Overlooked Women’s Stories

Happy International Women's Day, ladies! 👯‍♀️
 

Throughout history, women have been a part of every great achievement, every momentous event, and every new discovery. However, they rarely get the recognition they deserve. There is a reason why people say “behind every great man is a woman who did it first.”
 

While the patriarchy still tries to overlook women’s achievements, authors are stepping up and recognizing the women who truly made an impact on the world. From artists to musicians to leaders, these women are finally being put in the spotlight they should have had in the past. Their stories are finally being told.

Here are a few stories of overlooked women in history. Read about who they were and what they did. It’s time to celebrate their achievements too. 

Harlem Rhapsody

by Victoria Christopher Murray

The Harlem renaissance is known for writers, artists, and poets, such as Langston Hughes, Nella Larsen, and Countee Cullen. At the center of this cultural movement is The Crisis, a preeminent magazine and the very first Black woman to be named the literary editor, Jessie Redman Fauset. 

Under her leadership, The Crisis thrived and published many of the most famous African American writers ever known. While many know their stories, Faucet is often forgotten. Despite her tumultuous affair and her ability to discover new talent, she often fades into the background. This is her story. 

Disobedient

by Elizabeth Fremantle

Artemisia Gentileschi is known for her powerful and dramatic paintings, often featuring violence and fortitude from a female perspective. She was brilliantly talented and started painting masterpieces by the age of 15. What’s more, she was the first woman accepted into Florence’s Academy of Drawing.

But despite all her achievements in the art world, her story is haunted by a violent act  in 1612. Fremantle tells the story of Gentileschi and the trauma that impacted every part of her life, from her reputation to her artwork. Even her most famous pieces tell a little bit of her story.

Fearless and Free: A Memoir

by Josephine Baker - Ijeoma Oluo - Anam Zafar - Sophie Lewis

Josephine Baker was once on top of the world. She was a dancer, singer, and spy. She was an icon of the Roaring Twenties, Paris, entertainment during WWII, and the Civil Rights movement in America. Everyone knew her, her signature look, and even her pet cheetah.

Baker’s memoir was first published in France in 1949. However, despite her fame and fortune, English readers couldn’t read her story in her own words. She made an incredible mark on history, but has been overlooked by a vast number of readers. However, in 2025, Baker’s memoir was finally published in English, allowing readers to see the world through Josephine’s eyes. 

The Instrumentalist

by Harriet Constable

Antoni Vivaldi, composer of masterpieces such as “The Four Seasons,” was in high demand during his time. He composed for the orchestra as well as other clients. But he managed to take time to teach at an orphanage, the Pieta. While there were many orphans turned musicians that came from the Pieta and learned under Vivaldi, there was one that stood out from the rest.
 

Anna Maria delia Pieta was one of the best violinists of the 18th century. This is her story of how she went from the orphan of a prostitute to playing music across Venice. What’s more, this is a story about the orphans of the Pieta and the contributions they made on Vivaldi’s work without the recognition.

Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong

by Katie Gee Salisbury

Thinking back to old Hollywood and the actors and actresses that made an impact in the film industry include some pretty famous names. Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor are a few that come to mind. Anna May Wong, however, doesn’t, despite being known as the first Asian American film star.

Anna May Wong was legendary, beautiful, and witty. Most notably, she was the woman who began to reshape Asian American representation in Hollywood. Her story of leaving the racist world of Hollywood in protest to make her name in European films is inspiring. Her choice to come back with her new fame and demand change is revolutionary.

Cleopatra

by Saara El-Arifi

The story of Cleopatra has intrigued historians, writers, and artists for centuries. The Egyptian pharaoh has had so many of her stories told that it’s hard to determine the truth from the fiction, the fact from the variations of historical tales. Each new author adds another piece to her story, often overlooking who she really was.

Now another voice is added to the tale of Cleopatra, another author writing added to the epic that was her life. This version takes a look at the history of Cleopatra through her own eyes. She tells you who she is and why past historians, playwrights, and poets have got it wrong.