Finish the Fight!: The Brave and Revolutionary Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote

Gr 4-8--The New York Times staff collaborated to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment and provide a feminist look at prominent leaders of the women's suffrage movement. While readers may recognize names like Susan B. Anthony, this critical text successfully reframes the movement, centering queer women, women of color, and Native women whose stories have been excluded. Chapters about Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, and other trailblazers expose racism within the movement and examine the relationship between women's suffrage and civil rights. Stunning, full-page portraits mark each chapter, though some include confusing elements such as a bird perched on the shoulder of Dakota Sioux activist Zitkála-Sá without the context that her name translates to "red bird." VERDICT This collection of remarkable women will make for a thorough primary source for middle grade research projects. The book's social justice lens is an obvious strength. Recommended for school and public libraries, especially where whitewashed histories detailing the suffrage movement need updating.--Allison Staley, Lake Oswego P.L., OR

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Declaring "suffrage history needs a makeover," Chambers and other staff writers at the New York Times mark the centenary of the 19th Amendment's ratification with this refreshing compilation featuring some of the American suffrage movement's unsung heroines. Thirteen chapters highlight these lesser-known champions, who were often part of other rights struggles. African American, Native American, Asian American, Latinx, and queer suffragists occupy pages illustrated by various artists in the hues of the movement: purple, blue, and gold. Striking full-page color portraits and simple floral motifs accompany archival photographs of suffragists such as newspaper founder Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin and journalist Jovita Idár. Straightforward reportage reveals the movement's complexity, with attention paid to internal discrimination, as well as to inspiration derived from matriarchal Native American societies. Sidebars add context, one cleverly depicting the state ratification process through a game board. A timeline, bibliography, and index conclude, along with eye-catching spreads of colorful trading cards featuring many more voting rights pioneers. A "Women by the Numbers" spread compares statistics from 1920 to 2020. A welcome, more inclusive panorama of suffrage history. Ages 8-12. (Aug.)

Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

★ "Timely, moving, and necessary." - Kirkus

★ "This informative book takes a refreshingly inclusive approach to the history of women's voting rights in the United States...it widens the spotlight, profiling leaders who have represented minorities and describing the particular challenges they have faced as they worked to promote women's suffrage." —Booklist, STARRED review

"Lushly illustrated." —The New York Times Book Review

"This collection of remarkable women will make for a thorough primary source for middle grade research projects... Recommended for school and public libraries, especially where whitewashed histories detailing the suffrage movement need updating." - School Library Journal

"Eye-catching." - The Horn Book