A powerful and revered First Lady. The first Latina U.S. Supreme Court justice. A ground-breaking comedian. These are just a few of the fascinating women you can discover this month at Algonquin Area Public Library.
March is Women's History Month, and a great opportunity to learn about the contributions women have made to our nation, and to history. Whether its a biography, memoir or historical novel based on real life people and events, browse our online catalog for stories that are sure to inspire readers, regardless of gender.
Biography
Elizabeth & Margaret: the intimate world of the Windsor sisters by Andrew Morton
Queen Elizabeth II and her sister Princess Margaret were the closest of sisters and the best of friends. But when, in a quixotic twist of fate, their uncle Edward Vlll abdicated the throne, the dynamic between Elizabeth and Margaret was dramatically altered. Forever more Margaret would have to curtsey to the sister she called 'Lillibet.' And bow to her wishes. Margaret's struggle to find a place and position inside the royal system—and her fraught relationship with its expectations—was often a source of tension.
Memoir
Just As I Am: A Memoir by Cicely Tyson 
"Just as I Am is my truth. It is me, plain and unvarnished, with the glitter and garland set aside. Here, I am indeed Cicely, the actress who has been blessed to grace the stage and screen for six decades. Yet I am also the church girl who once rarely spoke a word. I am the teenager who sought solace in the verses of the old hymn for which this book is named. I am a daughter and mother, a sister, and a friend. I am an observer of human nature and the dreamer of audacious dreams. I am a woman who has hurt as immeasurably as I have loved, a child of God divinely guided by His hand. And here in my ninth decade, I am a woman who, at long last, has something meaningful to say."
Non-Fiction
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly - Before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of NASA professionals worked as ‘Human Computers’, calculating the flight paths that would enable these historic achievements. Among these were a coterie of bright, talented African-American women. Segregated from their white counterparts, these ‘coloured computers’ used pencil and paper to write the equations that would launch rockets and astronauts, into space. Moving from World War II through NASA’s golden age, touching on the civil rights era, the Space Race, the Cold War and the women’s rights movement, ‘Hidden Figures’ interweaves a rich history of mankind’s greatest adventure with the intimate stories of five courageous women whose work forever changed the world.
Historical Fiction
Enchantress of Numbers by Jennifer Chiaverini - The only legitimate child of Lord Byron, the most brilliant, revered, and scandalous of the Romantic poets, Ada was destined for fame long before her birth. Estranged from Ada’s father, Ada’s mathematician mother provides her daughter with a rigorous education. When Ada is introduced into London society little does she realize that her friendship with inventor Charles Babbage will shape her destiny. Intrigued by the prototype of his first calculating machine, and enthralled by the plans for even more advanced inventions, Ada resolves to help Babbage realize his extraordinary vision, unique in her understanding of how his invention could transform the world.
