Local author Patricia Pentecost shares her book “Little Miss Middle” at the Warsaw Community Public Library. Photo provided by WCPL.

By Melissa Chapman
Cataloging Supervisor

Women’s History Month is a celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture and society and has been observed annually in the month of March in the United States since 1987. Below are a few books of lesser-known women who are shining examples of women who made history.

“The Motherlode: 100+ Women Who Made Hip-Hop” by Clover Hope is an illustrated highlight reel of more than 100 women in rap who have helped shape the genre and eschewed gender norms in the process. They are characters, caricatures, lyricists, at times both feminine and explicit. This book profiles each of these women, their musical and career breakthroughs, and the ways in which they each helped change the culture of rap.

“The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight For Freedom, And The Men Who Tried To Make Her Disappear” by Kate Moore. This beautifully written tale unfolds with drama and power, and puts Elizabeth Packard on the map at the most relevant moment imaginable. It is a story of a forgotten woman who courageously fought for her own freedom. Elizabeth’s refusal to be silenced and her ceaseless quest for justice not only challenged the medical science of the day, and led to a giant leap forward in human rights, it also showcased the most salutary lesson: the greatest heroes we have are those inside ourselves.

“The Correspondents: Six Women Writers On The Front Lines Of World War II” by Judith Mackrell is a riveting, untold history of a group of heroic women reporters who revolutionized the narrative of World War II. Just as women are often written out of war, so it seems are the female correspondents. Mackrell corrects this omission admirably with stories of six of the best. The author has done us a great service by assembling these fascinating stories.

“Wildcat: The Untold Story Of Pearl Hart, The Wild West’s Most Notorious Woman Bandit” by John Boessenecker writes a true-life adventure about the female outlaw who robbed a stagecoach at gunpoint in Arizona in 1899. Drawing on groundbreaking research into territorial records and genealogical data, it is the first book to uncover the enigma of Pearl Hart. Hailed by many as “The Bandit Queen,” her epic life of crime and legacy as a female trailblazer provide a crucial lens into the lives of the rare women who made their mark in the American West.