If you like: nonfiction, amazing women, Bill Bryson, Drunk History, comic books, feeling better about the world.
A lot of nonfiction books about historical figures can be used as door stops or to help boost children up at the dinner table.
They’re just so stinkin’ big. Which is understandable, I suppose, because there is a lot of history.
But sometimes it feels like nonfiction writers are trying to prove their relevance by going down every rabbit trail in their research.
Cartoonist Pénélope Bagieu is no historian. She’s more of a tourist in the quirky byways of history, and it’s a joy to travel along with her.
Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World began as entries for her blog, sponsored by a French newspaper.
Each entry highlights the life story of a woman. They’re from all over the world and different time periods. The only connecting thread is that Bagieu found them interesting, and her enthusiasm shines through.
While some of the names might be more familiar, such as Josephine Baker (performer and spy), Nellie Bly (old-timey journalist who went undercover in a mental hospital and traveled around the world) or Mae Jemison (first black woman in space AND first real astronaut to be on Star Trek), there’s lots of fascinating corners of history to explore.
Such as Frances Glessner Lee, who helped to jump-start forensic science and made fancy miniature models to help train students to solve crimes, CSI Victorian-style.
And while I will never check out a book about erosion prevention, I found the story of Giorgina Reid strangely compelling.
There are queens and warriors and activists and artists and nerds and lovers. Many times, they’ve been underestimated. But Bagieu finds the good and inspiring in each life.
Bagieu’s art style lends itself to expressive people, but what stand out are the gorgeous splash pages at the end of every entry, each as unique as the woman it highlights. It makes it worth it to get the book in your hands.
Just know this isn’t the kind of book you want to use in your history report for school. It’s a lot like the show Drunk History that way.
Like that show, it revels in how crazy and intriguing real life can be.
This one may be a little more kid friendly, although don’t think because it’s a cute-looking graphic novel that issues of violence are glossed over.
Brazen is a great springboard into the waters of history. And it won’t make your arms sore while you hold it up to read.
Note: This is currently the book of the month for Vault of Midnight, if you want a discount.
"Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World" by Penelope Bagieu; First Second; March 2018.
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