Fans pick 100 books like A Suffragette My Own Story

By Emmeline Pankhurst,

Here are 100 books that A Suffragette My Own Story fans have personally recommended if you like A Suffragette My Own Story. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea

Rhoda Howard-Hassmann Author Of In Defense of Universal Human Rights

From my list on readable stories on human rights.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a scholar of international human rights and comparative genocide studies. My father was a refugee from the Holocaust. So I was always interested in genocide, but I did not want to be another Holocaust scholar. Instead, I introduced one of the first university courses in Canada on comparative genocide studies. From a very young age, I was also very interested in social justice: I was seven when Emmett Till was murdered in the US. So when I became a professor, I decided to specialize in international human rights. I read a lot of “world literature” fiction that helps me to empathize with people in places I’ve never been.

Rhoda's book list on readable stories on human rights

Rhoda Howard-Hassmann Why did Rhoda love this book?

This was the first book I read on North Korea.

North Korea is a combination of the Soviet Gulag and Auschwitz. Under the reign of the three Kims (grandfather, father, and son), North Koreans have endured malnourishment and starvation since the 1990s. Most of this would been avoidable if the government hadn’t had ridiculous economic policies forbidding private enterprise, and also imprisoned anyone who criticized the Kims’ rule. 

Remick is a journalist who introduces North Korea to a general audience by interviewing six refugees.  I “assigned” this book to one of my ladies’ book clubs and they found it very interesting and easy to read.

By Barbara Demick,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Nothing to Envy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An eye-opening account of life inside North Korea—a closed world of increasing global importance—hailed as a “tour de force of meticulous reporting” (The New York Review of Books)
 
NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FINALIST

In this landmark addition to the literature of totalitarianism, award-winning journalist Barbara Demick follows the lives of six North Korean citizens over fifteen years—a chaotic period that saw the death of Kim Il-sung, the rise to power of his son Kim Jong-il (the father of Kim Jong-un), and a devastating famine that killed one-fifth of the population.
 
Demick brings to life…


Book cover of A Land Without Evil: Stopping the Genocide of Burma's Karen People

Zoya Phan Author Of Little Daughter: A Memoir of Survival in Burma and the West

From my list on the Karen and human rights that inspire me.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm a human rights activist from Burma. When I was 14, I was forced to flee to Thailand because of an attack by the Burmese military and ended up in a refugee camp. As one of Burma's leading democracy activists in Europe, I campaign for the promotion of human rights, democracy, and development back home in Burma. Together with my family, I set up Phan Foundation which aims to preserve Karen culture, promote human rights, fight poverty and provide education for Karen people. This is in memory of my mother Nant Kyin Shwe and my father Padoh Mahn Sha Lah Phan, who was assassinated by agents of the Burmese military.

Zoya's book list on the Karen and human rights that inspire me

Zoya Phan Why did Zoya love this book?

We, the Karens, call our land Kawthoolei, which means "a land without evil." When I first came to the UK, Ben gave me a copy of his book, A Land Without Evil. After reading this book, I felt so much pain that I couldn't stop my tears because all of the suffering of my people that Ben wrote in his book were all true, and it brought back all the memories of our sufferings. For decades, my people have been brutally attacked by Burmese governments, but the world didn't know and pay attention in order to help us. 

By Benedict Rogers,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Land Without Evil as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The gentle Karen, a tribe in Burma's eastern regions, call their country "a land without evil". They number between four and five million, and have been fighting for half a century to keep their land and identity. Many - at least 40 per cent - are Christians, and have suffered particularly harsh treatment. Burma today, and Karen State in particular, is a land torn apart by evil. It is a land ruled by a regime which took power by force, ignored the will of the people in an election, and survives by creating a climate of fear. It is a…


Book cover of The Story of Zoya and Shura

Zoya Phan Author Of Little Daughter: A Memoir of Survival in Burma and the West

From my list on the Karen and human rights that inspire me.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm a human rights activist from Burma. When I was 14, I was forced to flee to Thailand because of an attack by the Burmese military and ended up in a refugee camp. As one of Burma's leading democracy activists in Europe, I campaign for the promotion of human rights, democracy, and development back home in Burma. Together with my family, I set up Phan Foundation which aims to preserve Karen culture, promote human rights, fight poverty and provide education for Karen people. This is in memory of my mother Nant Kyin Shwe and my father Padoh Mahn Sha Lah Phan, who was assassinated by agents of the Burmese military.

Zoya's book list on the Karen and human rights that inspire me

Zoya Phan Why did Zoya love this book?

When I was born, my father, Padoh Mahn Sha Lah Phan, named me after Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya. When he was a student at Rangoon University, he read about Zoya and her brother Shura resisting Nazi Germany’s invasion of Russia. Both Zoya and Shura were killed by the Nazis. My father was inspired by Zoya's story and he wanted me to help resist the Burmese government's violence against his Karen people. 

By Lyubov Kosmodemyanskaya,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Story of Zoya and Shura as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


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Book cover of Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor's Unlikely Adventure

Tap Dancing on Everest By Mimi Zieman,

Tap Dancing on Everest, part coming-of-age memoir, part true-survival adventure story, is about a young medical student, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor raised in N.Y.C., who battles self-doubt to serve as the doctor—and only woman—on a remote Everest climb in Tibet.

The team attempts a new route up…

Book cover of Fifty Years in the Karen Revolution in Burma: The Soldier and the Teacher

Zoya Phan Author Of Little Daughter: A Memoir of Survival in Burma and the West

From my list on the Karen and human rights that inspire me.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm a human rights activist from Burma. When I was 14, I was forced to flee to Thailand because of an attack by the Burmese military and ended up in a refugee camp. As one of Burma's leading democracy activists in Europe, I campaign for the promotion of human rights, democracy, and development back home in Burma. Together with my family, I set up Phan Foundation which aims to preserve Karen culture, promote human rights, fight poverty and provide education for Karen people. This is in memory of my mother Nant Kyin Shwe and my father Padoh Mahn Sha Lah Phan, who was assassinated by agents of the Burmese military.

Zoya's book list on the Karen and human rights that inspire me

Zoya Phan Why did Zoya love this book?

I knew Saw Ralph and Naw Sheera when we were in Manerplaw, which used to be the headquarters of the Karen resistance, in Burma. As a little girl, I often followed my mother Nant Kyin Shwe to her workplace and remembered seeing Naw Sheera in the office of the Karen Women's Organisation. When I read her book, it reminds me of all the places and the people, and my beautiful childhood in, Kawthoolei, Burma. 

By Saw Ralph, Naw Sheera,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Fifty Years in the Karen Revolution in Burma as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Fifty Years in the Karen Revolution in Burma is about commitment to an ideal, individual survival and the universality of the human experience. A memoir of two tenacious souls, it sheds light on why Burma/Myanmar's decades-long pursuit for a peaceful and democratic future has been elusive. Simply put, the aspirations of Burma's ethnic nationalities for self-determination within a genuine federal union runs counter to the idea of a unitary state orchestrated and run by the dominant majority Burmans, or Bamar.

This seemingly intractable dilemma of opposing visions for Burma is personified in the story of Saw Ralph and Naw Sheera,…


Book cover of The Suffragette Movement: An Intimate Account of Persons and Ideals - With an Introduction by Dr Richard Pankhurst

Lucy Ribchester Author Of The Hourglass Factory

From my list on with extraordinary London heroines.

Why am I passionate about this?

This eclectic soiree of books is pretty symbolic of my reading taste – as long as it’s extraordinary, or larger than real life, I’m there for it. I moved to London when I was 22, to undertake my Masters at Shakespeare’s Globe, and after living in a small village, followed by a small university town, it really did feel like arriving at the centre of the universe. I love books that capture the way the spirit of London – its strange, anarchic, punkish, dangerous, and historic forms – can shape a woman into the person she is meant to be. That was what I wanted to capture with The Hourglass Factory’s heroine Frankie George. 

Lucy's book list on with extraordinary London heroines

Lucy Ribchester Why did Lucy love this book?

The three main Pankhurst players in the Suffragette movement – Emmeline and two of her children, Christabel and Sylvia – all wrote accounts of the era. But Sylvia’s is arguably the most comprehensive and objective. The book starts out as a memoir of the Pankhurst family’s early lifetheir humble beginnings, their journey to political activismand Pankhurst does not shy away from the gory details of militant suffragette activity. But she is also not afraid to chronicle divisions in the movement, both among the different factions of the WSPU, and between the WSPU and the Labour party, who eventually chose to support working men’s rights above those of women. Sylvia Pankhurst has emerged from the period as the most egalitarian of its heroines, after leaving the main WSPU branch to focus on the cause of working-class women. It’s a tome, but a worthy read.  

By E. Sylvia Pankhurst,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Suffragette Movement as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“The Suffragette Movement - An Intimate Account Of Persons And Ideals” is a 1931 work by E. Sylvia Pankhurst. In this volume, Pankhurst aims to describe the events and experiences of the movement, as well as the characters and intentions of those involved. In this fascinating volume, Pankhurst shows the strife, suffering, a hope behind the pageantry, the rhetoric, and the turbulence of the time. Highly recommended for those with an interest in the British suffragette movement and worthy of a place on any every bookshelf. Contents include: “Richard Marsden Pankhurst”, “The Rise of the Women's Suffrage Movement”, “Emmeline Goulden”,…


Book cover of The Women's Suffrage Movement: A Reference Guide 1866-1928

Jad Adams Author Of Women and the Vote: A World History

From my list on how women rock the world.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have specialised in writing about radicals and non-conformists who seem to me to be the most interesting people in the world. I like books about people doing challenging things and making a difference. I love travelling to obscure archives in other countries and finding the riches of personal papers in dusty old rooms curated by eccentric archivists who greet me like an old friend.

Jad's book list on how women rock the world

Jad Adams Why did Jad love this book?

This is the handbook that is literally by my hand as I sit at my desk. It’s not only authoritative but every page is bursting with fascinating passages of biography and quirky histories. It’s one of those reference books to be read, that I return to again and again.

By Elizabeth Crawford,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Women's Suffrage Movement as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This widely acclaimed book has been described by History Today as a 'landmark in the study of the women's movement'. It is the only comprehensive reference work to bring together in one volume the wealth of information available on the women's movement.

Drawing on national and local archival sources, the book contains over 400 biographical entries and more than 800 entries on societies in England, Scotland and Wales. Easily accessible and rigorously cross-referenced, this invaluable resource covers not only the political developments of the campaign but provides insight into its cultural context, listing novels, plays and films.


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Book cover of Who Is a Worthy Mother?: An Intimate History of Adoption

Who Is a Worthy Mother? By Rebecca Wellington,

I grew up thinking that being adopted didn’t matter. I was wrong. This book is my journey uncovering the significance and true history of adoption practices in America. Now, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, the renewed debate over women’s reproductive rights places…

Book cover of Suffragettes in the Purple, White and Green: London 1906-1914

Mary M Talbot Author Of Sally Heathcote, Suffragette

From my list on the lives of suffragettes.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've written and taught about language and gender for many years and I've always been interested in gender politics more broadly. But I wanted to tell a story about suffragettes, something fun to read that would hold the attention and make people think. Because people forget, or just take for granted, what women went through. In the process of writing Sally Heathcote Suffragette, and since, I've accumulated masses of books dealing with women's suffrage. This is a small selection of some I enjoyed. I hope you do too!

Mary's book list on the lives of suffragettes

Mary M Talbot Why did Mary love this book?

Purple, white, and green are the colours of the WSPU regalia. Suffragette ephemera fascinates me, especially their merchandising (soap, chocolate, board games, chinaware - all sorts of things). I first heard of it at a presentation by Diane Atkinson. This book is the catalogue of an exhibition she put together when she was a curator at the Museum of London. An excellent resource, it's full of images with pointers for where to find more. Ephemera is great for giving a sense of period, so I asked the artists on the graphic novel to cram in all they could.

By Diane Atkinson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Suffragettes in the Purple, White and Green as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Shipped from UK, please allow 10 to 21 business days for arrival. 136pp. Colour illustrated. Previous owner inscription. Light wear to extremities, very good clean sound copy.


Book cover of Suffragette Sally

Mary M Talbot Author Of Sally Heathcote, Suffragette

From my list on the lives of suffragettes.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've written and taught about language and gender for many years and I've always been interested in gender politics more broadly. But I wanted to tell a story about suffragettes, something fun to read that would hold the attention and make people think. Because people forget, or just take for granted, what women went through. In the process of writing Sally Heathcote Suffragette, and since, I've accumulated masses of books dealing with women's suffrage. This is a small selection of some I enjoyed. I hope you do too!

Mary's book list on the lives of suffragettes

Mary M Talbot Why did Mary love this book?

This amazing account of the Edwardian struggle for women's suffrage was published in 1911, in the thick of it. While doing research for Sally Heathcote Suffragette, I discovered a review of it in Votes for Women, the official paper of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU). It weaves the stories of three fictional women into what were then very recent events in suffrage history, bringing them to life. The Sally in the title, like my Sally, is a maid-of-all-work A coincidence? Yes, but not really surprising. Domestic service was the most likely form of employment for a woman of no means before the First World War; Sally (from Sarah) was a common name then and it alliterates well with ‘suffragette’.

By Gertrude Colmore,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Suffragette Sally as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Published in 1911, Suffragette Sally is one of the best-known popular novels promoting the cause of women's suffrage in Britain at the beginning of the twentieth century. The novel details the militant campaign of the suffragist Women's Social and Political Union against the political establishment of the time. Through its three female protagonists, each from a different class, the novel recounts the challenges faced by women who dared to flout social convention by agitating for the vote. The Sally of the title is Sally Simmonds, a maid-of-all-work in a household where she has to deal with her employer's advances along…


Book cover of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony: A Friendship That Changed the World

Judy Hart Author Of A National Park for Women's Rights: The Campaign That Made It Happen

From my list on declaring women’s history nationally significant.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always been passionate and outspoken about fairness. This passion evolved into my attention to words and laws and a belief that they could affect behavior. This passion evolved into my passion for social change. Finally, it evolved into a passion for public service, where I could make things happen that I believed would help people. My first action as Chief Ranger for Legislation in the Boston office of the National Park Service was proposing a new park for women’s history, which eventually became the Women’s Rights National Historical Park.

Judy's book list on declaring women’s history nationally significant

Judy Hart Why did Judy love this book?

I love this book and so wish it had been available to me, park planners, and the public in 1982. But it was published in 2011. I received it as a gift and did not immediately realize it was intended for young adults. But how significant is it to reach girls and boys while still young and unbiased so they could better understand their lives as they unfolded?

I loved that it was accessible in its words, and very much in its design. Lots of space, largish print, clearly written, all make it also very appropriate for women, and men, of my age, which is 82. Weakened eyesight, shorter attention spans, no base of information to build on, this book is perfect also for seniors who probably had no formal education in women’s history and women’s rights.

By Penny Colman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

In the spring of 1851 two women met on a street corner in Seneca Falls, New York - Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a thirty-five year old mother of four boys, and Susan B. Anthony, a thirty-one year old, unmarried, former school teacher. Immediately drawn to each other, they formed an everlasting and legendary friendship. Together, they challenged entrenched beliefs, customs, and laws that oppressed women and spearheaded the fight to gain legal rights, including the right to vote despite fierce opposition, daunting conditions, scandalous entanglements and betrayal by their friends and allies. Weaving events, quotations, personalities, and commentary into a page-turning…


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Book cover of American Flygirl

American Flygirl By Susan Tate Ankeny,

The first and only full-length biography of Hazel Ying Lee, an unrecognized pioneer and unsung World War II hero who fought for a country that actively discriminated against her gender, race, and ambition.

This unique hidden figure defied countless stereotypes to become the first Asian American woman in United States…

Book cover of A Woman's Crusade: Alice Paul and the Battle for the Ballot

Jennifer Schwed Author Of 19 The Musical: An American Suffrage Story

From my list on suffrage fights and voting rights.

Why am I passionate about this?

We are the creators, writers, lyricists, directors, and producers of the original musical, 19: The Musical. These are the best books we read on the topic of Alice Paul, suffrage, and the fight for the passage of the 19th Amendment. The amendment finally gave women the right to vote, but almost immediately, legislatures around the country began disenfranchising women of color by clawing voting rights back away from them. Researching the background for 19: The Musical was intense. These books were essential background for us to understand the historical landscape enough to write about it and, where necessary, combine events or create composite characters for our musical.

Jennifer's book list on suffrage fights and voting rights

Jennifer Schwed Why did Jennifer love this book?

We found this to be the definitive book on Alice Paul. In our opinion, Alice Paul was the single most important person in getting women the right to vote.

This book is a brilliantly researched and written history of a true American hero that very few people have ever heard of. It is essential reading for understanding the suffrage fight. 

By Mary Walton,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Woman's Crusade as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Alice Paul began her life as a quiet girl from a strict Quaker family in New Jersey. But as a young woman, an interest in social work brought her to England, where she apprenticed with the militant suffrage movement there, led by Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters. Upon her return to the United States, Alice founded her own suffrage movement. Calling themselves 'Silent Sentinels,' she and her followers were the first protestors to picket the White House. Behind bars, they went on hunger strikes and were force-fed and brutalized. Years before Gandhi's campaign of nonviolent resistance, and decades before civil…


Book cover of Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea
Book cover of A Land Without Evil: Stopping the Genocide of Burma's Karen People
Book cover of The Story of Zoya and Shura

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Interested in suffragettes, human rights, and the United Kingdom?

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Human Rights 70 books
The United Kingdom 586 books