations for Margaret Wise Brown’s story The Little Fisherman.

Readers met other women with interesting careers. Muriel Petioni (born 1914), an African American physician. Cordelia Dodson Hood (b. 1913), Intelligence Officer. Physician Martha Lipson Lepow (b. 1927) who worked with polio researchers. Mildred Spiewak Dresselhaus (b. 1930), physicist, who was awarded the National Medal of Freedom by President Obama. Nonprofit leader Frieda Garcia (b. 1933), born in the Dominican Republic, who rose to become a political and social activist. Rya Weickert Zobel (b 1931), Federal judge, who graduated in the fourth class with women at Harvard Law School. Law firms were not hiring female lawyers, so she became a law clerk. President Kennedy chose her to be the first female judge in Massachusetts.

These short biographies consider the women’s roots and early life, and their motivation and journey to their chosen careers. Each is interesting and inspirational. Stone interjects historical stories and facts, and relates her own career path.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss. My review is fair and unbiased.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

They Called Us Girls by Kathleen Courtenay Stone is a really short book at under 200 pages, but it is by no means a quick read. Stone shares the stories of 7 different women, all from different walks of life, but all who had jobs in male-dominated areas at the time. There are a lot of different themes covered in the book, and a whole lot of issues to unpack. You could tell this was incredibly well researched and I really appreciated the pictures and other assorted things sprinkled throughout the book. There are also "intermissions" between each story as well as an introduction and epilogue, and I loved that the author put her acknowledgments right in the front. I felt like I learned a lot about her as well, even though the focus is technically on the women she interviewed.

It was so wonderful to be able to read the stories of these inspiring women, and I thought each one was the perfect length to get to know the struggles they had as well as get a good grasp of their achievements in their field of work. The women are very diverse, and Stone included backgrounds of an artist, 2 physicians, an intelligence officer, a physicist, a nonprofit leader, and a federal judge. I enjoyed the way Stone blended the stories in with things from her own life, and her writing was very engaging. If you are interested in nonfiction, especially reading about incredible and lesser-known women in history, then I highly recommend reading They Called Us Girls.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Laci Carrera | Book Pairings · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the perfect read for Women's History Month. It follows seven women who pursued careers in a time when women were expected to be content with only being wives and mothers. There are short biographies that highlight the early life, motivations, and career journeys of each woman. I found each story to be very interesting and inspiring and I appreciate how the author's own story is woven into the book. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a great non-fiction book to read during Women's History Month.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a well-researched look at seven women who grew their careers in the period following World War II when most women stayed home to raise families. From politicians to television, the ideal woman was portrayed as happiest at home - raising kids, cooking and cleaning and being a help-mate to their husbands who went out every day and worked. Do you remember Leave it to Beaver, a popular television series at this time? The mom, June Clever, spent her days happily cooking and cleaning (always wearing her pearls). There were still women who worked outside the home and some even advanced in their fields but they were not the norm. I grew up during the 50s and 60s and had a mom who worked outside our home plus two grandmothers who also worked so I never really bought into the belief that women were happiest as a housewife. But when I started working in the 60s, I learned about the prejudice against women in the work place and realized how strong my mom and grandmothers must have been to face it every day.

In this book, the author looks at seven successful women who had strong careers during this time. She wants to learn what inspired these women, and what can they teach women and girls today? I found all seven of these women very inspiring and brave to continue on their chosen paths.

If you are a female reader, you need to read this book and learn the lessons of these inspiring women from the past. March is National Women's History month -- a perfect time to read this book!

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

[Susan Ballard (subakkabookstuff) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading about women who were pioneers in fields that men dominated: physicians, a federal judge, a physicist, and more. Kathleen Stone introduces us to seven women who speak of their hard work and the people who helped to motivate them to achieve their goals. These short biographies are insightful, well-researched, and truly inspirational.

𝓐 𝓶𝓾𝓼𝓽-𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓦𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓷’𝓼 𝓗𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻𝔂 𝓜𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓱!

Thank you to @otrpr and @kathleencstone for a spot on tour and a gifted copy.

[Malli · Rating 4 out of 5]

What qualities did trailblazing women possess that allowed them to succeed in careers that once were thought to belong exclusively to men? It’s the question that author Kathleen Courtney Stone explores in her new book “They Called Us Girls.” She tracked down and interviewed seven women in their eighties and nineties who rose to prominence in the mid 20th Century, to try to identify the unique attributes that set them apart from other women of their generation.

The women in the book were all born between 1913 and 1935, a period in history when women attended college (roughly one third of college students were women then) but were thought to be poor job prospects because, it was assumed, that even educated women would marry, stay home and raise children. Stone’s trailblazers were physicians, artists, scientists and activists. One was an intelligence officer. Another was a Federal judge.

These women were smart and educated. They had supportive families, and in most cases fathers who encouraged them. Six of the women were immigrants who took advantage of what America promised, but did not always deliver. Not all their mothers worked, but they all had mothers who supported their dreams. These women were idealistic, passionate, driven and most important, resilient, because in those years, for women to achieve, the path could be unwelcoming and bumpy.

Stone intertwines her own career path in these vignettes in segments she calls “Intermezzos.” I wasn’t sure why they were included, but when I finished the book, Stone’s story mirrored the stories of the women she chronicled. Education, supportive family, drive and passion were among the elements that helped her in her own career. It made me think of my own professional journey, and how my parents supported and encouraged me in ways that helped me grow and succeed.

The book is a testament to female ambition. Today we take for granted that women can pretty much do what they set out to do. There is still gender discrimination, but it’s on shaky ground. These vignettes are important reminders that women’s advancement rides on the backs of some pretty strong women. Today no one would be calling them “girls.”

[Enchanted Prose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Women who defied the odds (1920s to 1970s, and the author’s personal journey): March is Women’s History Month, designated twenty years ago around the same time the National Women’s History Museum went online. I live in the DC area but didn’t know of this physical building, not to be confused with the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the only one of its kind. The reason I couldn’t recall visiting a first-of-its-kind women’s history museum is that it has yet to be realized. Firsts are symbolic of the stories in They Called Us Girls. The result of ten years of research in which Kathleen Courtenay Stone examines the lives of seven high-achieving women born before 1935, all of whom broke barriers with their own singular achievements.

Stone achieved her own success in a diverse range of legal positions, fascinated since she was a young girl about the influences on the careers of women who rose above societal expectations. The result may be a slim book (224 pages, with 34 illustrations), but it’s brimming with fascinating details – historical, societal, cultural. Strikingly relevant today, each story engaging, relatable, inspiring.

The seven women represent the “first wave” and “second wave” of the feminist movement: the Suffrage Movement culminating in women granted the right to vote in 1920; the second took fifty years later, beginning in the 1960s with Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique, reaching its heights in the 1970s civil rights movement with Gloria Steinem. The legendary feminist activist most associated with the era, co-founder of Ms. Magazine, was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Obama and still going strong at eighty-seven years young, having just appeared in an event with the founder of Women for Women International, Zainab Salbi.

All the women Stone researched, interviewed, analyzed, and wrote compellingly about are Steinem’s age and older. The oldest she met with was ninety-six, the others in their early nineties and late eighties. Some she knew, some she didn’t. You’re not likely to have known or heard their names, remarkable given their achievements. But you’ll recognize their stories span the first half of the history of 20th century America:

1) The First Wave Recedes: Dahlov Zorach Ipcar, Artist (b. 1917). The birth of the modern art movement, and how to become known as a female artist through illustrating (and writing) children’s picture books.

2) Walking the Color Line: Muriel Petioni, Physician (b. 1914). Ellis Island immigration, Harlem Renaissance, the vital role of HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges). Dr. Petioni from Trinidad.

3) A Unique Wartime Movement: Cordelia Dodson Hood, Intelligence Officer (b. 1913). WWII and the birth of the intelligence movement – the OSS (Office of Strategic Services), which became the CIA after the war.

4) Peace and Polio: Martha Lipson Lepow, Physician (b. 1927). The game-changing medical discoveries of vaccines to fight polio, and antibiotics (penicillin).

5) The Age of Sputnik: Mildred Spiewak Dresselhaus, Physicist, (b. 1930). The space race, nanotechnology, and the Depression. Another Obama recipient of the National Medal of Freedom.

6) Time for Change: Frieda Garcia, Nonprofit Leader, (b. 1934). Desegregation, and the racial tensions between white and black and black versus Latino. From the Dominican Republic.

7) The Second Wave Rises: Rya Weickert Zobel, Federal Judge (b. 1931). One of the fewer than 100 Federal Judges in the U. S. District Court. Also called the Article III judges because this special position is designated in the Constitution requiring Senate confirmation. Early Harvard Law School admission of women. Her start in the legal profession sounding a bit like RBG’s.

What sets this collection of mini-biographies also apart is that after each story, Stone writes a few memoiristic pages about her own journey she calls “Intermezzo.” They’re often connected to/inspired by the woman she just wrote about. As a partner in a law firm and senior counsel in a finance organization, she’s also clerked for a Federal judge including a case she defended in Rya Zobel’s courtroom.

These stories offer much food for thought. So many firsts but not because these women sought fame and fortune, but for their passion for whatever pursuit they loved and stuck with. Yes, she persists. All raised by families that believed in education not just for their sons but for their daughters.

The question of how much progress has been made in each of the professions represented begins with the first story of women as artists. Surprisingly, women haven’t made as much progress as perhaps we thought. Stone points us to a poignant article by a highly-regarded art historian in an art magazine, “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists? 50 Years Later,” to make that case. Ipcar went further in how she used cubism in her paintings of animals seen in more than forty of the children’s picture books she wrote and illustrated that brought her recognition. One of those books, Lobsterman, she remembered her parents reading to her brother.

The influences of parents digs deeper. The author cites a study that examined the influence of fathers on a girl’s development, part of a body of illuminating research that found if a father paid attention to his daughter he conveyed, directly and indirectly, “a sense that everything was possible.” This I can-do-anything-I-want attitude should be imprinted on all our children. In fact, it’s also a frequent ingredient in immigrants and minorities who instilled that same message. The profound “Father Effect” raises red alarms given that 15 million children are growing up in single households raised by mothers, and how many fathers have to work two jobs to help make ends meet. Many of the stories also show how hard a professional mother’s nurturing role was too, elevating the discussion of who cares for our children when it comes to the future of girls.

Not all of these women’s careers were specific to their father’s, but many were: Stone’s father was a lawyer; both Ipcar’s parents, Marguerite Thompson Zorach and William Zorach, were “noted members of the early modernist movement; Petioni’s father was a physician; so was Lepow’s.

The analysis of commonalities among these women is well-laid out by Stone in the Epilogue. Also included is a long list of resources she used in her research that’s blended in, coming across as highly accessible and entertaining.

While the lives of the women Stone chose to focus on all made a difference, there’s still a lot of progress to be made in today’s “fourth wave” of the feminist movement, spurred on by #MeToo. Inequality in the workplace is still seen in the gender gap, whether in opportunities, salaries, promotional opportunities, leadership responsibilities, and sexual discrimination. The “third wave” we’re also living now in terms of fighting for a woman’s right to her own body.

What also makes They Called Us Girls stand out is what Kathleen Stone wrote in an essay in 2019 for The Writer’s Chronicle when she was knee-deep in writing the book she describes as a “hybrid form” of the “group biography”:

“When writers add a personal layer to biography, they join the quest for meaning that began over a century ago, with artists and writers of the avant-garde.”

They Called Us Girls is a great way to celebrate the achievements of women for Women’s History Month, and throughout the year.

Lorraine (EnchantedProse.com)

[Jane Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

'They Called Us Girls' aims a spotlight at women who had brilliant careers in the post-WWII period when most American women were enacting versions of June Cleaver at home.

The book deftly weaves the biographies of seven career women (born between 1913 and 1934) with reflective interludes in which the much-younger author looks back on her own upbringing and ponders how it influenced her career choices.

Stylistically, 'They Called Us Girls' often made me think of John Cheever, the master essayist who for decades contributed to 'The New Yorker.' I say this because each biography’s ‘lens’ effortlessly moves between expansive ‘wide-angle’ views and ‘telescopic’ details, capturing not only these women’s lives but also the social history surrounding them. The author provides an enlightening look at the history of the women’s movement, the immigrant experience, and mid-20th century economic and social conditions. 'They Called Us Girls' delivers a general education wrapped up in seven stories of individual lives.

Read this book for an understanding of that regressive period between the first and second waves of feminism, when to pursue a career meant swimming against the tide of female expectations. You will meet seven fascinating women along the way!

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

They Called Us Girls: Stories of Female Ambition From Suffrage to Mad Men

By Kathleen Courtney Stone


When Kathleen Courtney Stone was a little girl, she looked through her father’s Yale Law School yearbook of 1950 and wondered why there were so few images of women in his graduating class. The women she knew—her mother, the mothers of her friends and her neighbors—were all housewives, although her mother had once worked for IBM. What made the women in the yearbook different, she asked herself, and what was it that made them want to become lawyers instead of housewives?

Many years later, Stone, now an attorney and writer, sought to answer these questions by interviewing women who had risen to the top of their professions before the seventies when doors began opening to women. Seven of those interviews are represented in a book that is part biography, part memoir, part history, in Stone’s They Called Us Girls: Stories of Female Ambition from Suffrage to Mad Men.

Stone writes that women have always worked outside the home, often out of necessity, in occupations that were open to them like typist, factory worker, teacher and nurse. Surrounding them was bias in the workplace, and a belief, enforced by the media, that women’s place was in the home. They Called Us Girls is the story of seven unusual women who, in the early and mid-twentieth century, resisted the stay-at-home housewife role modeled in television shows like Leave it to Beaver, and breached fields reserved for men: medicine, science, intelligence, law, art, and political activism.

One is reminded in reading their stories of other female pioneers in fields dominated by men, like African American NASA mathematicians Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughn, dramatized in the film Hidden Figures, and geneticist Barbara McClintock, whose life is fictionalized in Rachel Pastan’s In the Field. Like these women, Stone’s subjects—artist Dahlov Zorach Ipcar, World War II intelligence officer Cordelia Dodson Hood, physicians Martha Lipson Lepow and Muriel Petioni, physicist Mildred Spiewack Dresselhaus, activist and non-profit leader Frieda Garcia, and federal Judge Rya Weichert Zobel—began their work in the decades between and just after the world wars when women made only rare appearances in exclusively male professions.

The women of They Called Us Girls come from diverse backgrounds. Petioni is of Trinidadian descent, Ipcar, Lepow, Dresselhaus and Weichert have Eastern European Jewish immigrant roots, Garcia was born in the Dominican Republic, and Hood, an Oregonian, has pioneer roots. Stone clearly differentiates their individual pathways and challenges. Yet, she also seeks to find their commonalities, most importantly, the importance of adult mentoring—by Petioni’s physician father, or Garcia’s convent school teachers, or Dresselhaus’s music teachers at Greenwich House. Significant also, is early immersion in a formative experience when the imaginations of young people are active. For Petioni it was her father’s home office; for Liepow it was camping; for Ipcar, it was the life and work of her artist parents.

Stone interweaves her own trajectory into the stories of the women. She credits her ultimate pathway in law in large part to her attorney father. While not initially wanting to make her own way in live, she was nonetheless inspired by him, following him around when he came home from work, playing games and doing household chores together.

The long list of resources at the back of the book are evidence of Stone’s intensive research. But They Called Us Girls is as readable as it is strong in its historical foundation and lends itself well to classroom use. But the book is, first and foremost, a collection of stories about the lives of women who dreamed and achieved and a testament to those who believed in them. As Stone writes of her father: “He made me feel as if I counted. He took me seriously.”

[Paul Sutter]

It is always interesting to read about people who are stories unto themselves. While for some they are just regular people, to others they have made a difference, and by making a difference paved the ways for others in their field, especially women.
THEY CALLED US GIRLS (Stories of Female Ambition From Suffrage to Mad Men), studies the lives and careers of seven women, those who have flown under the radar in terms of being recognized for their contributions to the world. The author mentions June Cleaver in the popular sitcom Leave It To Beaver. There, Mrs. Cleaver was the typical housewife, almost being a servant to the family, wearing her pearls and heels in the kitchen making sure food was on the table and the house was clean for when her husband and children returned. It was rare the rest of the family did anything to alleviate her workload. That seemed the woman's role at one time.
Author Stone got the idea for her book, when looking through her father’s 1950 Yale Law yearbook as a child, finding there was a scarcity of women in that yearbook. Ironically many years later she became a lawyer, a popular one at that. It was a natural progression to write a book about women who although unrecognized for their talents, did make a difference.
The first profile is of Dahlov Zorach Ipcar an artist born in 1917. She was an illustrator and writer of books for children. Stone had been aware of her works and met the artist when Ipcar was 96 years old. Her first book THE LITTLE FISHERMAN, began a career of more than thirty books, that inspire and excite readers of all ages.
Stone also profiles Muriel Petioni, who came from Trinidad at age five to America, uniting with her father who wanted to become a Black physician. Muriel shared that dream as well, which she pursued. In the class of 1937 at the Howard University College of Medicine, she was the sole woman. It was hard enough for women to be accepted, but a Black woman made it equally as difficult, yet Muriel persisted making a difference in her community, and becoming a true role model for those who fought for their rights and inspired others to do the same.
The other stories in the book are equally as emotional and inspirational, women who forged ahead with their dreams, not letting anyone talk them out of them. THEY CALLED US GIRLS is a must-read for women, anyone who wants to rise above the naysayer and become anything their heart desires.

[Laurie Coiley Massing · Rating 5 out of 5]

They Called Us Girls is a captivating exploration of the paths taken by seven women who pursued professions at a time when most women did not. These women, born between 1913 and 1934, are very modern, even by 2021 standards: they pursue careers in medicine, virology/vaccine development, intelligence, nanotechnology, art, community/nonprofit leadership, and law. Each story begins with an in-person interview but takes on a much broader perspective as the author weaves in history, current events, civil rights, social mores, and seeks a common thread in what it took for these women to become so much more than society expected, or even allowed at the time. Some are daughters of recent immigrants, or immigrants themselves; some are bilingual; they were born to poverty, middle-class families, or families of means; they represent various races; some become wives and mothers in addition to pursuing their professions, navigating childcare, working from home, sharing parenting and household duties.

Ms. Stone's writing gives these stories beautiful clarity: this is good storytelling that happens to be true. I felt drawn in by the very first chapter, yet each chapter offered another story I couldn't put down, each honestly more fascinating than the one before. Of particular interest to me was the chapter on Cordelia Hood working in intelligence in Europe during World War II. She had studied and become fluent in German and was in Vienna when the Nazis arrived. I also particularly appreciated the chapter on Martha Lepow, physician and virologist, discussing the importance of vaccination in eradicating disease. Ms. Stone's book is being published while we are still in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the parallel with the era of polio is darkly apparent. The author recalls the summer she spent playing alone in her own yard because polio was rampant. Martha Lepow worked on the polio vaccine, and points out that the eradication of polio by mass vaccination happened just long ago enough that two generations of parents since then have no experience of widespread disease crippling and killing children. The author shares, in brief thoughtful moments between chapters, stories of her own education, upbringing, career, as a way to help pinpoint her own questions as she works through exactly what it is that set these women on their unusual paths.

The importance of education is evident in each girl's upbringing - with or without financial means, families encouraged their daughters to learn, and in doing so, expanded their world. Recent immigrant parents had this in common - wanting their children to receive a good education. The stories all demonstrate the way education can provide the gift of having an adult provide recognition and encouragement, in addition to parents, or in lieu of parents. The importance of mentors and teachers is enormous, helping young people see themselves in a role, raising awareness of possibilities.

The word "girls" in the title, and use of the word throughout history - most outrageously in Adlai Stevenson's 1955 Smith College commencement address (Chapter 3) - reminds me of tee shirts that said "Run Like a Girl" and the campaign to reclaim the word with the 2014 "Like a Girl" video that went viral. The humor and skill Judge Zobel shows (Chapter 7) in handling the dismissive use of the word "girl" in her courtroom is worth the price of the book...as is the story of her path to becoming a lawyer and judge.

The women in these seven chapters didn't set out to become advocates for women's rights, but along the way to pursuing their passions in art and science and law and community, they become aware of men's groups that support men, exclusively, in their careers and socially; and women, being excluded, form their own groups to support each other professionally and socially. They do not shout for notice, some even down-play their womanhood to avoid drawing attention to their gender. But by the fact of their interests, their work, and their success, they gain notice, live remarkable lives, and pave the way for other women.

[Andy Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part of the reason this is such a great book is its premise; what made certain women of the author's mother's generation go against the grain of the time and become career women. The author, Kathleen Courtenay Stone, interviewed seven women in their eighties and nineties to learn of their lives and get their insights.
Another reason this is a great book is Stone herself. She weaves her own perspective and own life experience into the book. Stone is clearly smart, successful and inquisitive, she became a lawyer when women lawyers were not yet the norm and had experiences that relate to the premise. But just as important is that Stone is nice. Her insights are never harsh, her book never becomes polemic.
The main reason this is a great book is the seven women themselves. They had such interesting lives and Stone does not get in the way of their stories. One was an artist who grew up in Greenwich Village with unconventional parents and eventually settled in Maine. Another was a Black physician who battled sexism and racism on her path back to Harlem to treat patients in an old school way. A third was an intelligence officer whose experiences in the OSS during World War II could inspire a spy novel. There is the doctor who became a specialist in pediatric infectious disease while balancing the demands of family and motherhood. Another is a physicist whose intelligence and drive helped overcome obstacles to women in a male only field while her optimism and energy allowed her professional success not to come at the expense of her family and children. The story of Frieda Garcia, a non profit leader, is somewhat of a counterpoint of the others who were raised in middle class, two parent families who paved the way for educational opportunities. Finally there is the federal Judge who escaped Russian occupied Germany after her parents were arrested to eventually come to the United States. Judge Zobel's career after law school illustrates that law may have been the most unforgiving of professions to women, but she persisted.
So there are many reasons to read this great book

[Sandell Morse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure. I met Kathleen Stone in a Grub Street workshop when we were both looking for ways to structure our books. Stone had chosen to tell the stories of seven women who had chosen to pursue careers in male dominated fields. All of these women were born between 1913 and 1930. I loved Kathleen's passion for these women and their stories. I loved her clean spare prose. But I had no idea how she was going to pull this off.

She did. And brilliantly. All of these women had complex lives, divorces, marriage, children, obstacles in their careers. Where did they get their drive and their confidence in a world that told women, not only were less than, but they would never succeed in a male dominated field.

Of the seven women, three were immigrants and three were the daughters of immigrants, and while Stone did not explore this question, I hope she or another writer will.

So you see how this book has me thinking beyond the page. I was particularly interested in how each woman's family allowed her to think out of the box. Most of the mothers supported their daughters. Some women found mentors. It was the fathers who interested me most. Those who took their daughters seriously and encouraged their pursuits gave their daughters the strength and confidence they needed to succeed. My own father was the opposite, and years and years would pass before I found my way to my passion which is writing. But I found it.

So much to ponder in this book. Pick it up. Read slowly and savor.

[Joan Kennedyw · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a professional woman, I was of the generation that was often "a first" or “an only”. I was always intrigued when I read of professional women from earlier generations and wondered how they had accomplished what they were able to when it was so much harder than what I was experiencing.
The author has explored the stories of seven fascinating women who achieved enormous success in fields that were not at all typical for women in those times. She examines both their family life and their careers in depth to explore where the motivation and the gumption came from that enabled them to pursue these roles. In her Intermezzos she relates her own impressive story and the influences in her early life that influenced her career choices. A number of the women came from families who truly valued the educational opportunities that were available to their daughters and strongly encouraged them along the way. Some had fathers with careers that they followed, others came to their opportunities through their own hard work and fortuitous connections they made along the way.

It’s a very engaging book, that prompts a number of questions for me about my own motivations and career path and what it takes for women to be successful in predominantly male roles. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in both these particular amazing women and the early days of womens’ professional journey.

[Aimee Dars]

In THEY CALLED US GIRLS, Kathleen Courtenay Stone recounts interviews she conducted with phenomenal women born between ~1915 and 1930. During the time these women were growing up, they received the message that women should prepare to be wives and mothers. Education and careers were not important, even if some women had to have jobs to support their families. The women profiled in this book, two women of color, contravened social norms, most went to college, and established fruitful careers despite cultural messages and structural disincentives that provided obstacles. In between the biographical chapters, Stone provides brief vignettes about her own past and how it contributed to her goals.

All the women’s stories were interesting—and at times frustrating to read what they had to deal with as well as how little some things have changed—but I particularly enjoyed the chapters about the intelligence operative and the physicist. Additionally, these women are the same generation as my grandmother so it made me think of her and how independently minded she was.

Thank you so much to @kathleencstone, @CynrenPress, and @otrpr for including me on the book tour and for an advanced reading copy of the book!

[Claire Matturro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Need I say more? But I will.

I read an advanced readers copy and was enthralled. "They Called Us Girls" is a well written, expertly researched nonfiction collection of biographical essays about exceptional women who should be household names—but sadly are not. Seven women are featured in this book, which also contains numerous photographs and is carefully footnoted for those who wish to learn more. The theme, of course, is reflected in the title—these are stories about ambitious females who made unorthodox journeys to their own career fulfillment despite often being denigrated as just “girls.”

With a release date in March’s Women’s History Month, it is a timely, relevant addition to a body of literature about women who transcended society’s limited expectations to become outstanding in their varied fields. The materials are personal, fascinating, inspiring, and made compellingly warm by the author’s adept use telling details and often intimate revelations. Author Kathleen Courtenay, a successful lawyer and author, makes excellent us of her personal interviews with each of the women to convey their stories in a well-paced, intriguing biographical essay.

[Bernice Lerner · Rating 5 out of 5]

They Called Us Girls is brilliant! As you sink into each woman's story, you will be awed--by Kathleen Stone’s lucid prose, by the background she proffers, by her quotable insights. And, of course, by the remarkable stories of the women she portrays. Wonderful sensory descriptions will place you, the reader, right next to Stone as she meets with each woman.

This book is vitally important! A work of exemplary qualitative research, it captures the prejudices of an era that too few young people today know about. (It will serve as a valuable history for current and future generations.) What is striking about the hugely successful women profiled is their lack of bitterness (no one paved the way for them; they faced considerable obstacles) and their total commitment to and passion for their pursuits. They also all had luck in the form of someone along the way (a parent, teacher, etc.), recognizing their talents and abilities and encouraging them.

Kathleen Stone has accomplished something human and magnificent in this compact, compelling, highly readable book.

[wellreadtraveler · Rating 4 out of 5]

They Called Us Girls is a look back in history of seven women who fought against the times to be exactly who they wanted to be. Women during these times held jobs as homemakers, mothers, and cheerleaders for their husbands. But what if they craved more? What if they had talents and skills beyond the household and wanted to work just like men and earn a pay check. I believe that these women laid the path for all women going forward. Some of these women were battling gender as well as race making it even more difficult to be given a chance. Each of these stories are different yet all the women struggle with the same issue. They will educate and inspire anyone who reads this book.
Dahlov Zorach the artist
Muriel Petioni a physician
Cordelia Dodson Hood An Intelligence Officer
Martha Lipson Lepow a physician
Mildred Spiewak Dresselhaus a physicist
Frieda Garcia a non profit leader
Rya Weickert Zobel a federal judge
Thank you Kathleen for a well written, well researched book that honors these women as trail blazers.

[Lisa Low · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a powerful well-written book that weaves the life thoughts of biographer Kathleen Courtenay Stone in with the biographies of seven pioneering twentieth century women who broke the Donna Reed mold and became professionals in a time when women were idealized for staying home, cleaning the house, and raising the children. From childhood Stone wondered why there were only ten women in her father's Yale law school year book beside a hundred men. While realizing that women still have a long way to go to reach equality in the professions, Stone interviews and tracks the lives of seven twentieth century women in their 80s and 90s to find out what motivated them to go beyond expectations and excel in diverse male-dominated careers including art, the non-profit world, law, politics, medicine, physics and the CIA. The book is beautifully written and gives us a clear look into the lives and motives of the women on whose shoulders late twentieth century and early twentieth-first century women now stand. Highly recommended.

[Tami · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking through the thirty+ pages of notes and index at the back, any reader can quickly see that They Called Us Girls is a well researched and thought-out story. What all those nuggets of information fail to clue the reader in on is that reading They Called Us Girls is like sitting down with your favorite sister and reminiscing about the most adventuress and courageous aunts to have ever graced a family.

These stories are written with the tender heart of a kindred spirit and interspersed with Stone's own micro-memoir to further guide the reader through the experience. First we are introduced to Stone's father, then her mother. Each mini-biography follows the same formula, and with the empathetic story-telling of the writer, the reader is soon enveloped in what reads like a family saga. And it feels like it's YOUR family saga. The seven women of They Called Us Girls defied the "NO" of their generation and achieved goals the women before them were not even able to dream about. What a thrill to go along for the ride.

[Patricia Letourneau Henderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a murder/mystery gal, so this nonfiction was a departure for me; however, in these crazy times that we are living in, what a wonderful reminder of the women who forged ahead (not that long ago!) for themselves yes, but what a debt of gratitude we owe them for those paths they carved in the wilderness that made it just a little bit easier for us to explore our own desires.

Vignettes of early female entrants into male dominated careers like science, medicine, law and even the arts - what a great opportunity to hear of the sacrifices they had to make to achieve their dreams, as well as the support systems that needed to be erected to achieve success.

Bittersweet experience traversing memory lane - so many forgotten hurdles reimagined under a bright spotlight using a present-day lens ... I'm still hopeful that the journeys of our daughters and granddaughters will be less burdensome than our own, but there is a growing kernel of fear that we took our feet off the gas a little too soon and at key moments our eyes were distracted from the road ahead.

[Nursebookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐋𝐄: 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐔𝐬 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬⁣
𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑: 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞 ⁣
𝐏𝐔𝐁 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: 𝟎𝟑.𝟎𝟏.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 ⁣
𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄: 𝗪𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐬⁣
⁣
In 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐔𝐬 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬: Stories of Female Ambition from Suffrage to Mad Men, author Kathleen Stone meets seven of these unconventional women. In insightful, personalized portraits that span a half-century, Kathleen weaves stories of female ambition, uncovering the families, teachers, mentors, and historical events that led to unexpected paths. ⁣
⁣
REVIEW: Kathleen Stone notably featured extraordinary and inspiring women representing phenomenal careers including medicine, political and social activism, intelligence, physics, and law. Through historical backgrounds, readers glean not only their life stories, motivations, but also affecting changes in how we see the world. I really am so proud to be a woman and have these inspirational heroes to look up to.

[MB · Rating 5 out of 5]

The seven short biographies in They Called Us Girls are based on interviews, and from each I learned how a childhood dream or aspiration led to a fuller and more rewarding life for each woman in a career of her choosing. The stories of these women, born in the first decades of the 20th Century resonated with me, and in them I heard the voices that have inspired me to follow my heart and pursue a non-conventional career path. Many decades later girls face obstacles as they dream and aspire, and help from family, teachers and mentors is still greatly needed. This book offers insights that are helpful, including the author’s observations about her own questions and aspirations, and the paths she pursued to realize her career first as a lawyer and now, as a writer.

[C.S. Kjar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great history book giving details about several strong women who set the bar for those after them. While all the women worked very hard for their achievements, most of them were in the right place at the right time or had the right connections. That doesn't happen to all. I was disappointed because I expected to read more about their struggles with how they were treated by men. I wanted a few more stories about their emotions and struggles with splitting time between home and work. If you're looking for a history book, this is great. If you're looking for emotions, this is not your book.

[A.C. Sloan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In They Called Us Girls, Kathleen Courtenay Stone profiles seven pioneering women from early to mid-20th century America who pursued professions traditionally reserved for men. It’s a well-researched book that offers a glimpse into the lives of the unsung women trailblazers who helped pave the way for the women who came after. The author seeks to discover the mystery of what drove these women to challenge gender norms in a society not created to support their ambitions. An engaging and fascinating read. Highly recommend.

[Jean Duffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kathleen's book is an inspirational delight! She shares the life stories of seven women, now in their 80s and 90s, who launched careers in a variety of male dominated fields. Each one persevered and became outstanding contributors and role models for the many women who followed. I felt like I was in the room with Kathleen as she spoke with each of these women. I loved the creative intermezzos between each chapter where Kathleen connected what she learned about the drive and ambition of these women to her own life. Bravo!

[Jill Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading about cutting-edge, ahead-of-their-time personalities, and Kathleen Courtenay Stone's collection of tales of women throughout the decades of the 20th century who managed to step up and into careers, purposes, and advancements that the world around them believed they couldn't - or shouldn't be able to - handle because they were female is a fabulous amalgamation of inspiration and entertainment. Inspired by the scarcity of female images in her father's Yale Law School yearbook, she went on a quest to identify women who broke with tradition and followed their hearts, minds, and dreams to careers across a wide range of disciplines. She interviewed these women, all in their 80s and 90s, and the result is a brilliant series of biographies and anecdotes.

With an engaging and conversational (yet still scholarly - a fine balancing act, that!) tone, the author manages to inform the reader about the lives and times of these incredible women in such a way that they come alive on the page. I found the selection of women to offer a marvelous cross-section of fields,  with something for every reader along the way. There are artists and scientists, activists and judges - while their chosen professions differ wildly, one thing that runs as a constant thread through their tales is an unerring ability to persevere, to retain a strong sense of self and possibility despite the obstacles they found (or that were placed) in their way. It's a moving collection and a wonderful way to inspire "girls" of all ages!

Thanks to the author and publisher for my obligation-free review copy.

[WeLoveBigBooksAndWeCannotLie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy Women’s History Month!!
We are so excited to give away one copy of They Called Us Girls by Kathleen Stone!
I loved reading about these amazing women that helped make a difference for all women in their own ways. The women all come from diverse backgrounds and I appreciated learning about what some of their families went through when trying to start a career in a new country. I was inspired reading They Called Us Girls and especially enjoyed reading this during Women’s History Month!

[Jasper · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished most of this book, but fell off at the end. The interviews were from older women who excelled in fields dominated by men intercut with personal stories from the author or tidbits on how she came in contact with each interviewee. The writing itself was a bit dry but the women's lives fascinating. There was a throughline of their parents always allowing their daughters to fully explore their interests and/or being exposed to their parents working to a larger degree.

[Bambi · Rating 5 out of 5]

They Called Us Girls is a super engaging look at women who built careers in a time when almost everything was stacked against them. Each story was real and the interviews made them feel personal, showing how these women pushed past stereotypes and found their own paths anyway. The book is easy to read but still really powerful, especially in how it highlights the everyday sexism they faced. It’s the kind of nonfiction that leaves you feeling impressed, inspired, and fired up.