So Here I Am

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

You cannot avoid being inspired by these collections of influential women, their various campaigns to make a difference and the content of speeches recorded and documented here.
That I knew so few of these individuals by name is to my shame and shows why such a book needs to be written. Yet this isn’t a book highlighting great oratory but a desire to find a speech that sums each person up, their struggle and how their words mirrored their deeds and aspirations.
Each person in this collection has a potted history, a tribute to them and we can read part of a famous speech. Adding to this colourful account are some wonderful illustrations which beautifully capture these women.

That further women are mentioned is due in part to the research undertaken, the demands on size and the lack of historical recordings of their words.

However, the author writes: “The speeches in SO HERE I AM are intended to inspire and empower, and it is my hope that they will leave you wanting much more. Look up some of the women ......
Read their stories,
Listen to their speeches on You Tube,
Follow them on Twitter,
and be energised by the impassioned orators.”

A work a great care and dedication. I felt a connection and a sense of pride that for many where silence was demanded these women would not be silent. When roles were defined these women did more and would not be quiet.
While the Father of two children, both girls I have never been prouder of their gender as when they have shown independence and freewill. I would encourage them to read these life stories and find their own role models around them.
My shame in not knowing of some of these women in this book is only matched by life experience and negative attitude at times, as a working man.

This issue is ever present, and this book sets the record straight without preaching or raising a feminine flag. It should appeal to all and in that spirit recommended that all.

This is so much more than a book-it is a reader’s companion- a journey of discovery with the most amazing women.
Thank you to both NetGalley and White Lion Publishing for my eARC in exchange for my honest unbiased review

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.

This book is a wonderful resource for anyone (and it should be just about all of us) who cares about women's voices and what women have to say. It was masterfully put together by Anna Russell and includes speeches (although often not the full speech) by women beginning with Elizabeth the First and going historically up through Hillary Clinton and Margaret Thatcher among others. Below are the names of just some of the women in this book; the range is enormous and you will find words of those you know and those whom you are hearing for the first time.

Sojourner Truth, Sarah Winnemucca, Ida B. Wells, Emmeline Pankhurst, Emma Goldman, Nancy Astor, Virginia Woolf, Margaret Sanger, Marie Curie, Helen Keller, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Eva Peron, Helen Keller, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Namomi Wolf, Wilma Mankiller, J.K. Rowling, Julia Gillard, Michelle Obama and Maya Lin.

The book opens with an excellent introduction which talks about the author's process in finding and selecting the entries. Along the way, she gives the reader an understanding of the importance of women's written words.

Each entry features biographical information, the speech, a full page quote and biographical illustrations of the orators. This book can be read in any order. It is a wonderful resource and would make an excellent addition to any young to older woman's bookshelf...to say nothing of men and boys' shelves too.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto publishing for this excellent read. It is is not often that I go on to buy a book that I have been able to review as a galley but this time I will. I want to be able to spend more time with this formidable collection of women's wisdom.

So here we are, 2019. We know the suffragettes, we know jokes about 70's feminists burning their bras, and when asked to quote a woman we could probably rattle out "Ain't I a Woman?" even though Sojourner Truth never said it. Not exactly a great legacy for 150 so years worth of women's activism, right?

'So Here I Am: Speeches by Great Women to Empower and Inspire' by [Anna Russell aims to equal the balance. Drawing together some of the defining speeches by notable women of the last two centuries, touching on topics from gender equality, to race, LBGT+, civil and human rights, war, and science.

There is an obvious comparison to be made with 'Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls' and I would recommend 'So Here I Am' as a companion for it on your bookshelf. The language is a little denser, so maybe have it on <i>your</i> shelf, not the kids', but it does follow a very similar structure. Each entry includes a short biography of the speaker with some context of their speech, in e-book this was about a page worth, followed by an illustration (done by Camila Pinheiro) and an extracted version of the speech, again about an e-book's page worth of text.

Going into it I admit I was worried it might be a little 'white feminism's greatest hits', but Russell's choices for this compilation give a great view of the scope of women's activism, both in terms of diversity and their causes. Yes, there are the 'big names' like Michelle Obama, and J.K. Rowling, but there are also women you may have heard of but not known why they were influential, and others, like Wangari Maathai, that may be entirely new. In particular Victoria Woodull's speech struck me for it's relevancy. Her speech concerned 'free love', for contemporaries that meant that a relationship, particularly marriage, be easily dissolved, that the law should not get in the way of love. Even in that vaguest of summary I assume you can see the echoes of the equal marriage debate ongoing still.

The collection also diversifies as it follows a timeline of activism; it might start with Emmeline Pankhurst and Elizabeth I, but it goes on to include women such as Alicia Garza, Asmaa Mahfouz, Wilma Mankiller, and Sylvia Riveria. Further to that, in lieu of an epilogue there is a 'More Women to Inspire', encouraging the reader onto discover more women who fought for their cause but due to book space, or rights issues, didn't get an individual mention.

My only grievance is that where the speeches were excerpted, it sometimes felt as though they'd been edited down a bit too much. I know this may be the fault of various estates/licences/etc only allowing so much to be quoted but some of the speeches still felt sapped. A speech is inspiring not for some choice lines that can be easily quoted, or turned into snippets for the news; the power it builds in the body of the speech, the winding up, before delivering a proverbial knock-out punch. I know, I know, most if not all the included speeches can be found in-full online, and that this book is much more something to dip into for inspiration, or as an appetite wetter; but sometimes the cutting was too exacting and a speech seemed like reading the notes prepped for a Women’s Studies written exam.

'So Here I Am: Speeches by Great Women to Empower and Inspire' by Anna Russell is a fantastic compilation of outspoken women, and is a wonderful salve if you've ever rolled your eyes after seeing the same twenty men, and the same twenty speeches listed 'the greatest speeches in history'. Whether you have only just found a cause to champion or are a veteran, whether you want to know more female voices or just want some oratorical badasses on standby to empower you, I would heartily recommend making room on your bookshelf for this.

So Here I Am by Anna Russell is an inspirational collection of speeches from multiple suffragettes, activists, scientists, environmentalists, and women from around the world who spoke on politics, human rights and gender. This would be such a great gift to young women, especially high school students searching for the right role models. Each woman has a short biography, picture, and inspirational speech. This is such a great opportunity to show high school girls that there are important woman speeches in history not just the male ones we study in history books. There were women such as Sojourner Truth, Marie Curie, Elizabeth Candy Staton, Margaret Thatcher, Gloria Steinman, Indira Gandhi, Virginia Wolf, and many more.

“We often hear the question asked, “What shall we do?” Here is the opportunity for doing something now .....so that we may feel the satisfaction of having done what we could.” Angela Grimke

A powerful beautifully composed book of outstanding speeches by brillant accomplished women. This should be recommend reading in all women's rights forums and classes. This is book to keep referring to for inspiration time and time again . I found it so inspiring . Within this brilliantly done book you will find speeches on subjects such as politics, science, human rights, historical discoveries, race, gender , media and women's rights. A must read for all women. Every parent should give this book to their daughters for their empowerment.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity. My opinion is my own. All women should read this book .

This is such a gorgeous and inspiring book. Filled with speeches of hope and calls to action, with beautiful, powerful illustrations. A perfect gift - particularly for teens.

I lead a women's networking group at my University and also head up the women's book club, So Here I Am is the perfect book for me to read, I found it really motivational and inspirational reading all these womens speeches, past and present. A really uplifting and beautiful book, thank you Anna Russell for collating and thank you to the publishers for gifting us this beautiful book - and as always thank you to Netgalley for the review copy.

A wonderful inspiring gift for the young women in your life. This shows some of the most inspiring women through history in their own words and can be read all in one go or in smaller bitesize chunks.

For anyone who likes to learn about women through history, to discover women who may have helped the women's rights movement, or inspired generations, this is a great read!

It introduces the women and then you can read the excerpt from their speeches, from Emmeline Pankhurst to Michelle Obama. I felt the book was slightly tainted by the addition of certain speeches - but especially the one by Margaret Thatcher, which, to my understanding, had nothing feminist about it.

I adore this collection of inspirational speeches. I read for the first time when I was in a bit of a mental funk and it managed to pull me out of my brain fog. I will revisit the text frequently - I ordered a physical copy of the book as soon as I can and now have dozens of place markers of my favourite passages. A must read!