Today is All Saints Day in the Catholic religion, and I’m observing it by reading Julia Pierpoint’s Little Book of Feminist Saints, with gorgeous illustrations by Manjit Thapp.
The collection includes obvious choices, such as my beloved Frida Kahlo:
The reason I bought the book, lesser known icons such as the modern Iranian poet Forrugh Farrokhzad (people, her book, Sin, you MUST read it):
and the Russian journalist Anna Politskovskaya:
as well as Michelle Obama, Maya Angelou, Julia Child, Pussy Riot (!! Yes!), Marlene Dietrich, and others you’d expect… and others you wouldn’t.
I invite you to explore it, and see if your patron saint is among them.
If she isn’t (my namesake Colette isn’t, what the fuck?), on the last page, the author invites you to create your own hagiography. Yes!
THE OFFICIAL REASON DESCRIPTION AND REVIEWS:
This beautifully illustrated collection honoring one hundred exceptional “feminist saints” throughout history is sure to inspire women and men alike.
“A new set of role models and heroes—‘matron saints’—for the feminist future.”—The New York Times Book Review
“The women in this book . . . blazed trails where none existed before.”—The Guardian
In this luminous volume, New York Times bestselling writer Julia Pierpont and artist Manjit Thapp match short, vibrant, and surprising biographies with stunning full-color portraits of secular female “saints”: champions of strength and progress. These women broke ground, broke ceilings, and broke molds—including
Maya Angelou • Jane Austen • Ruby Bridges • Rachel Carson • Shirley Chisholm • Marie Curie & Irène Joliot Curie • Isadora Duncan • Amelia Earhart • Artemisia Gentileschi • Grace Hopper • Dolores Huerta • Frida Kahlo • Billie Jean King • Audre Lorde • Wilma Mankiller • Toni Morrison • Michelle Obama • Sandra Day O’Connor • Sally Ride • Eleanor Roosevelt • Margaret Sanger • Sappho • Nina Simone • Gloria Steinem • Kanno Sugako • Harriet Tubman • Mae West • Virginia Woolf • Malala Yousafzai
Open to any page and find daily inspiration and lasting delight.
Praise for The Little Book of Feminist Saints
“A whistle-stop tour of inspiring women . . . [The artwork] deserves to be framed in every woman’s living room.”—Diva
“Short, snappy and inspiring [with] glorious visuals.”—Psychologies
“This beautifully illustrated collection offers daily inspiration and humorous anecdotes to remind you why we worship these women so.”—Hello Giggles“An enticing collection . . . Pierpont’s pithy write-ups are accompanied by Thapp’s funky, wonderfully expressive color illustrations, making for an engaging picture-book experience for adults. . . . Bold and sassy . . . required reading for any seeking to broaden their historical knowledge.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Small enough to tuck into a bag, this delightful book offers instant inspiration.”—BookPage
I’m off to light a candle for my Colette and for Frida, and Farroukh and Anna, and all the rest of them.
Are you observing All Saints Day in some way? Tell me…
mjanecolette
TellMe@mjanecolette.com
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