Marthe Jocelyn
Nonfiction
For ages 12 and up
Tundra Books, 2011, 978-0887769528
For hundreds of years, women have used the written word to connect with friends and family members, to capture their thoughts, to share their lives with others, and to share ideas that they cared about. Often many of these “scribblings” disappeared, and we have no idea what the women said. However, sometimes their words were preserved on purpose or by accident, and we can now read these women’s writings many years after they died.
For this book, Marthe Jocelyn has written about eleven women from around the world who wrote letters, journals, or books that we are still able to read today. She begins by looking at the life and writings of Sei Shonagon, a lady-in-waiting who served in the imperial court of Japan in the tenth century. Sei wrote what is called The Pillow Book, which is a kind of journal filled with a collection of lists, gossip, poetry, observations, complaints, and descriptions. Her writings capture her keen intelligence and her often caustic wit. Thanks to Sei we have a better understanding what it was like to live in the imperial court of Japan so long ago.
Similarly, the letters that Margaret Catchpole wrote show us what life in the penal colony in Sydney , Australia Australia
I'd never heard of Incidents of a Slave Girl before I read Scribbling Women. It's on my TBR now, as are the other books you've posted.
I loved Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs. I don't think many are exposed to her and should be required reading in history classes.
Laura
laura.leahj@gmail dot com
Thinking back...do they include many women in history class?
I'm with Jodi, how many women did we learn about? This book is a great springboard to other research.
I did not learn about many women at all. Except Cleopatra perhaps. My parents bought me biographies about Florence Nightingale, women zoologists, and women explorers that I read. We need to share these stories with both boys and girls.
Wow, I didn't even consider that women are the ones who keep the families in touch. They are the ones that send the cards, update the relatives on events and accomplishments, essentially maintain those family ties. cool.
thank you for posting all those links for continued reading!
and thank you all for noticing that Scribbling Women might be useful and intriguing to use in a classroom. I'm hoping that at some point it will show up on a curriculum.
we all know that women are the invisible but essential connective tissue in human relationships. on bits of paper, in letters, in lists and books of household information, Scribbling Women is a testament to this truth.
Sheilagh Lee said: history of women waht an intersting concept for a book.something that a lot of women and men would be pleased to read
Great idea to post the links for readers to continue with these authors!