Tales of the Fairer Sex–and they are true!!
The Woman at the Wheel, by Penny Haw
How many of you have owned a Mercedes? I bought and drove a used one for many years. I loved that car. Most of us, however, had no idea that Bertha Benz, wife of inventor Carl Benz, secretly drove her husband’s invention on a long distance test drive to prove the car (if one may call it that) could endure such a trip. Of course, the rest is history!
The Elements of Marie Curie, by Dava Sobel
Almost everyone knows about Marie Curie. We know that she literally gave her life in a quest to invent and manufacture a life-saving medical device. What we may not know is that Curie created her own school and was responsible for mentoring countless women who were interested in a career in the sciences. In this book, we also learn of Curie’s bravery during the war and the incredible education she structured for her own daughter, who went on to win a Nobel Prize also.
Lincoln’s Lady Spymaster, by Gerri Willis
Another woman we have probably never heard of–Elizabeth Van Lew–was a wealthy Southern Belle who lived right in the middle of the Confederacy Capital. While acting out her expected role as an ‘oh so sweet’ hostess to Confederacy elite, she managed to create a spy network that provided General Grant with crucial intelligence that enabled him and his troops to end the Civil War.
