Books for the Remarkable Women in Your Life

During the final days of the Civil War, Dr. William Ward and his wife, Eliza Ward, envisioned a school for young women in Nashville that would evolve into one of the nation's most prestigious institutions. As the New South dawned, Ward Seminary opened its doors in September 1865. Merging with Belmont College for Young Women in 1913, Ward-Belmont operated as a college preparatory school, music conservatory, and junior college. In 1951, the high school division moved farther west, reopening as the Harpeth Hall School after Ward-Belmont's sudden closure. Ward Seminary, Belmont College, Ward-Belmont, and Harpeth Hall are simply separate chapters of one continuous story. As Harpeth Hall celebrates 150 years, its story reflects a unique case study and provides a lens through which to understand the evolution of all-girls education in the United States. The Harpeth Hall School remains one of the oldest all-girls college preparatory schools in the South.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg leads a life of ethics and grace. She is the super-hero of gender equality for both men and women. As the second woman appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States, she is anchoring American values in our lifetime. The Honorable Ginsburg is now one of three impressive women, fondly called The Supremes, on the bench. This biography takes the reader on the remarkable journey that has been Ginsburg's life, one lived with determination, fearlessness, and clarity. Her love of her family shines through and is the fuel for her passion for justice and equality under the law.

Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) was an American painter known for insightful and appealing images of women and children. Her work is beautiful and sensitive; Cassatt used her art to break ground in a male dominated field. She actively supported the Women's Suffrage Movement, sending a message of strong, intellectual women from her canvas. The Short Biographies series from Applewood's Benna Books imprint features short, intriguing, and entertaining biographies of world-renowned figures. Each beautiful hardcover book includes an interesting retelling of a single person's life, suitable for young adults and adults alike. These little gems will become beloved souvenirs of a favorite artist or a memorable trip to a museum.

The story of Portland, Oregon, like much of history, has usually been told with a focus on male leaders. This book offers a reframing of Portland's history. Many women made their mark and radically changed the Oregon frontier, including Native Americans Polly Johnson and Josette Nouette; pioneers Minerva Carter and Charlotte Terwilliger; doctors Marie Equi, Mary Priscilla Avery Sawtelle, and Bethina Owens-Adair; artists Eliza Barchus and Lily E. White; suffragists Abigail Scott Duniway, Hattie Redmond, and Eva Emery Dye; lawyer Mary Gysin Leonard; Air Force pilot Hazel Ying Lee; politicians Barbara Roberts and Margaret Carter; and authors Frances Fuller Victor, Beverly Cleary, Beatrice Morrow Cannady, Ursula Le Guin, and Jean Auel. These women, along with groups of women such as "Wendy the Welders," made Portland what it is today.