Title: Quoting Matilda: The Words and History of a Forgotten Suffragist
Author: Susan Savion
Publisher: PageTurner Press and Media
ISBN: 9798886221404
Pages: 184
Genre: Women’s Studies History
Reviewed by: Tony Espinoza
Hollywood Book Reviews
There have been many movements over the years that bring a group of people together in an effort to fight against oppression and for equality. Equality can be a difficult thing to accomplish, as longstanding prejudices and viewpoints which have been embedded into a person’s heart since childhood can be a lifelong battle to take on. One such movement was the women’s suffrage movement, in which women fought to be seen as equals and get a right to vote. Taking place in the 19th century, it was Susan B. Anthony who once said, “It is downright mockery to talk to women of their enjoyment of the blessings of liberty while they are denied the use of the only means of securing them provided by this democratic-republican government: the ballot.”
In author Susan Savion’s Quoting Matilda: The Words and History of a Forgotten Suffragist, the author takes readers into the mind of one of the women’s suffrage movement’s most important yet hardly recognized figures, Matilda Joslyn Gage. Born into an abolitionist family, Matilda was written out of history for many years due to her “radical” viewpoints and goals, including the rights of property ownership, equality of power for 19th century women, the rights of Native Americans and enslaved people, and even fought against government control. She also supported female inventors, and become the inspirations behind 14 of her son-in-law Frank Baum’s books.
The author did such an incredible job of bringing this woman’s accomplishments and hard work to life. This secret history behind one of the women’s suffrage movement’s important figures was so fascinating and amazing to learn about. The amount of research and time the author poured into this reference and historical read was evident in each passage and page, as was the author’s passion for this historical figure’s work. Learning about the politics behind some of the movement’s leaders and how Matilda would, later in life, find herself going even further from the movement and starting her own, due to compromises that leaders like Susan B. Anthony made in order to progress their work, was so captivating as it gives so much more context to the history and culture of this time and era.
This book will be the absolute perfect read for so many different people out there. From historical and women’s rights readers who enjoy learning about the movement which began more than a century of fights for women’s equality, to those who seek to learn more about the figures behind movements from women’s suffrage to Native American rights and more, this book has the perfect balance of reference and history meets women’s studies.
Thought-provoking, engaging, and moving, author Susan Savion’s Quoting Matilda: The Words and History of a Forgotten Suffragist is a must-read women’s studies and history book. The author does such an incredible job of balancing the history and culture of the times with the insight and actions taken by Matilda and how relevant and impactful her views are even on our current world stage.