To Her Credit: Historic Achievements―and the Women Who Actually Made Them Happen

by Kaitlin Culmo, Emily McDermott, Kezia Gabriella (Illustrator)

There’s history as it’s told, and then there’s history as it actually happened. You may think you know the stories behind the world’s most well-known, groundbreaking achievements, but To Her Credit is here to make you reevaluate our collective story as it has been written. This book celebrates the stories of women, from ancient times until the 1990s, whose contributions have been overwritten and, far too often, accredited to men.

The pattern of female achievements being stolen, overwritten, or straight-up ignored is as old as time. Authors Kaitlin Culmo and Emily McDermott—with stunning art by Kezia Gabriella—reclaim the work of these deserving heroines and offer reminders of what we lose when we don’t question history as it has been written.  
This book tells the stories of women who have been left out of history’s accolades. It’s time to talk about the thousands of years’ worth of art, inventions, innovations, and world-changing achievements made by women that have been ascribed to men.
 

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Feminism

208 pages, Hardcover

Published August 1, 2023

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

History books need A LOT of editing and updating!

What this book mostly reinforced for me is that men suck. They have small minds - both in intellect and imagination - and small hearts. What a hugely enlightened world it would be if these women were given their due!

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a joy to read! I loved learning a little more about women I already knew like Mary Shelley, Katherine Johnson, Rosalind Franklin, and Hedy Lamarr.

But I also loved learning about woman I’d never heard of before. Mary Anning was one of the first people to make important paleontological discoveries and who Sally Sells Seashells is based on. While Martha Matilda Harper was the brilliant businesswoman we should be crediting as the mother of the franchise business model.

[Alison Moon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the intention behind this book but I felt like the execution was immature. The authors' commentary cheapens the featured women's accomplishments.

[VALERIE CHAVARIN · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great and enlightening read! This book embodies the phrase, “behind every great man is an even greater woman.” The anger I felt on behalf of these women regarding their erasure from history is unmeasurable. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about how women have influenced both cultural and technological advancements! The information in the book is a perfect balance between concise and descriptive, serving as an introduction to these women that is certain to send you into a rabbit hole of google searches. And with a page count of only 200 pages, To Her Credit was a nice short read, or if you have access to the audiobook read by Christina Delaine, definitely give it a listen!

[Geralyn Breig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every woman should own this book, every school should teach from it, and all daughters and sons should have a copy! The authors have created an entertaining collection of stories of amazing women and their achievements which have been largely been man-washed out of the history books. The stories are accompanied by stunning artwork that brings the women to life. Very informative and makes it easy to dive in and see the world through the lens of exceptional women.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this but …

*To Her Credit* brings welcome attention to overlooked women in history, particularly in the fields of science and mathematics. The inclusion of lesser-known figures introduces readers to names that deserve more recognition. However, the book often leans too heavily on repetition—particularly around the theme of women's exclusion from education—reframing the same point in nearly every chapter as if it's being introduced for the first time. Additionally, the historical analysis can come across as overly simplistic and occasionally patronising, which may frustrate readers looking for a more nuanced or sophisticated narrative. While the focus on STEM fields is valuable, a broader range of disciplines might have offered a more balanced exploration of women's contributions throughout history.

To their credit, this is a great book as an entry point into learning more about the Herstory in History.

[Cheng Bogdani · Rating 3 out of 5]

|Audiobook| This is a collection of short essays grouped into broad categories like "politics" and "science". I was familiar with a lot of these women before reading the book, but I didn't mind the repetition. The short essay format for each women is especially suitable for my use case - listening while I run and cycle. I would have liked to learn a little bit more about the context of how these women accomplished what they did, but I appreciate the author wanted to do a topical survey. Recommended for people who may not be very familiar with herstory but looking for a good overview.

The production of the audiobook was up to par - no issues with sound quality, etc.

[Rose the Book Mouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of these women I'd heard of, but most were totally unknown to me. This is the book we all needed in history class! Simply: You need to read this book.

Informative and concise. It covers a good spectrum of fields, both creative and scientific/technical. The short chapters are easy to read in bite-sized pieces.

I took the audiobook version - the narration is fine and pleasant to listen to.


Now, go get this book and put all its treasure in your brain!

[Melanie Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how they hit all the important information but still kept each story short enough to hold the attention of even the most distracted reader. I think this book should be in every youngin's library to show how impactful they can be in the world, even when it seems like the world is holding them down.

[Jenni Stein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book it was so inspiring reading about strong women that have made such an impact on history..it is heartbreaking to know that many did not receive the credit they deserved

[Sean Harding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short biographical snapshots of a bunch of women who were involved in various historic achievements, and were often marginalised or shafted.
A great book and an important book.

[Kristen Cork · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good. I only wish it dove deeper into the stories and gave more detail. It barely scratched the surface.