PositiveLibrary JournalCovering a lot of history in a comedic, sometimes overly conversational way, writer/actor Dawson profiles 20 women who disguised themselves as men \'to get shit done\' and an additional dozen tangential cases, such as women authors who used male pseudonyms and Iranian women breaking gender bans. Each chapter regales readers with wild stories of women overcoming their circumstances, triumphing in their chosen fields, and often dealing with tragedy. Dawson has quips for any situation. The stories that shine are the ones that focus on lesser-known figures ... Dawson purposely declines to write about the gender identities of her book’s subjects (a decision she explains in the introduction), but this discussion’s absence is felt at times, considering Dawson’s topic ... A quirky volume that brings together stories of many interesting women for readers looking for a laugh and an education.
Daisy Pitkin
RaveLibrary JournalThe choice to tell the story as conversations pointed toward and with Alma, successfully folds readers into the collective experience of the tumultuous journey of their struggle. Alongside the fraught emotional minutiae of organizing (a complicated process that will expand many readers’ conceptions of unions themselves), this book explores the history of women’s involvement in unions throughout the labor history of the 19th and 20th centuries. The substantial parallels Pikin draws among her experiences, famous labor events, and the seemingly odd focus on the history and science of moths, create an elegant chronicle out of the often-brutal realities of workers. Pitkin’s literary innovation lends itself to a powerful message dissecting solidarity and the power of the collective ... A necessary addition to academic collections, and also a great choice to round out any biography collection.
