I would like to thank netgalley and Chronicle Books for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is everything I wanted it to be!

I loved the illustrations, and the focus on women of colour alongside white women.

If you love the book, check out the podcast Bonnets At Dawn, and if you love the podcast you'll love the book.

4.5 Stars (I received an e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)

This book has a combination well known female authors, some not as well known, and something which I was pleased to see was some diversity other than white heterosexual women. The book is split into sections with a group of women pertaining to a certain theme. Each section has a general introduction and then goes into a short biography of each writer, then some graphic panels and end notes with a couple illustrations. We do get some diverse woman African American, Chinese Canadian, bisexual and lesbian representation. As well as some women who weren’t afraid to stand up for themselves or document painful/traumatic experiences. This would be a great resource book to have in schools, in particular junior and high school aged kids.

This book is a special treat! Many of my favourite writers of all time are detailed in one gorgeous book, both in text and graphic illustrations, absolutely delightful. The "portraits" of the authors were easily recognizable, though they lived during the 18th and 19th centuries, The illustrator captured them and the time period breathtakingly! During their time, many of these writers were mocked and ridiculed as readers were often shocked and horrified by the content but they were determined and changed the world. They really did, at least in my view. These writers feel like dear friends.

Each chapter (i.e. Gothic genre, pseudonyms, financial profit) highlights three brilliant female authors, what they wrote, their motivation(s), lives, relationships, plagiarism, writing earnings and in some cases, deaths. Some of these women were equal rights advocates, some kindled controversy. All were ingenius writers. At the end of each chapter you will find selected works by the writer in chronological order. From quirky Ann Radcliffe to the creative Bronte sisters to beautiful storyteller Frances Burney to the indomitable Elizabeth Gaskell to masculine entrepreneur Anne Lister (and loads more!), you will read a whopping variety, all with a few common threads, yet all very individual. The writer I knew the least about is Alice Dunbar Nelson so I was thrilled to learn more! Several of these women suffered terribly, emotionally and physically. Their lives were not easy. But I am so, so grateful they wrote what they did...there is a reason their works remain as classics and hopefully always will.

Anyone even remotely interested in female writers in this era, or in general, will adore this stunner. My entire bibliophile family will adore it, especially my teenage nieces. Such a brilliant introduction as well as a wonderful refresher to those more knowledgeable. I cannot praise this book highly enough. It is pure joy.

My sincere thank you to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this fantastic book in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated.

A enlightening and wonderful look into female authors throughout history. I loved that it told the stories of these women and even added the element of graphic novel to make it even more visually fun. The book tells these womens' stories, their lives, how they came about writing and why, and a list of their works. A delightful read perfect for anyone interested in famous female authors!