Stepha Poulin | Falcon Media Channel Director
Until the 20th century, most biographies focused on notable men. Modern historians and biographers are now tasked with revisiting the past and rediscovering the stories of eminent and forgotten women.
These four biographies explore the lives of notable female historical figures, ranging from a former slave to a Parisian courtesan.
The Secrets of Mary Bowser by Lois Leveen
Born to a house slave, Mary Bowser seemed fated for a life of bondage. Her mistress, Bet Van Lew, the politically radical daughter of a wealthy family, emancipated Bowser then sent her to a school in Philadelphia. Bowser went on to join the emerging Northern abolition movement, helping slaves find freedom.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Henrietta Lacks, known as HeLa to scientists, was a poor tobacco farmer whose cells were taken and studied in 1951 without her knowledge. Her cells became a crucial tool to modern medicine and generated billions of dollars. Despite this, Lacks and her family suffered while others profited.
The Race for Paris by Meg Waite Clayton
Beginning in Normandy in the summer of 1944, “The Race for Paris” tells the story of two American female war correspondents as they cover the Allied liberation of Paris. Jane, a young journalist at the Nashville Banner, was assigned to cover a field hospital; She teamed up with Liv, an Associated Press photographer. As opposed to their male colleagues, Jane and Liv are constantly confronted by red tape, because the military didn’t believe women could handle the task of combat journalism.
The Girl Who Loved Camellias by Julie Kavanaugh
Marie Duplessis was a country girl from Normandy who fled her abusive father. Almost overnight she became one of the most admired courtesans of 1840s Paris, inspiring Alexandre Dumas films’ “The Lady of the Camellias” and “Verdi’s La Traviata.” Always seen with her signature camellias, Marie was a constant subject of fascination in Parisian society.
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