25 Cheap E-Books About Mighty Women for Adult Readers

The Bletchley Girls

War, Secrecy, Love, and Loss: The Women of Bletchley Park Tell Their Story

As Britain's war effort ramped up, 8 million women went to work... and 7,000 of them were chosen for a very secret duty at Bletchley Park. Although there had always been a few women in Bletchley's code breaking units, by the end of the war they would outnumber the men three to one. Their work was monotonous and meticulous, and the enormous, complex machines they used heralded today's computer age. In this book, Tessa Dunlop captures the stories of fifteen of the surviving Bletchley Girls. In their own voices, their stories seem very different, but they are united by their service to their country, which is only now coming to light. It's a unique portrait of the celebrated code breakers and their role in Britain's victory.

Fast Into The Night: A Woman, Her Dogs, and Their Journey North on the Iditarod Trail

Debbie Moderow was 47 years old and a mother of two when she set out on the Iditarod in 2003 for the journey of a lifetime. To complete the grueling race, she would need determination, fearlessness, and a close connection with her dogs... and when her race ended, less than 200 miles from the finish line with dogs who refused to run, it was that connection with her dogs that she most feared she had lost. Two years later, however, after injuries, ferocious storms, flipped sleds, and more, she finally completed the race — her dogs and herself finally in harmony. This is a fascinating look at the little-understood sport of dog mushing and an intriguing examination of the relationship between humans and animals, as well as a testament to the power of determination and resiliency.

The Wolves At The Door: The True Story Of America's Greatest Female Spy

Virginia Hall's wealthy Baltimore friends who never have guessed what her future would bring. When World War II broke out, she saw the potential to serve despite her prosthetic leg, the result of a hunting accident. As an agent for the British Special Operations Executive, she was deployed in France and was so effective that the Gestapo offered a reward for "the most dangerous of all Allied spies." And when she was finally driven out by their pursuit, she joined the OOS and returned once again, killing 150 German soldiers and capturing 500 others. This thrilling biography of the little-known "Limping Lady" is a tribute to her determination and strength.

Nightingales: The Extraordinary Upbringing and Curious Life of Miss Florence Nightingale

Florence Nightingale came from privilege: a wealthy family that fostered her intelligence, her curiosity, and her interest in helping others. But early on she showed a tendency to defy even her doting parents. She refused to marry a well-connected man, and then insisted on traveling to serve as a nurse during the Crimean war. She had success beyond what anyone could have imagined, become famous worldwide for both her dedication to her patients and for her nursing reforms. And then, at the age of 37, she suddenly retired to her bedroom, refusing to leave it for the majority of the rest of her life. This unique book explores the life of this pioneer of nursing and statistics in all of its complexity, creating a newly in-depth discussion of the Lady with the Lamp.

In The Country Of Women: A Memoir

When Susan Straight, a book nerd and future author, married Dwayne Sims, an African American basketball player, their new combined family bore the legacy of many indomitable women. On Sims' side, there were stories of women fleeing violence in post-slavery Tennessee or Jim Crow Mississippi — or in their own homes, from abusive husbands and fathers. On Straight's side, there were women from Switzerland, Canada, and Colorado who pushed for new futures in strange lands. In this social history, Straight explores how the legacies of these women have affected her own family — including her three daughters. This powerful and thoughtful book is a celebration of courageous women and the American dream.

My Own Story

Emmeline Pankhurst wanted the vote for women in England — and she wasn't satisfied to wait. in 1903, she founded the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), an all-women organization that declared they were ready for "deeds, not words" — which meant protests, physical confrontations with police officers, arrests, and hunger strikes. And when the government refused to consider the issue of women's suffrage, Pankhurst's tactics became even more radical, causing a schism in the women's rights movement and even in her own family. In her own words, Pankhurst describes her life and activism as the women who endorsed "the argument of the broken window pane" in the fight for the vote.

Daughters of the Dragon: A Comfort Woman's Story

As Japanese soldiers take young Jae-Hee and her sister away from their parents, their mother gives them an antique comb with an inlay of a two-headed dragon, swearing it will protect them. The girls are forced to become "comfort women" — sex slaves for the soldiers of the Imperial Army. By the time war ends, Jae-Hee is forced to flee while her sister lies dying. For years, she hides her story as she endures yet more tragedy: love found in North Korea, then lost when the communists drag her husband away; a new life in South Korea that turns to poverty when people learn her secret. Then Jae-Hee learns the true meaning of her mother's gift, still with her after all these years, and sets out for a remarkable reunion. This engrossing novel tells the story of the "comfort women" in a respectful and gripping fashion.

Narrative of Sojourner Truth

She was born enslaved in 1797, but after she escaped she adopted a new name: Sojourner Truth. As Truth, she raised her voice against the horrors of slavery and in pursuit of women's right to vote. In this book, based on the complete 1884 edition, Truth gives her own account of her life as a slave — including repeated separations from family — and then her work as a social reformer, traveling preacher, and activist as a free woman. It also includes the "Book of Life," a collection of letters and sketches about Truth's life written subsequent to the original 1850 publication of the Narrative, and "A Memorial Chapter," a sentimental account of her death. This inspiring narrative is a powerful, first-hand look at one of the most important women of American history.

Spread Spectrum: Hedy Lamarr and the Mobile Phone

Hedy Lamarr was known as a Hollywood star, "the most beautiful girl in the world." George Antheil was a pianist and composer called "the bad boy of music." But each of them had talents that the world didn't know about — unexpected gifts for science and engineering. And when they met in the midst of the second World War, when the American military was seeking new technologies that might save lives, they collaborated on a new radio technique called spread spectrum... a concept that became the foundation for mobile phones, wireless networks, and much more. This dual biography explores both Lamarr and Antheil's lives, as well as the story of the fight to make radio communication secure, and how their discovery continues to help us today.

Everyday Aspergers

What is it like to live a day with Asperger's Syndrome? For Samantha Craft, a former schoolteacher and the mother of three children, it means a world where everything seems important and nothing can be ignored, and where even a trip to the grocery store takes unbelievable focus and leaves her exhausted. In a series of 150 vignettes, Craft lets people in on the realities of her world as an autistic woman, from the funny — realizing that she's been wearing her sweater inside out all day, again — to the heartbreaking — being told she and her autistic son have "broken brains" after revealing her diagnosis to a professor. From childhood to middle age, Craft provides an insider's perspective on what it means to be from Planet Aspie.

Mission To Teach: The Life and Legacy of a Revolutionary Educator

Jhumki Basu knew that she wanted to be a teacher, and that she wanted to reach the students who were often ignored: girls, underprivileged kids, and minorities. As a professor at NYU, she fought for reform for science education, and conducted research into techniques that had worked during her own teaching experiences to prove that they would help kids achieve heights many thought impossible. Even when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at a painfully young age, she was determined to keep fighting for her students — and those around the world who needed advocacy. Written by her father after her death at age 31, this is a powerful tribute to an educator who was determined not to leave any child behind.