Sisterhood - in literature and beyond - is powerful
By Kathleen Whalin
Children's Librarian
2007 marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of National Women's History Month. Originally begun as a commemorative week in California, the event has expanded over the years in much the same way that our awareness of the contributions of women has expanded.
Women excel in all fields, but we at the library especially notice their significant contributions in the world of popular fiction. Gone are the days when a female author has to use a male pseudonym, a la George Eliot, to be published. Book after book by women authors crosses our library's circulation desk.
Our staff listed some of our library users' favorite women authors. I looked at that list of authors, thought about the books they wrote and concluded that well-told stories are central to these novels.
Many patrons like stories about family relationships -Barbara Delinsky, Sue Monk Kidd, Amy Tan, Jodi Picoult; tales of romance, modern and historical - Diana Gabaldon, Anita Diamont, Nora Roberts, Debbie Macomber; adventures of resourceful women - Sue Grafton's Kinsey Malone, Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum, Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta.
This year's Women's History Month theme, "Generations of Women Moving History Forward," speaks to the work of one of my favorite popular authors, Jacqueline Winspear. Her Maisie Dobbs mysteries, set in Britain between the world wars, were written as a hymn to all the women like Maisie who try to rebuild their lives after witnessing the horrors of war firsthand. When I read them, I am transported to a time when women were just beginning to establish independent lives.
This March, celebrate how far women have come since the days of Maisie Dobbs - check out the worlds created by our sisters armed with words, pen, paper and word processor.
