In the United States, March is celebrated as Women’s History Month. This March serves as a reminder of how far we have come in society with women’s achievements.
“[Women’s History Month at Towne Center Books] entails both women authors as well as books about women who helped shape history. We have a display, a window showcasing female authors, and we also have kids’ books,” said Stacey Sturgeon, an employee at Pleasanton’s Towne Center Books.
Her recommendation was about women’s achievements in space, The Six: The Untold Story of America’s First Women Astronauts by Loren Grush.
“My favorite so far is The Six, because I learned an awful lot. It was about the first six women accepted into NASA’s program, and how they were picked and chosen for the missions that they went on. It’s just very fascinating how they were treated and how they viewed themselves,” said Sturgeon.
Amador’s Library Assistant Lisa Kroll, who is in charge of our beautiful library displays also told us a bit about how she chose the books she did for the display.
“I chose books that spoke to me: empowered women empower women,” said school library assistant Lisa Kroll.
One of her recommendations was Michelle Obama’s Becoming. Becoming is a memoir about how Michelle Obama undertook the role of being the first African-American First Lady and how she made the best of the part she played.
“She speaks to [the reader] if you’re having coffee with her; she’s telling you stories as if you’re just hanging out. [Since] it’s written from that perspective, it’s an easy read – you feel like you’re her friend,” said Kroll.
Kroll and Sturgeon both mentioned Lovely One, a memoir by Ketanji Brown Jackson, US Supreme Court associate justice. The book has 4.5 stars on GoodReads and is a #1 New York Times Bestseller. Jackson’s journey from childhood to the court is explored, informed by her culture and identity.
“When you ask me about female authors, I only go to the classics. For me, [its] female authors that I have loved my whole life: Charlotte Brontë, Mary Shelley, Virginia Woolf, Emily Dickinson,” said Amy Suto, English teacher at Amador.
Among that collection is Suto’s favorite: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. It documents the life of the eponymous heroine and her blossoming romance with the mysterious Mr. Rochester.
“It’s been one of my all of my favorite books since I was little. I like Jane’s story, I like her character, and I like her strength. I like the fact that Charlotte Brontë was trying to write strong female characters at a time when women didn’t have a lot of power socially,” said Suto.
The English teacher also discussed the importance of empowering female voices in literature, especially during Women’s History Month. Despite efforts to diversify required reading in schools, women’s voices are often left out.
“Try to get students to look at it through their own lenses or through contemporary cultural lenses. I try to point out that a lot of what we read in school is still kind of male-heavy,” said Suto.
