You Can’t Keep a Good Woman Down “If you want to school yourself on the women who have paved the way for the rest of us, then this is the book for you…” − Becca Anderson , bestselling author of The Book of Awesome Women Societal mores of sexism and misogyny have kept generations of women on the sidelines of history. But in every era, there are women who refuse to sit back in the shadows. Fabulous Female Firsts is a celebration of those women―the role models who proved that with enough daring and enough tenacity, the impossible can become possible. Enough is Not Enough. That’s what she said. From rebel girls who refused to let their wings be clipped to the suffragettes who claimed new space for women, each trailblazer in this collection of biographies pushed the boundaries for what was possible for women in their time, even if it meant being seen as stubborn, improper, or just a trainwreck. This book is in praise of “difficult women” who made the world a better place. Feminism Throughout History. Maybe you know their names, but do you know their stories? You’ll find inspiration in the company of women. This collection includes the stories of some of the most fabulous women in world history, including Aretha Franklin, Sandra Day O’Connor, Lucy Walker, Sally Ride, Kathryn Bigelow, Misty Copeland, Viola Desmond, Pauli Murray, Emma Gatewood, General Anna Hays, Junko Tabei, and Gertrude Ederle. Young readers and people of all ages who are inspired by The Diary of Anne Frank and the life of Harriet Tubman will find new heroes in this book. If you enjoyed feminist books like The Book of Awesome Women, Bad Girls Throughout History , and Behind Every Great Man, you’ll love the inspiring stories in Fabulous Female Firsts: The Trailblazers Who Led the Way. “If you want to school yourself on the women who have paved the way for the rest of us, then this is the book for you. This celebration of pioneering women is filled with effervescent stories about diverse groups of female creators, entrepreneurs, and dynamos who not only fought for women’s rights and equality but are at the center of our history. Well-researched and engaging, every page gives the motivation to strive for greatness, just like these awesome women did.” -Becca Anderson, bestselling author of The Book of Awesome Women Marlene Wagman-Geller received her B.A. from York University and her teaching credentials from the University of Toronto and San Diego State University. Currently, she teaches high school English in National City, California. Reviews from her first three books (Penguin/Perigree) have appeared in The New York Times and the Associated Press article appeared in dozens of newspapers such as The Chicago Tribune, The Huffington Post, and The Washington Post. She also penned a review for a Penguin Publishers title. Black Magic (1987) In 1973, the Doobie Brothers crooned , “I wanna get lost in your rock’ n’ roll and drift away.” Thirteen years later the lyrics, rather than a paean to romantic fulfillment, alluded to women who had to drift away from their dream of becoming the Founding Mothers of Cleveland’s newly instituted Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The gender gap reared its head when the music emporium listed its first ten inductees: Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, James Brown, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, and the Everly Brothers. Apparently, the museum did not abide by First Lady Abigail Adam’s admonition, “Remember the ladies.” The decision did not sit well with those who had spent the last two decades consecrated to the Women’s Liberation Movement. Had society not read Germaine Greer’s The Female Eunuch , perused Gloria Steinem’s Ms. Magazine , listened to Helen Reddy’s “I am Woman ”? Perhaps their struggle finally bore fruit: in 1988, Aretha Louise Franklin received her R-E-S-P-E-C-T when she became the first female inductee in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The Queen of Soul was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1942. Her mother, Barbara Siggers Franklin, was a gospel singer and pianist. Her father, Clarence la Vaughn, C. L., preached black-liberation theology, and his career as a pastor led the family from Memphis to Buffalo and then to Detroit where he traded his pulpit for the New Bethel Baptist Church. Her parents separated over C. L.’s wandering eye when Aretha was six, leaving her in her father’s care. Barbara remained in contact with her children who were devastated when she passed away four years later after a heart attack. A rock star among preachers, C. L. was known as “the man with the golden voice.” His sermons, often delivered beneath a neon-blue crucifix, were broadcast on radio and released on vinyl. With his celebrity status, he charged $4,000 for appearances. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stayed with the family when he visited Detroit, and C. L. helped him organize the historic Walk to Freedom. The Franklin household door was always open to gospel and secu