The first dedicated collection of seminal speeches by women from around the world, So Here I Am is about women at the forefront of change – within politics, science, human rights and media; discussing everything from free love, anti-war, scientific discoveries, race, gender and women's rights.

I do like the breadth of different voices shown in this book. Bringing new names to my attention and being able to discover more important historical women is so important right now and this book does it well. Women such as Maria Stewart, Victoria Woodhull and Sarah Winnemucca are certainly women I want to know more about, as this book explores so many different backgrounds and stories that make for fascinating reads.

In combination with these speeches are some incredible portraits. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Emmelline Pankhurst and Ursula K. Le Guin in particular stand out as they work so well with the message of these women and just look so good - this would be a great book for anyone to read - but with these pictures, I would definitely use this book in a school talking about famous women in history as I feel these are short and sweet enough for a class.

I am also glad there are books at the end recommended for further reading at the end of the book - my tbr just got a lot bigger!

(I received an ARC from Netgalley for honest review).

A collection of rousing speeches from some inspiring women, So Here I Am takes the words of these women and puts them in context in terms of history and politics. It is disturbing how true many of their words still are these days despite the vast societal changes since many of them were spoken aloud. The speeches chosen are diverse in topic, ranging from free love and reproductive rights to environmentalism and conservation , and while most of the speakers date from the last couple of centuries,the book opens with a stirring speech from Queen Elizabeth 1 of England. The women who gave these speeches are of course also diverse, so we hear from politicians and journalists, lawyers and writers from all corners of the globe. By its very nature the book could only include a limited number of women, so I was delighted to find a list of other noteworthy women at the end of the book, with suggestions for further reading. As I previously mentioned the miniature biographies of the women provided much needed context, but I also liked the bold stylized portrait illustrations. If I could point out one flaw, it is that in some cases, in the interest of brevity, only excerpts from the speeches were included, but there is a full list of sources at the end which balances this out somewhat.
I read and reviewed a copy of this book supplied by NetGalley and the publisher,all opinions are my own.

This is a wonderful collection of speeches by more than fifty women in history, Elizabeth I., Marie Curie, Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and lots more. It would make a perfect gift and is certainly going to find its way onto my coffee table to browse and read from time to time.

So Here I Am collects a variety of modern women's speeches. each was chosen for its relevance to social freedom and it's ability to inspire. This book shares the stories of a variety of women of different cultures, backgrounds, ethnicity, race and economic background. I loved learned about each women' struggles and their unique perspectives on the world.
The best part is the afterwards. The author tells you they only worked in such a time frame and why they chose certain women. But then she add extra info to lead you to learn more about other women and their histories and stories. I like that it gave me a chance for extra learning on my own as well as acknowledged the short comings of the collection
I enjoyed reading the different speeches as well as the biographical information on each woman. At first, the illustrations threw me off, but I soon appreciated for the perspective the images were done in. My biggest issue is that the book edits the speeches leaving things out. I guess the editor didn't think this was necessary information and was trying to keep it short. Honestly, i looked a few up on the internet so i could read the full thing and understand the true words. This is why I would never buy the book; why would i buy something incomplete that I can read on the internet in full for free?

An absolutely amazing book filled with speeches from brilliant women. It's not often that we get to read such a brilliant collection of speeches. The illustrations are amazing and the overall effect is simple yet leaves such an impact on the reader.

A book everyone should read to be more aware of things that people so easily dismiss or not take into consideration. No woman from this collection is perfect but she was powerful and her imperfections make us more aware of her as a human being, as someone who is at once powerful and painfully human.

If you can (and you really should) then give this one a chance because if nothing else, you get to read about great women in the history of mankind.

This is a brilliant book full of wonderful speeches from amazing and powerful women. There are all kinds of speeches in this book from Elizabeth I's speech about The Spanish Armada to Toni Morrison's Nobel Lecter. I absolutely loved reading everything these women had to say. It was very refreshing to read so many beautifully worded speeches, all done by women. Every woman in this book is an inspiration and I think everyone should read this book. I will be buying a hard copy of this book as soon as I can!

Thank you, NetGalley and White Lion Publishing for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.

Read More Book Reviews on my blog It's Good To Read, http://ebookwormssite.wordpress.com.

Summary:

This is a timely book.  It is a book containing over 50 speeches by women, given throughout the centuries, and finally giving a voice to the hidden history of half the human race. It is important to note that the speeches are not virulently anti-male, but a true demand for equality of all in all its forms, for men and women to treat and be treated as equals in every sphere of life.

Main Characters:

There is such a wide variety of women featured here, from Queen Elizabeth 1, then jumping through the 1800’s (Fanny Wright, the Grimke sisters, Sojourner Truth), the 1900’s (from the Irish Countess Markievicz to Ruth Bader Ginsberg, to the present day (Michelle Obama, Emma Watson, Maya Lin).

There are so many others here, some famous, most not. The point of this book is that these speeches are not front of mind for many people, men or women. Yes, you may recognise some of the names (Marie Curie, Emmaline Pankhurst), but how many people can quote a line of what they said?

The book is cleverly put together. Working through the centuries, it gives a thumbnail profile of the woman in question, and the setting of/history behind the occasion of her speech, then cites the important points. In the brief bio, the author does note where the woman in question may have held beliefs that are not looked upon favourably today, but the speech is not on that belief.

These women were courageous in their acts, ranging from Fanny Wright in 1823 lecturing on slavery and women’s rights, to Huda Sha’arawi removing her veil in Egypt – in 1923! Each individual act and speech was another layer, upon which subsequent women would  stand and fight for their rights. Black women were, on balance, probably braver, like the illiterate runaway former slave Sojourner Truth, who as a slave had less rights than an animal, and if she had been killed by her master, there probably would have been no consequences.

I found this book to have some remarkable and surprising facts, such as that sexual equality, excepting in the right to vote, is currently not protected by the US Constitution, due to the Equal Rights Amendment not having been ratified by at least 38 US states.

This is a book that showcases a multi-cultured approach to the fight for rights, and freedom of expression, and all the other qualities we take for granted. It is an important book to make available to everyone, so that all voices can be heard. It is a book I aim to give my daughters, and it is an important information source to help inform discussions.

It is necessarily short, in that the full text of all the speeches cannot be reproduced, but I think the aim is to encourage and motivate the reader to do their own research/follow up, and perhaps discover a lot more than the author can provide here. That certainly was my experience.

Overall:

To paraphrase Emma Watson, this book does not intend to promulgate “man-hating”, but instead aims to frame feminism as a force for equality. It does not deal with, or seem to endorse, provocative sound-bytes such as “toxic masculinity”, and other frankly abhorrent terms, but does demand inclusiveness, understanding and support. 

I really liked this book, its presentation, the mix of profile and speech. It made me aware of people I had no idea existed, or like Countess Markievicz of her words that I had never read before. It is a little sad that such a book is still so important today, as true equality has not been achieved globally, even in areas of the world where the dominant religious law actually grants equality (e.g. the Sharia or Islamic law).

Acknowledgements:

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for sending me a free .pdf of this book, in return for an honest and objective review.

This is a book that all women should own, as it is a perfect pick me up when you are doubting yourself. I have read several of the speeches more than once and keep this handy for those moments when I need some inspiration. The women that wrote these speeches are exceptional.

This is a book I will order in hardback and keep by my reading chair. Many of these lectures are just what we need to hear on those days we are feeling useless and ineffectual as wives, mothers, employees - women in general. Anna Russell is a woman who knows what it takes to make you sit up and take stock of the plus side of the menu. She has collected prose from journalists, abolitionists, socialists, political activists, women's rights activists and suffragists dating from as far back in time as the 1830's that put our battles for equality in perspective and our accomplishments in shining gold font. The illustrations also are heartwarming. Thank you, Ms. Russell!

I received a free electronic copy of this collection of lectures and essays on February 2, 2019 from Netgalley, Anna Russell and White Lion Publishing - Quarto Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

A treasure a book of seminal woman’s speeches. Each speech introduced by a picture of the woman information about her and her speech.Historical speeches inspiring life affirming an inspiring book to read learn from and gift to women of all ages. #netgalley#sohereiam #quarto books

What a lovely little book. I have always found history and speeches fascinating, so combined this book made a great read. The compilation of speeches and the commentary on the women who gave them is diverse and represents a variety of perspectives. This book will leave you feeling inspired! Bonus that the illustrations are gorgeous!

This is an exceptional collection of powerful writing and speeches by women that spans centuries! It is fascinating and inspiring. I highly recommend this collection if you're looking to increase your awareness of awesome women who have gone before us and who are still here. I very much enjoyed this title.

I am in love with this book. The work included gave way to hope, bravery and enlightenment. I have a few new favorite role models after learning about their viewpoints here.

This book seemed interesting when I initially requested it, but I felt that it was too short to be meaningful. While I applaud the author for trying to include the words from as many amazing and inspiring women as possible, I feel that it became an issue of quantity over quality. With that being said, it's a good book for what it is -- personally, I just wanted more.

More than fifty women who had the courage to speak out are pulled together in this fascinating book. Following a picture of each woman, there is a brief life history attached and then the speech that they are renowned for. Many of these women I had not heard of and found it fascinating to read about their lives and their bravery in speaking out There is a mixed selection including the expected suffragists, women rights and social reformers, as well as the scientists, environmentalists, writers, the list goes on. It is an inspirational read. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC.