Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World

Reviewed by: Sarah Cropley - Scarborough Public Library, Scarborough, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 7, 2018

Review

Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World is an anthology of graphic biographies of twenty-nine extraordinary women throughout history. Bagieu has selected women from all over the globe and all throughout time and highlighted their lives. Each of the women who was selected did something extraordinary, though many of them have been forgotten or had their accomplishments diminished in favor of their beauty or some other quality.

Each mini-biography begins with the name and a description of the woman--their profession or some other title of some kind. A portrait begins the comic strip of the biography. In sharp, clear, and often hilarious terms that persist, though translated from the original French, Bagieu leads the reader through the woman's life. The accompanying illustration are created with black outlines and three or four colors in a flat style, but they are often the source of humor and emotion in each biography, showcasing the bravery, stubbornness, joy, and sometimes pain of each woman with startling clarity foe such a small drawing. The biographies all end with a wordless two page spread that leaves the readers at peace with the subject.

Bagieu has selected many women who are rarely shown in other similar collective biographies. It's impossible to come away from this book without feeling inspired or angry that so many of these women are never discussed anywhere else. A gem of a book, for all readers.

Overall Book Score: excellent