The Little Book of Feminist Saints by Julia Pierpont

Wow! This has been a fantastic month for feminist reads for me. I read about five times more than normal and all of them, with one glaring exception, have been excellent. THE LITTLE BOOK OF FEMINIST SAINTS is a fun little book packing a surprising amount of feminists and strong/progressive women. Each woman gets her own mini section, with an abbreviated bio presented vignette-style, and, of course, a stylized portrait.

THE LITTLE BOOK OF FEMINIST SAINTS is actually a very similar concept to this other book I literally just read called DEAD FEMINISTS: HISTORIC HEROINES IN LIVING COLOR. Like LITTLE BOOK, DEAD FEMINIST also features a number of women, divided into sections, with mini bios and stylized art. The art style and presentation are different but there is a lot of overlap - Frida Kahlo, Virginia Woolf, Rachel Carson, Shirley Chisholm, and Sappho to name a few.

THE LITTLE BOOK OF FEMINIST SAINTS features many more women, however. Some of my favorites were Venus and Serena Williams, Anne Frank, the Bronte sisters, Jane Austen, Michelle Obama, Oprah, and Hillary Clinton (obviously). I learned about a few new women, too, like the artist Yayoi Kusama (her aesthetic is amazing and now I'm dying to see one of her exhibits, because it is so insta-worthy) and the performer and French resistance agent, Josephine Baker.

This is a great book with some unexpected additions. Perfect for the modern feminist's coffee table.

Thanks to Netgalley/the publisher for the review copy!

3.5 to 4 out of 5 stars